Mind Matters
Methodological Naturalism: Neutral Principle or Self-Refuting Philosophy?
Mar 14, 2024
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.
15:47
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Quick takeaways
- 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.
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