Science and Naturalism

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The Apologetics Guild 19 September 2007 Rick
Gerhardt
Science and Naturalism A Primer on the History
and Philosophy of Science
We destroy arguments and every lofty
opinion raised against the knowledge of God...

II Corinthians 105a
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Naturalism What are we talking about?
The Cosmos is all there is, or ever was, or ever
will be.
Carl Sagan
Practical synonyms include physicalism,
materialism
Generally involves denial of...
spiritual or immaterial things, including
God or such things as human souls.
Naturalism comes to us through (modern) modern
science.
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Naturalism What are we talking about?
although atheism might have been logically
tenable before Darwin, Darwin made it possible to
be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.
Richard Dawkins
There is no credible alternative scientific
explanation to the theory of evolution.
There is no credible alternative naturalistic
explanation to the theory of evolution.
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Is science naturalistic?
1. Is there historical justification for viewing
science as naturalistic?
2. Is there philosophical warrant for equating
science and naturalism?
3. Is there scientific justification for
considering science naturalistic?
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Is science naturalistic?
1. Is there historical justification for viewing
science as naturalistic?
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The Conflict Thesis
History of the Warfare of Science with Theology
in Christendom (1896)
Andrew Dickson White Co-founder and first
President of Cornell University (Established 1865)
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...White's book became an extremely influential
text on the relationship between religion and
science. The premise of the bookknown as the
conflict thesiswas very prevalent among
historians through the 1960s. Since the 70s and
80s, many historians of science have reevaluated
the history of science and religion, finding
little evidence for White's claims of widespread
conflict instead, they often blame White for
perpetuating a number of scientific myths, such
as the idea that Christopher Columbus had to
overcome widespread belief in a flat
earth. --Wikipedia
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Modern science was uniquely born from within a
Judeo-Christian worldview
Christianity uniquely and decisively shaped the
intellectual climate that gave rise to modern
science (roughly three and a half centuries ago).
It is even correct to say that modern science
was born in the cradle of Christian civilization.
Not only were virtually all of the founding
fathers of science devout Christians, but the
Christian worldview provided a basis for modern
science to emerge and flourish. Kenneth Samples
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Founders of Modern Science
Robert Boyle The founder of Chemistry (1627-1691)

