The Mind of the Universe: Understanding Science and Religion

by ARTIGAS MARIANO

• ISBN13: 9781890151324
• ISBN10: 1890151327
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-06-01
• Publisher: Templeton Foundation Pr

Summary

The Mind of the Universe provides a study in which a competent presentation of physical discoveries is combined with a rational search for philosophical presuppositions of science. An important contribution to the dialogue between religion and science, the explanatory patterns presented in this book offer scientists, philosophers, and artists a philosophical unity on the topic, so important for discussing a holistic and consistent worldview.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
Cardinal Paul Poupard
Acknowledgments	xv
Introduction	xvii
Part I. Science Transcends Itself
Science and Beyond	3	(24)
The Meeting of Science and Religion	3	(4)
The Methodological Gap between Science and Religion	7	(6)
The Scientific Outlook	7	(3)
Naturalism: Difference or Conflict?	10	(2)
The Mediation of Philosophy	12	(1)
Boundary Questions	13	(7)
Are There Genuine Boundary Questions?	14	(2)
Subjective Connections	16	(2)
Particular Overlaps	18	(2)
The Quest for Integration	20	(7)
General Presuppositions and Insights	21	(3)
Bridging the Gap	24	(3)
The Presuppositions and Implications of Science	27	(34)
Why Presuppositions?	27	(8)
The General Presuppositions of Science	27	(3)
Science without Presuppositions?	30	(5)
Scrutinizing Presuppositions	35	(14)
Ontological and Epistemological Realism as Presuppositions	35	(3)
Presuppositions and the Limits of Science	38	(1)
The Nonscientific Bases of Science	39	(3)
Can Science Explain Everything?	42	(2)
Retrojustification of the Presuppositions of Scientific Inquiry	44	(2)
Philosophical Hypotheses in Science	46	(1)
The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Science	47	(2)
What Presuppositions?	49	(4)
Presuppositions in the Three Dimensions of Science	49	(2)
The Characteristics of the Presuppositions	51	(2)
The Feedback of Scientific Progress	53	(8)
Implications for the Presuppositions	53	(4)
A Guide to the Bridges	57	(4)
Part II. Self-Organization and Divine Action
Natural Creativity	61	(46)
The Scientific Quest for Order	61	(10)
Natural Order	62	(4)
The Scientific Knowledge of Order	66	(4)
Scientific Worldviews	70	(1)
Describing Worldviews	71	(12)
From Nature to History	71	(5)
A Purposeless World	76	(2)
The World as a Pattern of Numbers	78	(3)
The Evolutionary Universe	81	(1)
The Relative World of Process	82	(1)
A New Scientific Worldview	83	(24)
A Unified Picture of the World	83	(3)
Morphogenetic Theories	86	(3)
Natural Dynamism	89	(2)
Patterns in Nature	91	(3)
Self-Organization	94	(3)
Information	97	(4)
An Open Universe	101	(6)
The Intelligibiligy of Nature	107	(52)
A Self-Contained World?	108	(10)
Ontological Reductionism	108	(4)
A Self-Created Universe?	112	(3)
The Frontiers of Evolution	115	(2)
Naturalistic Fallacies	117	(1)
Unconscious Intelligence	118	(27)
Rationality in Nature	118	(7)
Teleological Bridges	125	(1)
Updating The Teleological Agenda	125	(2)
Natural Teleology: The Fact	127	(4)
Natural Teleology: The Explanation	131	(5)
Teleological Puzzles	136	(1)
Physics and Teleology	137	(4)
Biology and Teleology	141	(3)
Self-Organization and Teleology	144	(1)
A Divine Art	145	(14)
The Ways of Divine Action	145	(5)
Contingency and a Divine Plan	150	(3)
Natural and Divine Creativity	153	(6)
Part III. Scientific Creativity and Human Singularity
Reading the Book of Nature	159	(48)
The Rationality of Science	160	(21)
The Scientific Conception of the World	160	(4)
The Critical Attitude of Karl Popper	164	(5)
Paradigms and Revolutions: Kuhn's Psychosociohistorical View	169	(4)
Programs of Scientific Research: Imre Lakatos	173	(2)
Paul Feyerabend's Critique of Scientific Reason	175	(1)
Problem Solving and Laudan	176	(4)
Rationality: An Overview	180	(1)
Three Dimensions in Empirical Science	181	(11)
The Goals of Science	181	(6)
Scientific Methods	187	(3)
Scientific Constructs	190	(2)
The Reach of Science	192	(15)
Conventional Factors in Science	193	(3)
Scientific Objectivity	196	(4)
Truth in Science	200	(7)
Man in Nature	207	(44)
Science, Epistemology, and Naturalism: Four Positions	207	(14)
Epistemology Naturalized	208	(3)
Evolutionary Epistemology	211	(3)
Methodological Naturalism	214	(2)
Anthropological Naturalism	216	(5)
The Value of Human Knowledge	221	(20)
Science and Fallibilism	222	(1)
Two Kinds of Fallibilism	222	(2)
Fallibilism and Rationalism	224	(3)
Scientific Creativity and Fallibilism	227	(3)
Four Features of the Reliability of Science	230	(1)
Intersubjectivity	231	(1)
Empirical Control	232	(1)
Predictive Power	233	(1)
Progress	234	(2)
Reliable Knowledge	236	(2)
An Open Epistemology	238	(3)
Human Singularity	241	(10)
Scientific Arguments for Human Singularity	241	(3)
Immanence and Transcendence	244	(3)
The Meaning of Science	247	(4)
Part IV. Science and Values
Scientific Values	251	(48)
Why Values?	251	(6)
A Value-Free Science?	252	(3)
The Autonomy of Science	255	(2)
Evaluating Scientific Values	257	(21)
Reconnecting Science and Ethics	257	(4)
The Ethical Basis of Science	261	(2)
Science as a Social Institution	263	(5)
Epistemic Values	268	(1)
Value Judgment and Theory Choice	268	(1)
The Validation of Scientific Values	269	(3)
Plural Aims in Science?	272	(2)
Empirical Science as a Moral Task	274	(4)
Which Values?	278	(12)
Constitutive Values	279	(1)
Epistemic Values	280	(2)
Pragmatic Values	282	(2)
Institutional Values	284	(3)
Values in the Four Types of Scientific Activity	287	(1)
Research	287	(1)
Systematizing	288	(1)
Transmission	288	(1)
Application	289	(1)
Scientific Values and Scientific Progress	290	(9)
Epistemic Implications	290	(5)
Social Implications	295	(4)
The Meaning of Scientific Progress	299	(44)
The Reenchantment of the World	300	(14)
The Disenchantment of the World	300	(6)
Reenchanting the World	306	(1)
The Reenchantment of Science	306	(3)
Postmodern Science	309	(2)
A Holistic Approach	311	(1)
Science and Mythical Thinking	312	(1)
Updating the Agenda	313	(1)
Building New Bridges	314	(10)
A Recapitulation of My Argument	314	(2)
Applying Scientific Criteria to My Conclusions	316	(1)
Explanatory Power	316	(2)
Predictive Power	318	(2)
Accuracy	320	(2)
Variety of Independent Proofs	322	(1)
Mutual Support	323	(1)
Further Perspectives	324	(19)
God's Involvement with Creation	324	(3)
God's Purposeful Action	327	(2)
God's Transcendence	329	(2)
The Divine Pathways on Earth	331	(3)
Human Insignificance and Grandeur	334	(2)
Integral Naturalism	336	(4)
Creativity: Natural, Human, and Divine	340	(3)
Bibliography	343	(14)
Index	357