Jeffrey Luk's Blog

 My main question: How do pragmatic arguments for theism hold up to the traditional arguments from natural theology?  Pragmatic arguments rely on the practical benefits of belief in God.  1. Prudential reasons are reasons that somehow appeal to your desires. (Pascal's Wager)  2. Moral reasons are reasons that appeal to the morally desirable ends of belief in God. (The Will to Believe) They seem to have one advantage to traditional arguments such as contingency/cosmological arguments, theological arguments, etc. Whereas in traditional natural theology, these arguments conclude one matter:  Traditional Conclusion (TC): Belief in God is justified.  Pragmatic arguments further this one step:  Pragmatic Conclusion 1 (PC1): Belief in God is justified.  Pragmatic Conclusion 2: (PC2): You ought to hold this God as the highest good or worship him or etc.  However, both stripes of pragmatic arguments fail to a moral objection that a religious believer ...

 Volume 1 was a blast for me, but a bit slow in the beginning.  1. The divination mechanic is really freaking cool. It's a way to introduce the MC as a information-based main character who doesn't always take the center stage in fights. The MC is also very cautious, not taking unnecessary danger whenever possible. He is meticulous with his preparation and thinks through his actions very carefully. His main weapon is a revolver, which is great, because there aren't too many big powers at play yet.  2. The dynamic between Melissa, Benson, and Klein is great. I love the little moments of characterization for Melissa -- frugal and caring for the family, and very appreciative.  3. Dr. Azik's plotline was a bit boring for me in this arc. I think it was a bit too much of a coincidence the way things lined up for him.  4. The Tarot Club is incredibly fun to listen to. You feel like a tarot club member listening to all the discussions in the fog. Emperor Roselle's diary ...