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Graham Oppy

Monash University
  •  Home
  •  Publications
    253
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  •  Events
    12
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    108
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 More details
  • Monash University
    Department of Philosophy
    Regular Faculty
Princeton University
Department of Philosophy
PhD, 1990
Email (login required)
Homepage
0000-0003-0453-2250
Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Religion
Areas of Interest
Epistemology
Metaphysics
Philosophy of Language
  • All publications (253)
  •  772
    O'Connor's Cosmological Argument
    In Jonathan L. Kvanvig (ed.), Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion Volume, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2010.
    This paper criticises the cosmological argument that Tim O'Connor provides in his book *Theism and Ultimate Explanation*.
    Fine-Tuning in CosmologyIntelligent DesignArguments for Theism, MiscDivine Attributes, MiscCosmologi…Read more
    Fine-Tuning in CosmologyIntelligent DesignArguments for Theism, MiscDivine Attributes, MiscCosmological Arguments from Contingency
  •  994
    Review of *God and Design* (edited by Neil Manson) (review)
    Sophia 43 (1): 127-131. 2004.
    This is a review of Neil Manson (ed.) *God and Design*. The collected essays cover a wide spectrum of opinion, and will be required reading for anyone interested in contemporary debate on arguments for design.
    Arguments for Theism, MiscDesign Arguments for Theism, Misc
  •  117
    Theism and Atheism: Opposing Viewpoints in Philosophy (edited book)
    with Joseph W. Koterski
    Gale. 2019.
    This book is a discussion of a wide range of topics that bear on the existence of God. For each topic, there is a chapter by one (or more) theists, and a chapter by one (or more) atheists. Topics: (1) Definition; (2) Method; (3) Logic; (4) Doxastic Foundations; (5) Religious Experience; (6) Faith and Revelation; (7) Miracles; (8) Religious Diversity; (9) Causation and Sufficient Reason; (10) A Priori; (11) Our Universe; (12) Human History; (13) Human Beings; (14) Ethics; (15) Meaning; (16) Evil …Read more
    This book is a discussion of a wide range of topics that bear on the existence of God. For each topic, there is a chapter by one (or more) theists, and a chapter by one (or more) atheists. Topics: (1) Definition; (2) Method; (3) Logic; (4) Doxastic Foundations; (5) Religious Experience; (6) Faith and Revelation; (7) Miracles; (8) Religious Diversity; (9) Causation and Sufficient Reason; (10) A Priori; (11) Our Universe; (12) Human History; (13) Human Beings; (14) Ethics; (15) Meaning; (16) Evil and Suffering; (17) Science; (18) Theories of Religion; (19) Prudential / Pragmatic Arguments; (20) Final Reckonings.
    Arguments from Naturalism against TheismAtheism
  •  891
    Knowledge, Belief and God: New Insights in Religious Epistemology Edited by Matthew A. Benton, John Hawthorne and Dani Rabinowitz (review)
    Analysis 79 (2): 381-384. 2019.
    This is a review of *Knowledge, Belief and God: New Insights in Religious Epistemology* (edited by Matthew Benton, John Hawthorne, and Dani Rabinowitz). The review briefly discusses the contributed essays by Benton and Isaac Choi.
    Philosophy of Religion, MiscEpistemology of Religion, MiscChristianity, Misc
  •  2862
    The Tristram Shandy Paradox
    Philosophia Christi 4 (2): 335-349. 2002.
    This paper is a response to David Oderberg's discussion of the Tristram Shandy paradox. I defend the claim that the Tristram Shandy paradox does not support the claim that it is impossible that the past is infinite.
    Philosophy of ReligionKalam Cosmological ArgumentPhilosophy of Time, Misc
  •  1433
    Evidential Arguments from Evil and Skeptical Theism
    with Michael Almeida
    Philo 8 (2): 84-94. 2004.
    In this paper we respond to criticisms by Michael Bergmann and Michael Rea in their “In Defense of Sceptical Theism : A Reply to Almeida and Oppy,” Australasian Journal of Philosophy 83.
