Michael Martin (1932-2015) Was a Professor at Boston University and Author

question 5

True/False

Michael Martin (1932-2015) was a professor at Boston University and author of several books including Atheism, Morality, and Meaning (2002) and Atheism: A Philosophical Justification (1990). He also edited several collections, most notably The Cambridge Companion to Atheism (2006). Martin critiques Alvin Plantinga's argument that it is acceptable for persons to believe that God exists even if they cannot produce evidence or argument to justify that belief. Plantinga begins with the traditional philosophical view that all our beliefs are based ultimately on beliefs that are "properly basic"-they are either self-evident (such as "two plus two equals four") or evident to the senses (as when our looking at or remembering a tree shows immediately that there is or was a tree). To be counted as genuine knowledge our beliefs must be either properly basic or justified by beliefs that ultimately rest on those that are properly basic. Plantinga contends that belief in God can be a properly basic belief and thus require no supporting evidence. Martin argues, however, that because Plantinga's approach allows people to formulate their own properly basic criteria from their own unique experience and perspective, almost any belief-no matter how bizarre-could be considered properly basic.
-Martin thinks Plantinga is a typical evidentialist.

---

Definitions:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

A federal agency that administers and enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination.

Systemic Discrimination

Systemic discrimination involves pervasive and institutionalized prejudices that disadvantage a particular group or groups across a society or organization.

Individual Situations

Unique circumstances or conditions experienced by a person, often influencing their decisions, behavior, and outcomes.

Ethical Standards

Principles that guide the behavior of individuals and organizations in conducting their activities in a morally right and fair manner.