Thought Experiments as a Tool for Undermining Methodological Naturalism
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3354527 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Travis Dumsday (0000-0003-3374-0323, Concordia University of Edmonton, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 127 |
| Publication date | 2019-02-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel10020127 |
| OpenAlex | W2915983735 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 23 |
There is a substantial literature on the question of whether methodological naturalism (MN) is and/or should be among the principles operative in the natural and social sciences; moreover the status of MN has been one of the battle grounds in prominent debates regarding the demarcation lines between science and theology (e.g., the debate over whether intelligent design hypotheses can ever count as genuinely scientific). I review some concrete examples of the use of thought experiments in this context, and argue that there are realistic thought experiments showing how metaphysical naturalism (MTN) could be subjected to empirical falsification; that in turn implies that MN should not be employed universally as an operative principle in the sciences. I conclude by discussing some recent actual experimental work concerning near-death experiences (NDEs), work which may point towards the likelihood of just such empirical falsification taking place in the relatively near future
Battle · Empirical evidence · Empirical research · Epistemology · Metaphysics · Natural science · Naturalism · Sociology · Biofield Effects and Biophysics · History · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Philosophy · Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |