Superior Beings. If They Exist, How Would We Know? (eBook)

Acknowledgments 13
Contents 15
Introduction 21
The Rationality of Belief in a Superior Being 32
2.1. Introduction 32
2.2. The Revelation Game 34
2.3. The Revelation Game Paradox 38
2.4. The Knowability Games 43
2.6. Conclusions 58
Omniscience and Partial Omniscience 60
3.1. Introduction 60
3.2. Some Effects of Omniscience 62
3.3. Newcomb's Problem 65
3.4. Which Principle, and Is There a Conflict? 69
3.5. Newcomb's Problem Symmetricized: Prisoners' Dilemma 71
3.6. A Solution to Prisoners' Dilemina 73
3.7. Cooperation or Noncooperation? 76
3.8. Implications of Mutual Predictability for SB and P 79
3.9. Conclusions 83
The Paradox of Omniscience and the Theory of Moves 85
4.1. Introduction 85
4.2. The Paradox of Omniscience 87
4.3. A Resolution of the Paradox of Omniscience 90
4.4. Theory of Moves 93
4.5. A Second Paradox: Moves May Provide No Resolution 102
4.6. Conclusions 107
Omnipotence: Moving and Staying Power 109
5.1. Introduction 109
5.2. Moving Power 111
5.3. Is There a Paradox of Moving Power? 117
5.4. Theological Interpretations of Moving Power 119
5.5. Staying Power 122
5.6. An Algorithm for Determining S- Power Outcomes 126
5.7. M-Power Versus S-Poiver in the Commitment Game and Other Situations 133
5.8. Conclusions 138
Immortality and Incomprehen-sibility 140
6.1. Introduction 140
6.2. Threats and Immortality 141
6.3. Repeated Plays 145
6.4. Threat Power in the Punishment Game: When Immortality Is Decisive in an Asymmetrical Game 154
6.5. Deception by the Superior Being 158
6.6. The Truth Game and the Problem of Evil 163
6.7. Conclusions 171
Superior Beings: They May Be Undecidable 173
7.1. Introduction 173
7.2. Undecidability 174
7.3. Arbitrariness and Undecidability 180
Appendix 188
Glossary 193
Bibliography 200
Index 205