    Metaphysics and EpistemologyReligious Skepticism
  •  50
    History of Philosophy in Australia and New Zealand (edited book)
    with Nick Trakakis
    Springer. 2014.
    This two volume works provides a comprehensive history of philosophy in Australia and New Zealand. Volume one provides a chronological history, with one chapter devoted to the early years in which idealism dominated Australasian philosophy, and then chapters that cover each of the decades from the second world war. Volume two provides a thematic history, with treatment of most of the major areas to which Australasian philosophers have made significant contributions.
    History of Western Philosophy, Misc20th Century Philosophy19th Century Philosophy
  •  735
    Wagering on an Ironic God: Pascal on Faith and Philosophy by Thomas S. Hibbs (review)
    Journal of the History of Philosophy 56 (2): 372-373. 2018.
    This is a short review of Thomas S. Hibbs' book: *Wagering on an Ironic God: Pascal on Faith and Philosophy*.
    Philosophy of Religion, General WorksPragmatic Arguments for Theism, MiscPascal's WagerPhilosophy of…Read more
    Philosophy of Religion, General WorksPragmatic Arguments for Theism, MiscPascal's WagerPhilosophy of Religion, Misc
  •  1050
    Review of Yujin Nagasawa, Maximal God: A New Defence of Perfect Being Theism: Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017, hb, ISBN: 978-0198758686, xiii+225 pp (review)
    Sophia 57 (1): 189-191. 2018.
    Ontological Arguments for Theism, MiscDivine Attributes, MiscAnselm's Ontological Argument
  •  34
    Early Modern Philosophy of Religion: The History of Western Philosophy of Religion Volume 3
    with N. Trakakis, Graham Oppy, and N. N. Trakakis
    Acumen Publishing. 2013.
    The History of Western Philosophy of Religion brings together an international team of over 100 leading scholars to provide authoritative exposition of how history's most important philosophical thinkers - from antiquity to the present day - have sought to analyse the concepts and tenets central to Western religious belief, especially Christianity. Divided chronologically into five volumes, The History of Western Philosophy of Religion is designed to be accessible to a wide range of readers, fro…Read more
    The History of Western Philosophy of Religion brings together an international team of over 100 leading scholars to provide authoritative exposition of how history's most important philosophical thinkers - from antiquity to the present day - have sought to analyse the concepts and tenets central to Western religious belief, especially Christianity. Divided chronologically into five volumes, The History of Western Philosophy of Religion is designed to be accessible to a wide range of readers, from the scholar looking for original insight and the latest research findings to the student wishing for a masterly encapsulation of a particular philosopher's views. Together these volumes provide an indispensable resource for anyone conducting research or teaching in the philosophy of religion and related fields, such as theology, religious studies, the history of philosophy, and the history of ideas. Volume 3 covers the early modern period which witnessed a revolution in science and natural philosophy that swept away two millennia of Aristotelian certainty in a human-centred universe. Covering some of the most important figures in the history of Western thought - notably Descartes, Locke, Hume and Kant - Early Modern Philosophy of Religion charts the philosophical understanding of religion at a time of intellectual and spiritual revolution.
    Philosophy of Religion, MiscPhilosophy of Religion, General WorksChristianityMedieval and Renaissanc…Read more
    Philosophy of Religion, MiscPhilosophy of Religion, General WorksChristianityMedieval and Renaissance PhilosophyCambridge PlatonismHume: Philosophy of ReligionHume and Other Philosophers
  •  981
    On Functional Definitions Of Art: A Response to Rowe
    British Journal of Aesthetics 33 (1): 67-71. 1993.
    This paper is a critical assessment of M. W. Rowe's functional definition of art.
    Philosophy of EducationThe Definition of ArtArt and Artworks, Misc
  •  634
    The Semantics of Media
    Australasian Journal of Philosophy 79 (4): 582-583. 2001.
