Methodological Naturalism: Neutral Principle or Self-Refuting Philosophy?
Mar 14, 2024
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The podcast delves into methodological naturalism, discussing its impact on the search for truth, mental causation, human reasoning, and scientific rationality. It questions the biases introduced by only exploring physical causes and the limitations of excluding non-physical explanations.
Methodological naturalism advocates attributing physical causes to events, excluding non-physical causes in knowledge pursuit.
Methodological naturalism challenges the influence of mental states on actions, questioning the role of beliefs and desires.
Deep dives
Defining Methodological Naturalism
Methodological naturalism, also known as methodological atheism, suggests that in the pursuit of knowledge, one should behave as if metaphysical naturalism is true, meaning always attributing physical causes to events and never considering non-physical causes. Even if individuals don't personally believe in metaphysical naturalism, this approach advocates acting as if it were true.
Neutrality of Methodological Naturalism and Its Bias
Proponents of methodological naturalism argue that it is neutral and devoid of metaphysical commitments, allowing diverse thinkers to share a common method in scientific investigations without agreeing on metaphysical beliefs. However, critics, including Robert Larmer, contend that methodological naturalism is not truly neutral. It biases the search for truth by dismissing the possibility of non-physical causes and limits explanations to only physical causes, hindering the recognition of events like miracles.
Impact on Mental States and Agency
Methodological naturalism, by implying the causal closure of the physical realm, challenges the existence and influence of mental states on actions. The concept suggests that mental states have no causal impact on physical events, leading to the idea that beliefs and desires are either non-existent or lack any influence on behavior. This stance greatly undermines the self-understanding of individuals as rational agents and raises significant concerns about the rationality of science itself.
In this episode, hosts Robert J. Marks and Angus Menuge interview Dr. Robert Larmer about his chapter on methodological naturalism in the recently published volume Minding the Brain. Larmer explains that methodological naturalism is the assumption that when pursuing knowledge, one must always posit a physical cause and never appeal to a non-physical cause. Larmer argues that methodological naturalism is not Read More ›