What is Naturalism?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, naturalism commonly refers to the viewpoint that the laws of nature (as opposed to supernatural ones) operate in the universe, and that nothing exists beyond the natural universe. Adherents of naturalism (naturalists) assert that natural laws are the rules that govern the structure and behavior of the natural universe, that the universe is a product of these laws. While Evolution is a biological theory about the development of animals and humans, naturalism is a philosophy encompassing the entire structure of the universe.
Naturalists believe that the material world is all there is, and that nothing exists outside the physical world. Everything, including our actions, is predetermined by natural laws, therefore free will does not exists. Things like meaning, purpose, souls, the afterlife, morality, and consciousness do not exists outside of a psychological or biological understanding. Experience, reason, and science are the only methods for understanding the world around us.
Not all evolutionists are naturalists as many are even Bible believers. Almost all naturalists are evolutionists in that evolution is the prominent explanation for the diversity of species in a godless world. But even here there are those who remain atheists and still admit that evolution fails to explain biological systems with all their complexity. The most recent high profile defectors are University of Chicago molecular biologist James Shapiro who wrote, Evolution: A View from the 21st Century and New York University Philosopher Thomas Nagel who wrote Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False.
The biggest problem with naturalists is that they always presuppose the laws of nature, such as gravity, the strong and weak nuclear force, electromagnetism and so forth, when making their case. But even if these laws could explain the existence of the universe, life systems, and a perfectly habitable planet, the question remains as to how these laws came into existence. The laws that govern the universe are fine tuned to unimaginable precision. Furthermore, they are written in the language of mathematics as many were discovered mathematically before observations occurred. Naturalism fails to explain the existence and precision of these laws and the overall rationality we see in the universe.
Articles
The History of Naturalism Jeremy Livermore
Miracles and Modern Scientific Thought Norman Geisler
What is the Anthropic Principle www.gotquestions.org
Naturalists believe that the material world is all there is, and that nothing exists outside the physical world. Everything, including our actions, is predetermined by natural laws, therefore free will does not exists. Things like meaning, purpose, souls, the afterlife, morality, and consciousness do not exists outside of a psychological or biological understanding. Experience, reason, and science are the only methods for understanding the world around us.
Not all evolutionists are naturalists as many are even Bible believers. Almost all naturalists are evolutionists in that evolution is the prominent explanation for the diversity of species in a godless world. But even here there are those who remain atheists and still admit that evolution fails to explain biological systems with all their complexity. The most recent high profile defectors are University of Chicago molecular biologist James Shapiro who wrote, Evolution: A View from the 21st Century and New York University Philosopher Thomas Nagel who wrote Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False.
The biggest problem with naturalists is that they always presuppose the laws of nature, such as gravity, the strong and weak nuclear force, electromagnetism and so forth, when making their case. But even if these laws could explain the existence of the universe, life systems, and a perfectly habitable planet, the question remains as to how these laws came into existence. The laws that govern the universe are fine tuned to unimaginable precision. Furthermore, they are written in the language of mathematics as many were discovered mathematically before observations occurred. Naturalism fails to explain the existence and precision of these laws and the overall rationality we see in the universe.
Articles
The History of Naturalism Jeremy Livermore
Miracles and Modern Scientific Thought Norman Geisler
What is the Anthropic Principle www.gotquestions.org