Benjamin Blake Speed Watkins
@benjaminwatkins.bsky.social
Nuc Engineer, Philosopher, Writer, & host of Real Atheology
“Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.”
—Captain Ahab
“Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.”
—Captain Ahab
Pinned
Suppose God exists. We act as we do because of how God created us. We cannot deserve punishment from God unless we can be ultimately responsible for how God created us. We cannot be ultimately responsible for how God created us, therefore, we cannot deserve punishment from God.
Suppose Anselm is right that maximal greatness entails that God’s excellence necessarily surpasses all finite human conception. Theists cannot coherently claim that:
(1) God exists.
(2) God is comprehensible—we can conceive of God’s nature.
(3) God is that than which no greater can be conceived.
(1) God exists.
(2) God is comprehensible—we can conceive of God’s nature.
(3) God is that than which no greater can be conceived.
September 6, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Suppose Anselm is right that maximal greatness entails that God’s excellence necessarily surpasses all finite human conception. Theists cannot coherently claim that:
(1) God exists.
(2) God is comprehensible—we can conceive of God’s nature.
(3) God is that than which no greater can be conceived.
(1) God exists.
(2) God is comprehensible—we can conceive of God’s nature.
(3) God is that than which no greater can be conceived.
Given that traditional religions are mutually exclusive, at most only one can be true. The point of miracle testimony has historically been to establish the truth of the religion it supports, so if that religion is not true, then its miracle testimony is false.
September 6, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Given that traditional religions are mutually exclusive, at most only one can be true. The point of miracle testimony has historically been to establish the truth of the religion it supports, so if that religion is not true, then its miracle testimony is false.
When faced with miracles we readily dismiss; we recognize them as the result of credulity, piety, and love of wonder—their falsehood is no greater a natural impossibility. But the Gospels differ only in degree, not in kind. It’s easier to see the mote in thy brother’s eye than the beam in thine own.
September 6, 2025 at 12:47 PM
When faced with miracles we readily dismiss; we recognize them as the result of credulity, piety, and love of wonder—their falsehood is no greater a natural impossibility. But the Gospels differ only in degree, not in kind. It’s easier to see the mote in thy brother’s eye than the beam in thine own.
Reposted by Benjamin Blake Speed Watkins
There are big “if you don’t struggle, it will hurt less” vibes radiating from this.
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
April 13, 2025 at 4:38 PM
There are big “if you don’t struggle, it will hurt less” vibes radiating from this.
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
Had a great time celebrating this lovely lady’s birthday.
April 13, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Had a great time celebrating this lovely lady’s birthday.
We could have had less wealth inequality, leadership on the world stage, and democratic norms and institutions, but instead we got trade wars, oligarchary, and Putin’s useful idiots. We are so cooked.
April 13, 2025 at 3:16 PM
We could have had less wealth inequality, leadership on the world stage, and democratic norms and institutions, but instead we got trade wars, oligarchary, and Putin’s useful idiots. We are so cooked.
Who wore it better? Rubio or Stańczyk?
March 1, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Who wore it better? Rubio or Stańczyk?
Fun Fact: Lucretius’ “On The Nature of Things” is “Metal.” 🤘🏻
February 17, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Fun Fact: Lucretius’ “On The Nature of Things” is “Metal.” 🤘🏻
Happy Valentine’s Day to the woman of my dreams and the mother of our children. 😘
February 14, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Happy Valentine’s Day to the woman of my dreams and the mother of our children. 😘
The world is a place where pain lingers, untended. A loving God would end such suffering, but it persists—babies wail with hunger, animals are torn apart in the wild, and the sick die in their solitude. The earth is full of grief that has no cause, no justice.
February 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The world is a place where pain lingers, untended. A loving God would end such suffering, but it persists—babies wail with hunger, animals are torn apart in the wild, and the sick die in their solitude. The earth is full of grief that has no cause, no justice.
Reposted by Benjamin Blake Speed Watkins
Reading an advance copy of William Boyle’s killer crime novel, SAINT OF THE NARROWS STREET. So friggin good: the prose, the characters, the dialogue. Truly first-rate. Out February 4th.
January 5, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reading an advance copy of William Boyle’s killer crime novel, SAINT OF THE NARROWS STREET. So friggin good: the prose, the characters, the dialogue. Truly first-rate. Out February 4th.
(A) Minds lack spatial location.
(B) Bodies have spatial location.
(C) Minds and bodies causally interact.
(D) What lacks spatial location cannot causally interact with what has spatial location.
All x4 claims cannot be true. We must give up at least one. But which one? I say give up (A).
(B) Bodies have spatial location.
(C) Minds and bodies causally interact.
(D) What lacks spatial location cannot causally interact with what has spatial location.
All x4 claims cannot be true. We must give up at least one. But which one? I say give up (A).
