I've just been perusing the recent CUP volume of essays on Alvin Plantinga which is in the Contemporary Philosophy in Focus series.
I don't have time to comment on the individual essays other than to mention that our own Jon Kvanvig has a really nice essay on defeat and that the Sosa chapter on EAAN advocates a circularity which he thinks is virtuous and I think is not. The Divers chapter is probably the best intro to the metaphysics of modality since Konyndyk's book.
Also, the introduction has a nice brief biography. Much of it is culled from the famous "Self-Profile" and his essay in _Philosopher's Who Believe_, but the profile might be hard for some to come by and there is some neat new material as well.
I'll put the blurb from the publisher followed by the TOC below the fold.
The Blurb:
Few thinkers have had as much impact on contemporary philosophy as has Alvin Plantinga. The work of this quintessential analytic philosopher has in many respects set the tone for the debate in the fields of modal metaphysics and epistemology and he is arguably the most important philosopher of religion of our time. In this volume, a distinguished team of today’s leading philosophers address the central aspects of Plantinga’s philosophy - his views on natural theology; his responses to the problem of evil; his contributions to the field of modal metaphysics; the controversial evolutionary argument against naturalism; his model of epistemic warrant and his view of epistemic defeat; and his recent work on mind-body dualism. Also included is an appendix containing Plantinga’s often referred to, but previously unpublished, lecture notes entitled 'Two Dozen (or so) Theistic Arguments', with a substantial preface to the appendix written by Plantinga specifically for this volume.
Contents
Introduction: Alvin Plantinga, God’s philosopher Deane-Peter Baker;
1. Natural theology Graham Oppy;
2. Evil and Alvin Plantinga Richard M. Gale;
3. The modal metaphysics of Alvin Plantinga John Divers;
4. Natural theology and naturalist atheology: Plantinga’s evolutionary argument against naturalism Ernest Sosa;
5. Two approaches to epistemic defeat Jonathan Kvanvig;
6. Plantinga’s model of warranted Christian belief James Beilby;
7. Pluralism and proper function Kelly James Clark;
8. Plantinga’s replacement argument Peter Van Inwagen;
Appendix: Two Dozen (or so) Theistic Arguments Alvin Plantinga.
What on earth must Plantinga think that the introduction title calls him 'God's philosopher'? Anyone who is at ND right now -- at least Tim Pawl, right? -- has to ask him and report back to us.
Well, it's not like it entails (or even implicates) that he's God's *only* philosopher or even his *main* one. I think Tim Pawl's one of them too!
I mean, they *are* philosophers and they *are* God's.
Both have been used by God in their philosophical vocation. It seems obvious that God's used Al as much as about anyone in professional philosophy so he's even God's *especial* philosopoher.
Maybe I'll call my memoirs Trent Dougherty: God's Mountain Biker. :P
Trent, thanks for noting this, and I agree about Divers' piece. given your history with mountain biking, you could equally be called God's crash expert...:-)
If you want to see what Jon's talking about paste this into your browser:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/dougherty/main/wrist_trauma
Prepare to wince!
Divers is too good. His piece on Plantinga is excellent, I agree. An introduction, and certainly much more, to Plantingan modal realism.
I remember reading a footnote in WCB that talked about Plantinga proposal of using conditionals in Christian philosophy (If Christian belief is true than insert answer to philosophical issue). I think the footnote said that he hopes to explore this further in a book on Christian philosophy.
Anyone know that status of that project? I'm assuming the next book from him will be on science and religion (the Gifford Lectures). Come to think of it does anyone know when that will be published?