Methuselah’s Diary and the Finitude of the Past

Philosophia Christi 15 (2):463-69 (2013)
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Abstract

William Lane Craig modified Bertrand Russell’s Tristram Shandy example in order to derive an absurdity that would demonstrate the finitude of the past. Although his initial attempt at such an argument faltered, further developments in the literature suggested that such an absurdity was indeed in the offing provided that a couple extra statements were also shown to be true. This article traces the development of a particular line of argument that arose from Craig’s Tristram Shandy example before advancing an argument of its own that attempts to fill in the relevant gaps so as to yield a new argument for the finitude of the past.

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Citations of this work

Toward a new kalām cosmological argument.Benjamin Victor Waters - 2015 - Cogent Arts and Humanities 2 (1).

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References found in this work

Infinity and the past.Quentin Smith - 1987 - Philosophy of Science 54 (1):63-75.
Whitrow and Popper on the impossibility of an infinite past.William Lane Craig - 1979 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 30 (2):165-170.
Tristram shandy's last page.Robin Small - 1986 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 37 (2):213-216.

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