December 30, 2024 at 4:20 AM
(A) Minds lack spatial location.
(B) Bodies have spatial location.
(C) Minds and bodies causally interact.
(D) What lacks spatial location cannot causally interact with what has spatial location.
All x4 claims cannot be true. We must give up at least one. But which one? I say give up (A).
(B) Bodies have spatial location.
(C) Minds and bodies causally interact.
(D) What lacks spatial location cannot causally interact with what has spatial location.
All x4 claims cannot be true. We must give up at least one. But which one? I say give up (A).
Reposted by Benjamin Blake Speed Watkins
✅Superman
✅Rachel Brosnahan
I’m pumped.
✅Rachel Brosnahan
I’m pumped.
On July 11, It Begins. Superman - Only in Theaters 2025 #Superman #FilmedForIMAX youtu.be/uhUht6vAsMY
Superman | Official Teaser Trailer
YouTube video by DC
youtu.be
December 19, 2024 at 2:32 PM
✅Superman
✅Rachel Brosnahan
I’m pumped.
✅Rachel Brosnahan
I’m pumped.
Reposted by Benjamin Blake Speed Watkins
I have this artwork in my house and I'm not even sorry
December 16, 2024 at 5:14 PM
I have this artwork in my house and I'm not even sorry
I am past scorching; not easily can’st thou scorch a scar.
—Captain Ahab
—Captain Ahab
December 14, 2024 at 1:45 AM
I am past scorching; not easily can’st thou scorch a scar.
—Captain Ahab
—Captain Ahab
Reposted by Benjamin Blake Speed Watkins
From back in the old podcast days: a conversation with Massimo Pigliucci about ontology and materialism.
#philsky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfFW...
#philsky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfFW...
Ontology and materialism | Daniel Kaufman & Massimo Pigliucci [Sophia]
YouTube video by NonzeroClips
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2024 at 2:19 PM
From back in the old podcast days: a conversation with Massimo Pigliucci about ontology and materialism.
#philsky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfFW...
#philsky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfFW...
Haters gonna hate
December 8, 2024 at 5:42 PM
Haters gonna hate
My latest brief on one version of the causal argument for materialism.
December 4, 2024 at 5:37 PM
My latest brief on one version of the causal argument for materialism.
Reposted by Benjamin Blake Speed Watkins
Grande (2018) argues that many will come to believe that God is a woman.
November 26, 2024 at 5:29 PM
Grande (2018) argues that many will come to believe that God is a woman.
My philosophy, as things stand:
Ontology: Physicalism
Epistemology: Pragmatics
Philosophy of Religion: Naturalism
Theology: Taoism
Politics: Leftist
Moral Philosophy: Consequentialism
Meta-ethics: Realism
Personal Identity: Physiological criterion
Free Will: Compatibilist
Time: Growing block theory
Ontology: Physicalism
Epistemology: Pragmatics
Philosophy of Religion: Naturalism
Theology: Taoism
Politics: Leftist
Moral Philosophy: Consequentialism
Meta-ethics: Realism
Personal Identity: Physiological criterion
Free Will: Compatibilist
Time: Growing block theory
November 26, 2024 at 8:00 PM
My philosophy, as things stand:
Ontology: Physicalism
Epistemology: Pragmatics
Philosophy of Religion: Naturalism
Theology: Taoism
Politics: Leftist
Moral Philosophy: Consequentialism
Meta-ethics: Realism
Personal Identity: Physiological criterion
Free Will: Compatibilist
Time: Growing block theory
Ontology: Physicalism
Epistemology: Pragmatics
Philosophy of Religion: Naturalism
Theology: Taoism
Politics: Leftist
Moral Philosophy: Consequentialism
Meta-ethics: Realism
Personal Identity: Physiological criterion
Free Will: Compatibilist
Time: Growing block theory
“Reductive physicalism is dead because denying qualia is crazy and some people think maybe idealism or neutral monism instead.”
^^^This was all I could get from the article. . .
Fun Fact: Reductionism doesn’t commit us to denying consciousness.
www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/se...
^^^This was all I could get from the article. . .
Fun Fact: Reductionism doesn’t commit us to denying consciousness.
www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/se...
Physicalism Is Dead
There is movement in the sciences of consciousness. Physical reductionism, which attempted to annihilate subjective experience, is challenged by several alternative conceptions.
www.psychologytoday.com
November 25, 2024 at 12:23 PM
“Reductive physicalism is dead because denying qualia is crazy and some people think maybe idealism or neutral monism instead.”
^^^This was all I could get from the article. . .
Fun Fact: Reductionism doesn’t commit us to denying consciousness.
www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/se...
^^^This was all I could get from the article. . .
Fun Fact: Reductionism doesn’t commit us to denying consciousness.
www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/se...