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A Comparison of Judeo-Christian Theism and Philosophical Naturalism as Explanatory World-ViewsEdwin Mellen Press. 2007.In this work, I argue for the overall explanatory superiority of philosophical naturalism to a theistic worldview. Pursuant to that, this piece develops and defends a functionalist theory of explanation, which is then used in addressing several particular topics in the philosophy of religion: the law-governed nature of the world, the intelligibility of the world, alleged "fine-tuning", reports of religious experiences and the occurrence of evils. In each case, I argue that a naturalistic explana…Read more
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28Is the Current Practice of Psychotherapy Morally Permissible?International Journal of Applied Philosophy 15 (1): 85-105. 2001.This essay aims to morally evaluate psychotherapy as it is currently practiced through the lens of sales/exchange ethics. The main focus of the essay is on psychotherapists’ claims to special expertise at diagnosing and treating mental illness. I review the research evidence relevant to these claims and conclude that these claims are not supported by the available evidence. Psychotherapists do not appear to be any better than actuarial tests at diagnosing mental illnesses, and meta-analyses of p…Read more
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65Materialism and the Mind-Body Problem, Second Edition (review)Teaching Philosophy 25 (3): 258-261. 2002.
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80A physicalist rejoinder to some problems with omniscience; or, how God could know what we knowSophia 43 (2): 5-13. 2004.A certain objection to belief in God is based on the intrinsic incoherence of the concept of Divine Being or God. In particular, it questions the major traditional characteristic, notably omniscience, and its relation to omnipotence, moral unassailability, and absence of embodiment on the part of the Divine Being. In this paper, an attempt is made to counter this objection by an appeal, not to natural theology, but rather to physicalism in its application to human beings, and by extension to the…Read more
Jason A. Beyer
Illinois Valley Community College
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Illinois Valley Community CollegeProfessor
Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Religion |
Religious Studies |
Applied Ethics |