Endowed an annual lecture at Oxford defending
Christianity against atheism.
God would not have made the universe as it is
unless He intended for us to understand it.
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Founders of Modern Science
Isaac Newton (1643-1727) Classical physics,
calculus
This most beautiful system of the sun, planets,
and comets could only proceed from the counsel
and dominion of an intelligent and powerful
Being. And if the fixed stars are the centers of
other like systems, these, being formed by the
likewise counsel, must be all subject to the
dominion of One. (Mathematical Principles of
Natural Philosophy)
Newton wrote more about theology than about other
sciences.
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Founders of Modern Science
Francis Bacon Scientific method (1561-1626)
Let no one think or maintain that a person can
search too far or be too well studied in either
the book of Gods word or the book of Gods
works.
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Founders of Modern Science
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) Mathematics,
physics, astronomy
I believe only and alone in the service of Jesus
Christ. In Him is all refuge and solace.
Asked why he engaged in science, Kepler
responded, to obtain a sample test of the
delight of the Divine Creator in His work and to
partake of His joy.
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Founders of Modern Science
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Mathematical and scientific genius
Laid groundwork for calculus First developed
probability theory
Physicist, inventor, philosopher Prose writer,
Christian apologist
First to recognize sciences limits
If this matter be deemed worthy of further
consideration, we shall attempt to push it to
whatever point God shall give us strength to
carry it.
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Civilizations in which Science was
Stillborn (Stanley Jaki, Historian/Philosopher of
Science)
Mesopotamia
China
Egypt
India
Greece
Islam
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Is science naturalistic?
2. Is there philosophical warrant for equating
science and naturalism?
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Science is founded on presuppositions rooted in
the Judeo-Christian worldview
1) The physical/material world exists as
objective reality
2) The world had a beginning there is a linear
progression to history.
3) Creation reflects the rational nature of the
Creator, is orderly and uniform.
4) Humans are uniquely created in Gods image
(Gen. 127), and are thus capable of reasoning
and discovering order in creation.
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Beliefs that Stifle Science
Denial of the existence of the world or of its
orderliness
A cyclical view of history
Deification of nature
Pseudo-scientific explanations (e.g., astrology)
Imbalance between faith and reason
Naturalism
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How does Naturalism stifle Science?
1) Failure to recognize design and purpose
stifles advance.
(Examples the human appendix, tonsils, junk
DNA)
2) Dogmatic Darwinism prevents the continual
questioning associated with scientific advance.
3) Naturalism deters bright people from pursuing
science careers.
4) By artificially constraining the range of
possible explanations, naturalism leads to the
acceptance of inferior and wrong ones.
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Science is founded on presuppositions rooted in
the Judeo-Christian worldview
1) The physical/material world exists as
objective reality.
2) The world had a beginning there is a linear
progression to history.
3) Creation reflects the rational nature of the
Creator, is orderly and uniform.
4) Humans are uniquely created in Gods image
(Gen. 127), and are thus capable of reasoning
and discovering order in creation.
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People take it for granted that the physical
world is both ordered and intelligible. The
underlying order in naturethe laws of
physicsare simply accepted as given, as brute
facts. Nobody asks where they came from at least
not in polite company. However, even the most
atheistic scientist accepts as an act of faith
that the universe is not absurd, that there is a
rational basis to physical existence manifested
as law-like order in nature that is at least
partly comprehensible to us. So science can
proceed only if the scientist adopts an
essentially theological worldview. Paul
Davies, physicist, popular science writer
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Modern science was conceived, and born, and
flourished in the matrix of Christian theism.
Only liberal doses of self-deception and
double-think, I believe, will permit it to
flourish in the context of Darwinian naturalism.
Alvin Plantinga, philosopher
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Other Philosophical Considerations
1) It is not scientists who are qualified to
address the question What is science?, but
philosophers and historians of science.
2) Our society gives to science an unwarranted
(uncritical and unhealthy) degree of respect.
3) Claims made about science are
self-referentially absurd
(self-refuting).
Science is the only (or best) way to know
things. Only that which can be tested
scientifically can be reliably known. I can
only reliably know that which I can perceive with
my senses. (Logical Positivism, Scientism,
Empiricism)
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Philosophy of Science
No line of demarcation
Necessary criteria
Sufficient criteria
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False Demarcation Arguments
Science produces more certain results
non-science yields only probabilistic
propositions.
Science has a specific and unique methodology.
Science is empirically verifiable non-science is
not.
Science is falsifiable non-science is not.
Appeal to an intelligent designer is non-science
Science is naturalistic.
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Is science naturalistic?
3. Is there scientific justification for
considering science naturalistic?
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Has a naturalistic approach to science been
widely successful?
Darwin provided a naturalistic explanation for
one thing...
The Diversity of Life on Earth
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Has a naturalistic approach to science been
widely successful?
Other big questions for science...
1) have no naturalistic explanation
2) are readily explained within a Judeo-Christian
understanding
That is, the empirical evidence supports a
theistic, not a naturalistic, explanation with
regard to...
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That is, the empirical evidence supports a
theistic, not a naturalistic, explanation with
regard to...
Why is there a universe?
Why is there order in the universe?
Why does the universe exhibit the extreme
fine-tuning necessary to support life?
How did life come to be?
How did irreducibly complex things arise?
How did the information in the genetic code come
to be?
How did human consciousness arise?
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How did human consciousness arise?
Atheist philosopher Michael Ruse...
Why should a bunch of atoms have thinking
ability? Why should I, even as I write now, be
able to reflect on what I am doing and why should
you, even as you read now, be able to ponder my
points, agreeing or disagreeing, with pleasure or
pain, deciding to refute me or deciding that I am
just not worth the effort? No one, certainly not
the Darwinian as such, seems to have any answer
to this The point is that there is no scientific
answer.
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Take-home Ideas
Modern science was uniquely conceived, was born,
and flourished within a Christian worldview.
Naturalism does not provide a rational foundation
for science.
It is not scientists but philosophers of science
who are qualified to define science. No
criterion--least of all naturalism--adequately
differentiates science from non-science.
The empirical evidence--with regard to the big
questions for science--supports a theistic rather
than naturalistic approach.
There is neither historical, philosophical, nor
scientific justification for a naturalistic
approach to science.
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Recommended Additional Resources General The
Case for a Creator, Lee Strobel On History of
Science Reality and Scientific Theology, Thomas
S. Torrance The Galileo Connection, Charles E.
Hummel The Savior of Science, Stanley
Jaki Science and Creation From Eternal Cycles to
an Oscillating Universe, Stanley Jaki For the
Glory of God How Monotheism Led to Reformations,
Science, Witch-Hunts, and the End of Slavery,
Rodney Stark The Victory of Reason How
Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and
Western Success, Rodney Stark
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On Philosophy of Science Christianity and the
Nature of Science, J.P. Moreland Reason in the
Balance, Phillip Johnson Science and
Christianity Conflict or Coherence? Henry F.
Schaefer The Soul of Science Christian Faith
and Natural Philosophy, Nancy Pearcey, Charles
Thaxton, and Marvin Olasky The Right Questions,
Phillip Johnson To reach me by e-mail
rick_at_antiochchurch.org Check out my blog
http//antiochapologetics.blogspot.com Also see
www.antiochchurch.org/apologetics