Steven GollmerCedarville University

HON-3230

Chance, Emergence or Design

Philosophy of Science

Science & Christianity• Creationism

– Inerrant Bible & effective science

• Independence– Mutual humility in the relationship between science and

Christian theology

• Qualified Agreement– Modern science and the return to the “God Hypothesis

• Partnership– Science and Christian theology as partners in theorizing

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Alternate Terms Key Ideas Problems

Creationism Young Earth Creation, Old Earth Creation, 7 literal day

Grammatical historical interpretation

Need to pay attention to professional scientists

Independence Separate Magisteria,NOMA

Three-legged stool: Scripture, tradition, reason

Who wins when the two meet?

Qualified Agreement

Intelligent Design, Progressive Creation

Evidences for but not proof of God

God of the Gaps,Problem of evil

Partnership Theistic Evolution, fully gifted creation

Robust formational economy

How does this differ from a naturalistic model?

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Paul on Mar’s Hill“May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore, we want to know what these things mean.”

Acts 17:19b-20

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Epicureans Stoics

Material World Two Worlds

What is Real?What is Real?

Chance Destiny

Why am I here?Why am I here?

How should I live?How should I live?

Find My Best Cosmic Laws

How do I know?How do I know?

Experience Meditation

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Worldviews• Naturalism

– Material universe is the sum of all reality– Atheism, Humanism, Existentialism

• Transcendentalism– Spiritual nature to all reality– Pantheism, Animism, Polytheism

• Theism– Belief in a transcendent God– Deism, Finitism, Traditional Theism

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Philosophical Terms• Metaphysics (What exists?)

– How is the mind related to matter?– What is change?– Is there reality beyond immediate experience?– Ontology (Science of being or reality)

• Epistemology (How do I know?)– What are the sources of knowledge?– What is the nature of knowledge?– Is our knowledge valid?

• Ethics (What ought to be?)

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Arguments for God• Cosmological

– There must be a first mover and there must be some necessary foundation to the things that are continent.

• Teleological– Everything in nature has a purpose and an intelligence must

be guiding it.

• Moral– Source for moral values.

• Ontological– Very idea of God implies his existence.

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Theistic Basis of Science• Nature is real.• Nature has value.• God is not nature.• God is rational and nature acts rationally.• Laws don’t change and can be modeled.• We can understand the creation.• We are finite and sinful and need verification.• Man can alter nature. (Man has dominion.)

• Pearcey & Thaxton, The Soul of Science

Scientific Realism

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Rational Realism•Scientific theories are true•Rationality is objective(Popper)

Rational Nonrealism(Instrumentalism)•Science theory is justified by utility.•Science is objectively rational.

Nonrational Nonrealism•Science does not progress towards more accurate view of the world.•Rationality is not an objective notion.(Kuhn)

ConstructiveEmpiricism•Science aim at truth, but different metaphysical characterizations may be empirically equivalent.(van Fraassen)

Pragmatism•Science gives theories that solve problems.(Laudan)

Operationalism•Concepts are synonymous with set of operations.(Bridgman)

Phenomenalism•Propositions from sensory data is meaningful.(Hume, Russell)

Moreland, 1989. Christianity and the Nature of Science, p. 140

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Greek Beginnings• Democritus

– Atomism

• Plato– Idealized forms– Fixity of species

• Aristotle– Deductive reasoning

Steven GollmerCedarville University

What is Science?• Bacon (Scientific Method)• Descartes (Cogito ergo sum, Skepticism)• Locke

– Empiricism-Substantive knowledge from experience

• Kant– Our concepts determine and shape our perceptions.

• Positivism (Science can lead us to all truth)• Popper (Falsification)• Kuhn (Paradigms)• Methodological Naturalism

– "Science must be provisionally atheistic or cease to be itself."

Steven GollmerCedarville University

Greek and Mystic Jews• Kabbalism

– Some things undefinable

– Some things unobservable

– Some things unknowable

– Hidden parts of universe

– Probabilistic - all things likely, just some are more so

– As are interpretations, scientific theories are revisable

– Time of creation, universe has an age

• Greek– All things definable

– All things deducible

– All things (potentially) knowable

– Logic reveals all

– Deterministic

– Once logically argued, no revisions are needed (or accepted)

– All is immutable and uncreated