    Book Information The Semantics of Media. By Jeff Ross. Dordrecht, Kluwer. 1997. Pp. vii + 137. £56.75.
    Intensionality and OpacityCompositionalityPossible World SemanticsScopeLogical FormSpecific Expressi…Read more
    Intensionality and OpacityCompositionalityPossible World SemanticsScopeLogical FormSpecific Expressions, Misc
  •  153
    A companion to philosophy in Australia & New Zealand (edited book)
    with Nick Trakakis, Lynda Burns, Steven Gardner, and Fiona Leigh
    Monash University Publishing. 2010.
    This work is a companion to philosophy in Australia and New Zealand. It contains over two hundred entries on: Australasian philosophy departments; notable Australasian philosophers; significant events in the history of Australasian philosophy; and areas to which Australasian philosophers have made notable contributions.
    History of Western Philosophy, Misc20th Century Philosophy, MiscPhilosophy, General WorksPhilosophy,…Read more
    History of Western Philosophy, Misc20th Century Philosophy, MiscPhilosophy, General WorksPhilosophy, MiscellaneousAustralasian Philosophy, MiscPolynesian PhilosophyLegal EthicsDualism, MiscEpiphenomenalismPhysicalism about the Mind, Misc
  •  230
    The Best Argument Against God
    Palgrave-Macmillan. 2013.
    Preface -- Introduction -- Preliminary matters -- Some big ideas -- Minimal theism and naturalism -- Standard theism and naturalism -- Conclusion.
    NaturalismPhilosophy of Religion, MiscAtheismPhilosophy of Religion, General WorksArguments from Nat…Read more
    NaturalismPhilosophy of Religion, MiscAtheismPhilosophy of Religion, General WorksArguments from Naturalism against TheismAtheism and Agnosticism, Misc
  •  75
    The Antipodean philosopher (edited book)
    with Nick Trakakis
    Lexington Books. 2011.
    v. 1. Public lectures on philosophy in Australia and New Zealand -- 2. Interviews with Australian and New Zealand philosophers
    Australasian Philosophy, Misc
  •  1219
    Abstract objects? Who cares!
    Bloomsbury Academic. 2014.
    This is my main contribution to P. Gould (ed.) Beyond the Control of God?: Six Views on the Problem of God and Abstract Objects Bloomsbury. (The other contibutors to this work are: Keith Yandell; Paul Gould and Rich Davis; Greg Welty; William Lane Craig; and Scott Shalkowski.) I argue that, when it comes to a comparative assessment of the merits of theism and atheism, it makes no difference whether one opts for realism or fictionalism concerning abstract objects.
    Abstract ObjectsPhilosophy of Religion, General Works
  •  1213
    The non-esistence of god' by Nicholas Everitt (review)
    Philosophical Books 47 (2): 187-9. 2006.
    Positive review of Nicholas Everitt's *The Non-Existence of God*.
    Arguments Against Theism, Misc
  •  963
    Is God Good by Definition?
    Religious Studies 28 (4). 1992.
    As a matter of historical fact, most philosophers and theologians who have defended traditional theistic views have been moral realists. Some "divine command" theorists have held that the good is constituted by the content of divine approval -i.e. that things are good because, and insofar as, they have divine approval. However, even amongst those theists who hold that the good is independently constituted -i.e. those who hold that God's pattern of approval is explained by the fact that he approv…Read more
    As a matter of historical fact, most philosophers and theologians who have defended traditional theistic views have been moral realists. Some "divine command" theorists have held that the good is constituted by the content of divine approval -i.e. that things are good because, and insofar as, they have divine approval. However, even amongst those theists who hold that the good is independently constituted -i.e. those who hold that God's pattern of approval is explained by the fact that he approves of all and only that which is good -the dominant meta ethic has been strongly realistic.
    MonotheismDivine Goodness
  •  1096
    On Rescher on Pascal's Wager
    International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 30 (3). 1991.
