Rupert Sheldrake, a biologist and author renowned for his ideas on morphic resonance, dives into the intriguing evolution of natural laws. He questions the long-standing assumption that nature follows strict laws, tracing its roots to Francis Bacon. The discussion tackles whether laws of nature might be more akin to habits influenced by evolution rather than rigid commands. They explore the universe as a living organism versus a machine, and how creativity and purpose shape life. Sheldrake even considers how miracles could coexist with the flexibility of natural laws.
41:52
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Bacon's Law and Divine Order
Francis Bacon introduced the concept of 'law' into science, blending divine command with natural tendencies in matter.
This marked a shift from Aristotle's causes to laws as central, seeing laws as divine presence enforcing natural order.
insights INSIGHT
Theological Roots of Natural Laws
The idea of laws of nature historically stems from theological roots, linking divine mind with rational order.
Enlightenment shifted laws to abstract, impersonal mathematical principles seen as universal and unchanging.
insights INSIGHT
Fixed Laws and Anthropic Principle
Modern science assumes laws are fixed and eternal, designed perfectly for life, prompting debates like the anthropic principle.
The multiverse theory attempts to explain fine-tuning but multiplies universes excessively, not proving or disproving divine design.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In this book, David Bentley Hart engages in an unprecedented exploration of the mystery of consciousness through a Platonic dialogue. A group of aging Greek gods discuss the nature of existence, the mystery of mind, and whether there is a transcendent God from whom all things come. Hart systematically subjects the mechanical view of nature that has prevailed in Western culture for four centuries to dialectical interrogation, arguing that mental acts are irreducible to material causes. He powerfully rehabilitates a classical view where the structures of mind, organic life, and even language attest to an infinite act of intelligence in all things that we may as well call God.
Novum organum
Francis Bacon
Novum Organum, written in Latin and published in 1620, is a key work by Francis Bacon that critiques traditional deductive reasoning and Aristotelian logic. It proposes a new method of scientific inquiry based on inductive reasoning, emphasizing the importance of empirical observation and experimentation. The book is part of Bacon's larger, unfinished work, Instauratio Magna (The Great Instauration), and it introduces the concept of 'idols' that mislead human reasoning. Bacon's method involves meticulous observation, the removal of biases, and the systematic gathering of data to form conclusions, laying the groundwork for the modern scientific method[1][2][5].
The conviction that the natural world is obedient, adhering to laws, is a widespread assumption of modern science. But where did this idea originate and what beliefs does it imply?
In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss the impact on science of the Elizabethan lawyer, Francis Bacon.
His New Instrument of Thought, or Novum Organum, published in 1620, put laws at the centre of science and was intended as an upgrade on assumptions developed by Aristotle.
But does the existence of mind-like laws of nature, somehow acting on otherwise mindless matter, even make sense? What difference is made by insights subsequent to Baconian philosophy, such as the discovery of evolution or the sense that the natural world is not machine-like but behaves like an organism? Could the laws of nature be more like habits? And what about the purposes of organisms, and creativity?
Inner Life, Talks and Thoughts 
