User:Daelin/Draft of Scientific Materialism
Scientific materialism or methodological materialism are
interchangable dysphemisms for methodological naturalism
(sometimes: scientific naturalism).
The term implies that scientists collude to force a
materialist (or rationalist) worldview onto a population.
The term is usually only used by critics of the scientific
discipline, such as the proponents of intelligent design.
The term has become somewhat more common, as laymen are
introduced to the creation–evolution controversy through the
Discovery Institute's framing of the language.
Scientists and philosophers never use the term, as it is
vaguely defined, conflicts with established language, and
introduces both ambiguity and negative connotations.
Why the term exists
The term exists to imply that scientific naturalism is
equivalent to the philosophy of materialism, and especially
the pseudo-religious social movements around the concept.
Much more than that, it implies association with atheism and
Marxism due to Karl Marx' explicit use of materialist
philosophy in his writings on history.
In other words, to use the term scientific materialism is to
assert that science rejects any form of supernatural deity.
=Scientific naturalism=
Philosophically, the scientific process operates on the
working assumption of naturalism. That is the idea that
observable events in nature are explainable only by
natural causes.
Science makes no statement about the supernatural. However,
the philosophy of naturalism supposes that if the
supernatural exists, it is not inherently different than
the natural, and is governed by the same fundamental laws
of nature.
Science adopts this principle as a practical matter. In
order to develop a line of inquiry, one must assume that
the there is an answer. If an answer reflects a
universal truth, it must be repeatable and verifiable
anywhere in the universe where the same conditions
apply. Therefore, to search for truth, a scientist must
assume that all natural events have natural causes.
=The criticism=
Opponents of the scientific discipline assert that,
because science omits the supernatural as a valid cause,
science will reach incorrect conclusions when the truth
is not materialistic.
The typical example presented is the origin of species.
Proponents of Intelligent Design assert that life was
created by an agency outside of nature. Their claim is
that this theory is being censored by the "invalid"
assumption of scientific naturalism. It appears
reasonable to conclude that the intervention of a deity
is scientifically untestable in their view. The only
form of "evidence" presented so far have been refuted
criticisms of evolution, which say nothing about their
alternative theory. However, it is claimed by ID
proponents that Intelligent Design is in fact science.