宇宙是有限的还是无限的

宇宙的本来的概念是指时空,“上下四方曰宇,古往今来曰宙”。但是现在天文学通用的宇宙的观念,是指天文学观察所能达到的物理世界或物质世界。这种“观测宇宙”(又称“我们的宇宙”,总是有限的,这并没有争议。但如果把未来的发展也包括     

宇宙是有限的还是无限的?

康德在他的主要著作《纯粹理性批判》中,表述了在哲学史和宇宙学史上曾经起过重要作用的四个悖论(或“二律背反”——译者)。我们特别感兴趣的是第一个悖论,他在这个悖论中证明了下列两个对立的判断。正题:世界在时间上是有开端的,在空间上也是有界限的。反题:世界在时间上没有开端,在空间上没有界限;世界无论在时间上或空间上都是无限的。     

韩国天主教徒五年增七成

网络兴起对懒得进教堂的新一代年轻人来说既能保持宗教信仰,又不用去教堂做礼拜,创造出“教堂2．0世代”。《洛杉矶时报》报道说,网络兴起后,外界担忧年轻一代沉迷网络,也将逐渐失去对宗教的信仰,但结果似乎不然。     

宇宙的层次与元宇宙

作者从哲学角度提出了“元宇宙” 这一新概念,是有启发性的。是否有“元宇宙”,只能期待未来科学的回答。本文只是一家之言,我们更乐于听到各种声音,只要有故成理,不管证实、证伪,均受欢迎。     

七夕不是拜月时

写作是以多彩多姿的客观生活为基础的。它不仅要求作者对所写对象进行认真的观察和分析,而且还应该全面掌握其历史发展的来龙去脉及其各方面的联系。就是说,作者需要有尽可能多的生活积累。如果文章背离了生活,就会产生败笔。有位作家在一部作品中有这样一段描写: 拜月乞巧的风习,虽然迷信,却很优美。那是在七夕之夜,年已及笄的姑娘,半夜时分悄悄找个僻静角落,给垂挂中天的月牙儿焚香叩拜,然后掏出一根银针,一条红线,在月色朦胧中穿引;如果一穿而中,今年必能跟     

再论宇宙的层次与元宇宙

古希腊先哲说 ,天象向感觉的理性挑战 ,但是感觉的理性不断克服天象的顽固性 ,力求由它自己的语言预言天象。波普尔之所以盛赞阿那克西曼德 ,认为他是哥白尼、牛顿的先驱 ,正在于他提出了重大问题 ,让宇宙自己来说话。我国学者韩民青依据以往宇宙学史取得的成就 ,从哲学角度提出了“元宇宙”等新看法。虽然这一看法与外国科学家最新发现有契合之处 ,我们还是希望看到更具挑战性的争鸣文章 ,以期推进这方面的探索。《宇宙的层次与元宇宙》 (见《哲学研究》2 0 0 2年第 2期 )一文 ,是我在 2 0 0 1年 9月撰写的。该文写成后 ,我又不断深入读书和思考 ,既为宇宙层次与元宇宙理论搜集到了更多的论据 ,又对此问题有了一些新的探索。     

宇宙的错误

1917年爱因斯坦把新发现的相对论应用于整个宇宙。当时,科学家坚信宇宙是无限的,是确定不变的。可是,爱因斯坦按照他新发现的等式推测,宇宙却是不断变化的。因此,他感到有必要像许多科学家那样,给他的等式加入一个“λ”项。这样宇宙就静止不变了。可是,1929年美国天文学家埃德温·哈布尔宣布宇宙实际上在不断扩张。爱因斯坦意识到,如果他坚信最初公式,他自己也能断言宇宙在不断扩展的。他放弃了“λ”项,并拒绝再把它加进去。可是后来几年,天文学家发现了“λ”项的确存在的证据,宇宙是在加速扩展的。所以,具有讽剌意味的是,…     

教养是能体谅他人的不易

正凌晨2点,一个杭州外卖小哥在送外卖时被困在大厦电梯里。他向物业求助,顺便通知下一单的顾客,外卖要延误,等不及就退单。可是那位顾客狠狠地回复:那你就睡在电梯里吧。外卖小哥在电梯里被困了40分钟,出来后赶紧去派送。而此时,那个顾客竟然恶作剧地把小哥的电话、姓名全部公布到了网上,甚至恶言相向。尽管事情的结局是,他向外卖小哥道了歉,受到了舆论的谴责。同样是发生在外卖小哥身上,我也曾遇到过一件事。     

历史能是客观的吗?

作者在本文中主张:在历史撰写中有可能做到有质朴而确实的客观性。针对新近哲学家和历史家的论战,他在本文中迎接了他们的挑战。本论题的提法:“历史能给予我们客观真实吗?”简言之为“历史家是否真如其实的阐明过去呢?”作者认为,许多人持有相反的观点,但都流于历史相对主义和历史不可知论。他逐一摆出了各种相反的观点并作了答辩。     

福音本是神的大能

我不以福音为耻;这福音本是神的大能,要救一切相信的,先是犹太人,后是希利尼人(罗1:16)。身为一个基督徒,每当我在教会以外听到“福音”二字,总有一种说不出的亲切和甜蜜。但是,这种亲切和甜蜜并不来自商家为迎合顾客而设计的广告词,而是来自圣经的信息,来自耶稣基督用自     

Is Theism a Simple,and hence Probable,Explanation for the Universe?

Abstract

Richard Swinburne, in his The Existence of God (2004), presents a cosmological argument in defence of theism (Swinburne 1991: 119, 135). God, Swinburne argues, is more likely to bring about an ordered universe than other states (ibid.: 144, 299). To defend this view, Swinburne presents the following arguments: (1) That this ordered universe is a priori improbable (2004: 49, 150, 1991: 304 et seq.), given the stringent requirements for life (cf. also Leslie 2000: 12), and the Second Law of Thermodynamics (Giancoli 1990: 396); (2) That it seems as if this ordered universe can be explained by theism; (3) A theistic explanation for the universe is more probable because it is a simple explanation. To this end, Swinburne makes use of Bayes’ Theorem. Symbolically, this claim can be represented as (e) for the evidence of the existence of a complex universe, and (h) for a hypothesis. Swinburne’s argument is that theism has a higher prior probability, P(h_theism) > P(h_materialism), since theism is simpler than materialism. He concludes that P(e|h_theism) > P(e|h_materialism). In this paper I will address only this argument (3) above, and defend the view that it is false: theism is not simpler than materialism, nor it is more probably true. I conclude that theism is less probable than materialism, expressed by P(h_theism) < P(h_materialism) : 2/N(2n+1) < 1/n, where N is the number of possible universes and n the number of entities in existence.     

A Universe of Stories

The complete adoption of a narrative paradigm for therapy is proposed and its implications and possibilities spelled out, especially for life in a post-modern world that lacks any objective frame of reference. In the post-modern sensibility, the story is set free to perform as simply a story that allows for re-invention as the story-teller finds a voice rooted in the person's own experience and in the connection of her story to those of others, and to larger stories of culture and humanity. The realization that we are all characters in each other's stories as well as our own reminds us that our stories only go forward as we act in ways that also forward the stories of others. A hermeneutics for such therapy validates and questions all points of view so that they do not harden into stories that are assumed to be objectively true.     

Fear of the Dark

Meditating on the liturgy of Holy Week, Aemiliana Lohr insisted that “the real Christian Pasch remains the mysterium of night”. The Christian mysterium is “always entire”, but its entirety we can never directly state or see; the darkness of our circumstance wans and waxes. We fear the dark, but what kind of fear is compatible with the command to “fear not”? Exploring this question in relation to Mark's passion narrative, the paper considers the kinds of context in which such reassurance as the first Christians sought might still be needed, for what is required of Christians is “patience”: the of staying awake in the dark. The paper concludes with remarks on the trinitarian grounds and christological character of patience.     

Gregersen's Vision of a Theonomous Universe

In his article, "The Idea of Creation and the Theory of Autopoietic Processes," Niels H. Gregersen has proposed an important thesis: God supports and sustains autopoietic processes in nature. This contribution underscores what Paul Tillich called theonomy , a conception of the divine presence or action as one which under-girds, makes possible, and brings to perfection the creature's autonomy and creativity. The concept of theonomy is represented not only in contemporary Christian theology, but also in the work of Alfred North Whitehead and the Japanese Buddhist thinker, Tanabe Hajime. Gregersen shows that this concept extends not only to existential realities, but also to science and the processes of nature. There are connections, as well as differences, to be noted between Gregersen and Whitehead. This train of thought would be further enhanced if it included a discussion of the concept of God as the power to be—a connection that certainly is implied in Gregersen's argument.     

Seven Sins of Behaviourism

First, a cautionary tale. Once upon a time there were two hard-working tailors (never mind the quality, measure the width) who promised psychology a new set of clothes. In due course, the old clothes of mentalism and introspectionism were cast off and psychology congratulated itself on its new tough look. But there were murmurings. Then one of the tailors went too far and claimed that his new clothes covered everything. Even the Emperor's Verbal Behavior! At this point a young linguist cried out ‘Transformational Grammar!’ and everyone could see that the Emperor had no clothes at all. Everyone that is apart fiom the tailors.