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Become a Big Think member to unlock expert classes, premium print issues, exclusive events and more: https://bigthink.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=yt_desc Become a Big Think member to unlock expert classes, premium print issues, exclusive events and more: https://bigthink.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=yt_desc “I think that there are very good arguments to believe that there are some kind of foundational principle of the universe, some necessarily existing being, some first cause.” Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQECJukTDE2i6aCoMnS-Vg?sub_confirmation=1 Up next, How to grow deeply happy | Jonny Thomson ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WShJeNX7W8 Instead of treating belief as a private preference, philosopher Alex O’Connor examines how our moral positions shape institutions, obligations, and the ways we justify our choices. His arguments invite a closer look at why we hold certain principles, and whether those principles survive contact with their real-world consequences. 00:00 The lure of meaning 01:15 The strongest arguments for and against the existence of God 03:38 Hierarchical causes and borrowed causal power 06:33 Sustaining causes and necessity of foundation 10:04 How classical thinkers framed the first cause 14:27 Suffering as the challenge to God 17:42 Between classical theism, deism, and atheism 20:58 Understanding nihilism and the human condition 24:36 Self-justifying motives and meaning 28:00 Meaning in a materialist world 31:41 Ecclesiastes and the first nihilist 36:38 Why stories explain what logic can’t 48:55 Emotion’s grip on belief 54:20 How emotivism shapes ethics 1:05:18 Where morality meets emotion Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/full-interview/first-cause-argument/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description © Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Youtube Member Get exclusive classes and early, ad-free access to new releases without leaving Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@bigthink/membership/ ►Become a Big Think Web Member Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more. https://bigthink.com/membership/ ►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox. https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/subscribe/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Alex O'Connor: Alex O’Connor, also known as Cosmic Skeptic, is an English public speaker and content creator recognized for his work on philosophy, ethics, religion, and secularism. He hosts the podcast Within Reason