I posted a column on September 2, 2010, to point out the illogical absurdities in The Grand Design, a new book co-authored by well-known atheist Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow. One example is the statement: “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist.”
I was glad to see a bright Catholic philosopher take them to task in an article I just linked to from New Advent website. The philosopher is Edward Feser and, being a master logician, his lucid defense of the correct use of reason and acquiring true knowledge is a joy to read. The first paragraph is indicative:
In his book of reminiscences “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”, Richard Feynman tells the story of a painter who assured him that he could make yellow paint by mixing together red paint and white paint. Feynman was incredulous. As an expert in the physics of light, he knew this should not be possible. But the guy was an expert painter, with years of practical experience. So, ready to learn something new, Feynman went and got some red paint and white paint. He watched the painter mix them, but as Feynman expected, all that came out was pink. Then the painter said that all he needed now was a little yellow paint to “sharpen it up a bit” and then it would be yellow. Enjoy the full article here.