    In Pascal's Wager: A Study Of Practical Reasoning In Philosophical Theology ,[1] Nicholas Rescher aims to show that, contrary to received philosophical opinion, Pascal's Wager argument is "the vehicle of a fruitful and valuable insight--one which not only represents a milestone in the development of an historically important tradition of thought but can still be seen as making an instructive contribution to philosophical theology".[2] In particular, Rescher argues that one only needs to adopt a …Read more
    In Pascal's Wager: A Study Of Practical Reasoning In Philosophical Theology ,[1] Nicholas Rescher aims to show that, contrary to received philosophical opinion, Pascal's Wager argument is "the vehicle of a fruitful and valuable insight--one which not only represents a milestone in the development of an historically important tradition of thought but can still be seen as making an instructive contribution to philosophical theology".[2] In particular, Rescher argues that one only needs to adopt a correct perspective in order to see that Pascal's Wager argument is a good argument. Moreover, there seems to be a certain amount of contemporary support for Rescher's claim that Pascal's Wager argument can be seen to be a good argument when properly construed .[3] However, despite this recent trend to adopt a more sympathetic stance towards Pascal's Wager argument, I propose to defend the traditional view that Pascal's Wager argument is almost entirely worthless--at least from the theological standpoint. (No doubt, it has historical significance from the standpoint of decision theory; but that's a separate matter.).
    Pascal's WagerBlaise Pascal
  •  354
    Review of 'Meinongian logic' by D Jacquette (review)
    Mind 107 (428): 894-8. 1998.
    Critical review of Dale Jacquette's *Meinongian Logic*
    Alexius MeinongPhilosophy of Language, General WorksLogic and Philosophy of Logic, Misc
  •  1264
    God
    In Robert Barnard & Neil Manson (eds.), Continuum Companion to Metaphysics, Continuum Publishing. pp. 246-68. 2012.
    This paper argues that considerations about causal origins of the universe do not favour theism over naturalism. Indeed, if the only data that is relevant to the choice between theism and naturalism is data about causal origins, then it turns out that considerations about causal origins favour naturalism over theism.
    Arguments Against Theism, MiscAtheismArguments from Naturalism against Theism
  •  194
    Williamson and the Contingent A Priori
    Analysis 47 (4). 1987.
    This paper is a response to Tim Williamson's "The Contingent A Priori: Has It Anything To Do With Indexicals?" In that paper, Williamson claims to have produced an instance of a deeply contingent a priori truth that in no way turns on indexicals. In this paper, I suggest that Williamson has failed to substantiate this claim. In particular, I claim that one cannot know a priori that there is at least one believer without relying on some kind of indexicality.
    Apriority and NecessityTheories of the A PrioriThe A Priori, Misc
  •  368
    Ontological arguments
    Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2014.
    Latest version of my SEP entry on ontological arguments, which first appeared in 1996. General discussion of ontological arguments. Includes a brief historical overview, a taxonomy of different kinds of ontological arguments, a brief survey of objections to the different kinds of ontological arguments identified in the taxonomy, and more extended discussions of Anselm's ontological argument (Proslogion 2), Godel's ontological argument, and Plantinga's ontological argument.
    Anselm's Ontological ArgumentOntological Arguments for Theism, Misc
  •  3618
    Anselm and the ontological argument
    In Jeff Jordan (ed.), Philosophy of Religion: The Key Thinkers, Continuum. pp. 22-43. 2011.
    This chapter gives an exposition and critique of Anselm's Proslogion II argument.
    AnselmAnselm's Ontological Argument
  •  5236
    Review of Sobel's *Logic and Theism* (review)
    Philo 9 (1): 73-91. 2006.
    This is an extended critical review of Jordan Howard Sobel's magnum opus *Logic and Theism*.
    Philosophy of Religion, MiscOntological Arguments for Theism, MiscPascal's WagerCosmological Argumen…Read more
    Philosophy of Religion, MiscOntological Arguments for Theism, MiscPascal's WagerCosmological Arguments for Theism, MiscArguments for Theism, Misc
  •  700
    Evil Beyond the Burden of Belief (review)
    Philo 3 (2): 104-107. 2000.
