Does the problem of evil disprove the existence of God?

The problem of evil challenges the idea of an all-powerful and benevolent God. Philosophers argue that suffering may serve deeper metaphysical or moral purposes.

Is morality possible without God?

Some philosophers argue that morality arises from reason and human flourishing, while others believe it ultimately requires a transcendent foundation.

Can reason prove the existence of God?

Classical philosophers proposed arguments such as the cosmological and moral arguments to support belief in God, though critics debate whether these provide proof or philosophical justification.

The Argument for Innate Awareness | The Soul and the Self: Avicenna vs. Neuroscience

Avicenna: Greetings, seeker of the physical sciences. I have heard that your age has mastered the mapping of the brain's corridors. But before we discuss your maps, let us perform a simple experiment. Imagine a man created fully formed in an instant, but suspended in a dark, silent void. He is floating, his eyes are covered, and his limbs are splayed so he cannot even feel his own skin. I ask you: Would this man know that he exists?

Neuroscientist: It’s a fascinating thought experiment. We actually have modern versions of this—sensory deprivation tanks. While the man might be confused, yes, the brain would still register an internal state. But my contention is that he knows he exists because his brain is still firing. His "I am" is a bio-electrical signal generated by the prefrontal cortex.

Avicenna: But you miss the point! If he knows he exists, what is the "he" that he knows? He does not know he has a heart, a brain, or hands—for he has never perceived them. He knows his "Self" (al-nafs) as a direct, unmediated reality. This awareness is not a conclusion drawn from data; it is the ground of his being. If he can know he exists while being unaware of his body, then the Self cannot be the body. The soul is a substance, not a physical property.

Neuroscientist: That is a logical leap. Just because I can't feel my hand doesn't mean my "self" isn't being generated by a physical brain I'm unaware of. If I turn off the electricity in a computer, the software doesn't "float" away into a void—it simply ceases to be. Your "Floating Man" is only aware because his neurons are still consuming oxygen and firing across synapses.