Free US delivery on orders $35 or over

Description

Despite its name, “naturalism” as a world-view turns out to be rather unnatural in its strict and more consistent form of materialism and determinism. This is why a number of naturalists opt for a broadened version that includes objective moral values, intrinsic human dignity, consciousness, beauty, personal agency, and the like. But in doing so, broad naturalism begins to look more like theism. As many strict naturalists recognize, broad naturalism must borrow from the metaphysical resources of a theistic world-view, in which such features are very natural, common sensical, and quite “at home” in a theistic framework.



The Naturalness of Belief begins with a naturalistic philosopher’s own perspective of naturalism and naturalness. The remaining chapters take a multifaceted approach in showing theism’s naturalness and greater explanatory power. They examine not only rational reasons for theism’s ability to account for consciousness, intentionality, beauty, human dignity, free will, rationality, and knowledge; they also look at common sensical, existential, psychological, and cultural reasons—in addition to the insights of the cognitive science of religion.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: The Unnaturalness of Naturalism?

1. Naturalism and Naturalness: A Naturalist’s Perspective —Graham Oppy

Part II: Foundational Considerations

2. Is Naturalism Natural? —Charles Taliaferro

3. The Contraction and Expansion of Naturalism and the Theistic Challenge —Charles Taliaferro

4. Taking Philosophical Naturalism Seriously —R. Scott Smith

Part III: Theistic Belief, Science, and Naturalism

5. In What Sense Might Religion Be Natural? —Justin Barrett and Aku Visala

6. Science, Methodological Naturalism, and Question-Begging —Robert Larmer

Part IV: Axiology and Naturalism

7. Alienating Humanity: How Evolutionary Ethics Undermines Human Rights —Angus Menuge

8. Divine Commands, Duties, and Euthyphro: Theism and Naturalist Misunderstandings —Matthew Flannagan

9. Beauty: A Troubling Reality for the Scientific Naturalist —R. Douglas Geivett and James Spiegel

Part V: Naturalism and Existential Considerations

10. Existential Arguments for Theistic Belief —Clifford Williams

11. Psychological Factors Contributing to Atheism: Bad Father Relationships and Just Bad Relationships as in Autistic Spectrum Disorders —Paul C. Vitz

12. The Cultural Implications of Theism versus Naturalism —Paul Copan and Jeremiah J. Johnston

Part VI: Naturalism, Freedom, and Immortality

13. Theism, Robust Naturalism, and Robust Libertarian Free Will —J.P. Moreland

14. Naturalism, Theism, and Afterlife Beliefs —Jonathan Loose

Product details

Published Nov 13 2018
Format Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
Edition 1st
Extent 300
ISBN 9781498579919
Imprint Lexington Books
Illustrations 1 tables;
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

Paul Copan

Anthology Editor

Charles Taliaferro

Contributor

Paul C. Vitz

Contributor

Aku Visala

Contributor

Graham Oppy

Contributor

J.P. Moreland

Contributor

Angus Menuge

Contributor

Paul Copan

Contributor

Robert Larmer

ONLINE RESOURCES

Bloomsbury Collections

This book is available on Bloomsbury Collections where your library has access.

Related Titles

Environment: Staging