    Review of *Suffering Belief: Evil and the Anglo-American Defence of Theism* (by Andrea Weisberger). This paper was originally published at the Secular Web; it was later published in *Philo*. Details here are to the publication in *Philo*.
    Arguments Against Theism, MiscThe Argument from EvilArguments from Naturalism against Theism
  •  2071
    Time, Successive Addition, and Kalam Cosmological Arguments
    Philosophia Christi 3 (1): 181-192. 2001.
    Craig (1981) presents and defends several different kalam cosmological arguments. The core of each of these arguments is the following ur argument.
    Kalam Cosmological ArgumentMathematical FinitismScience and ReligionThe Early UniverseCreation, Misc
  •  1171
    More Than a Flesh Wound
    Ars Disputandi 2 214-224. 2002.
    In ‘The Kalam Cosmological Argument Neither Bloodied nor Bowed’ , David Oderberg provides four main criticisms of the line of argument which I developed in ‘Time, Successive Addition, and Kalam Cosmological Arguments’ . I argue here that none of these lines of criticism succeeds. Further I re-emphasise the point that those who maintain that the temporal series of past events is formed by ‘successive addition’ are indeed thereby committed to a highly contentious strict finitist metaphysics.
    Kalam Cosmological Argument
  •  1598
    Where’s the biff?
    with Toby Handfield, Charles R. Twardy, and Kevin B. Korb
    Erkenntnis 68 (2): 149-68. 2008.
    This paper presents an attempt to integrate theories of causal processes—of the kind developed by Wesley Salmon and Phil Dowe—into a theory of causal models using Bayesian networks. We suggest that arcs in causal models must correspond to possible causal processes. Moreover, we suggest that when processes are rendered physically impossible by what occurs on distinct paths, the original model must be restricted by removing the relevant arc. These two techniques suffice to explain cases of late pr…Read more
    This paper presents an attempt to integrate theories of causal processes—of the kind developed by Wesley Salmon and Phil Dowe—into a theory of causal models using Bayesian networks. We suggest that arcs in causal models must correspond to possible causal processes. Moreover, we suggest that when processes are rendered physically impossible by what occurs on distinct paths, the original model must be restricted by removing the relevant arc. These two techniques suffice to explain cases of late preëmption and other cases that have proved problematic for causal models.
    Causal Accounts of ExplanationProcess Theories of CausationManipulability Theories of CausationCount…Read more
    Causal Accounts of ExplanationProcess Theories of CausationManipulability Theories of CausationCounterfactual Theories of CausationBayesian Reasoning, MiscCausal Modeling
  •  1329
    Perfection, near-perfection, maximality, and Anselmian Theism
    International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 69 (2): 119-138. 2011.
    Anselmian theists claim (a) that there is a being than which none greater can be conceived; and (b) that it is knowable on purely—solely, entirely—a priori grounds that there is a being than which none greater can be conceived. In this paper, I argue that Anselmian Theism gains traction by conflating different interpretations of the key description ‘being than which no greater can be conceived’. In particular, I insist that it is very important to distinguish between ideal excellence and maximal…Read more
    Anselmian theists claim (a) that there is a being than which none greater can be conceived; and (b) that it is knowable on purely—solely, entirely—a priori grounds that there is a being than which none greater can be conceived. In this paper, I argue that Anselmian Theism gains traction by conflating different interpretations of the key description ‘being than which no greater can be conceived’. In particular, I insist that it is very important to distinguish between ideal excellence and maximal possible excellence. At the end of my paper, I illustrate the importance of this distinction by applying my discussion to the recent defence of Anselmian Theism in Nagasawa (Philos Q 58:577–591, 2008).
    Religious Topics, MiscDivine Attributes, MiscOntological Arguments for Theism, Misc
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