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Western science --- understanding the universe --- the general laws of nature --- our own (inner) nature --- the sacred

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A prominent issue in many contemporary philosophy of religion debates concerns whether the universe has a Designer. This book moves the discussion ahead in a significant way by devising an original deductive formulation of the Teleological Argument (TA) which demonstrates that the following are the only possible categories of hypotheses concerning fine-tuning and order: (i) chance, (ii) regularity, (iii) combinations of regularity and chance, (iv) uncaused, and (v) design. This book also demonstrates that there are essential features of each category such that, while the alternatives to design are unlikely, the Design Hypothesis is not, and that one can argue for design by exclusion without having to first assign a prior probability for design. By combining the TA with the Kalam Cosmological Argument (KCA) which it defends against various objections, this book responds to the God-of-the-gaps objection by demonstrating that the conclusion of the KCA-TA is not based on gaps which can be filled by further scientific progress, but follows from deduction and exclusion. This is an open access book.

Philosophy of religion --- Philosophy of science --- Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology --- Ultimate Designer --- Cosmology --- Causation --- Fine-Tuning --- First Cause --- Laws of Nature

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Physics --- Physical laws --- Philosophy --- History --- Natural philosophy --- Philosophy, Natural --- Physical sciences --- Dynamics --- Laws of nature (Physical laws) --- Laws of science (Physical laws) --- Laws, Physical --- Nature, Laws of (Physical laws) --- Science, Laws of (Physical laws)

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David Malet Armstrong (8 July 1926–13 May 2014) has been one of the most influential contemporary metaphysicians working in the analytic tradition and surely the greatest 20th century Australian philosopher. His main merit is to have reestablished metaphysics as a respectable branch of philosophy placing it at the centre of the philosophical debate, and giving it the status of an authoritative and competent interlocutor of both rational and empirical sciences. By means of a rigorously argumentative approach and a sharp prose, Armstrong has built a whole metaphysical system, that is, a comprehensive and unified picture of the fundamental structure of the world. The various chapters of the book address the key issues concerning Armstrong' view about the problem of universals, the nature of states of affairs, the ontological ground of possibility, nomic necessity, and dispositions, the truth maker theory, and the theory of mind. This volume aims to celebrate Armstrong’s memory bringing new understanding, and hopefully stimulating more work, on his philosophy, with the conviction that it constitutes an invaluable heritage for contemporary research in metaphysics.

Metaphysics --- Philosophy of science --- Metaphysics. --- Realism. --- Science --- Normal science --- Empiricism --- Philosophy --- Universals (Philosophy) --- Conceptualism --- Dualism --- Idealism --- Materialism --- Nominalism --- Positivism --- Rationalism --- God --- Ontology --- Philosophy of mind --- Philosophy. --- Armstrong, D. M. --- Armstrong, David Malet --- Armstrong, David M. --- Laws of Nature, Scientific Realism, Naturalism, Theory of Mind, Truthmaker. --- Realism

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This is arguably the most important work of science, aimed at the general reader, to be published in living memory. This 1000-page guide to the universe aims to provide a comprehensive account of our present understanding of the physical universe, and the essentials of its underlying mathematical theory. It attempts to convey an overall understanding -- a feeling for the deep beauty and philosophical connotations of the subject, as well as of its intricate logical interconnections. Clearly, a work of this nature is challenging, but no particular mathematical knowledge on the part of the reader is assumed, the early chapters providing the essential mathematical background for the physical theories described in the remainder of the book. There is also enough descriptive material to carry the less mathematically inclined reader through, as well as some 450-500, mostly hand-drawn, figures. The book provides a feeling for all the key issues and deep current controversies, and counters the common complaint that cutting-edge science is fundamentally inaccessible. TOPICS COVERED: & numbers and geometry in physics & the ideas and magic of calculus & notions of infinity & relativity theory & quantum mechanics & particle physics & cosmology & the big bang & black holes & the second law of thermodynamics & string and M theory & loop quantum gravity & twisters & fashions in science

Cosmology --- Mathematical physics --- Physical laws --- 524.8 --- The Universe. Metagalaxy. Cosmology --- Mathematical physics. --- Physical laws. --- 524.8 The Universe. Metagalaxy. Cosmology --- Laws, Physical --- Physical sciences --- Physical mathematics --- Physics --- Mathematics --- Laws of nature (Physical laws) --- Laws of science (Physical laws) --- Nature, Laws of (Physical laws) --- Science, Laws of (Physical laws)