Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026
05:02
Comparing Bibliometric Analysis Using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Databases
Published on: October 24, 2019
33.9K
The naturalism of the sciences.
Gregory W Dawes1, Tiddy Smith1
1Department of Philosophy, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
|February 21, 2018
Summary
Scientific inquiry has always used "domain naturalism," focusing on natural causes rather than divine intervention. This approach, inherent to science, has consistently guided research throughout history.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- History of Science
Background:
- Science is often described as employing "methodological naturalism," excluding divine agency.
- Philosophers have defended this as a pragmatic, provisional stance, replaced by natural explanations.
- This pragmatic defense is challenged by the historical record of scientific practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the historical basis of naturalism in science.
- To challenge the pragmatic defense of methodological naturalism.
- To propose an alternative understanding of scientific naturalism based on historical evidence.
Main Methods:
- Historical analysis of scientific explanations.
- Conceptual analysis of "methodological naturalism" and "domain naturalism."
- Examination of the role of divine agency in the history of science.
Main Results:
- The sciences have consistently exhibited "domain naturalism," focusing on natural causal structures.
- Theistic explanations have not historically been a precursor to naturalistic ones in science.
- Naturalism in science is not a recent development but an enduring characteristic.
Conclusions:
- The naturalism of science is intrinsic and historical, not merely a pragmatic or provisional method.
- The historical evidence supports "domain naturalism" as a foundational aspect of scientific practice.
- Rethinking the origins and nature of scientific naturalism is necessary.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Psychology as a Science
4.0K
Psychology, as a scientific discipline, aims to understand the mind and behavior through rigorous and systematic methods. The foundation of psychological research is evidence-based, relying heavily on the scientific method to derive and validate knowledge. This structured approach ensures that findings are reliable, valid, and applicable to broader contexts.
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...
4.0K
01:32What is Natural Selection?
129.8K
Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.
129.8K
01:10Nature and Nurture
22.4K
Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
22.4K
01:19Overview of Biostatistics in Health Sciences
5.3K
Biostatistics involves the application of statistical techniques to scientific research in health-related fields, including biology and public health. These techniques are essential for designing studies, collecting data, and analyzing it to draw meaningful conclusions. Given the complexity of biological processes, particularly in studies involving human subjects, biostatistical methods are crucial for effectively organizing and interpreting data that might otherwise obscure underlying patterns...
5.3K
01:22Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
1.3K
The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, or SPSS, is a data management and analysis software suite. Developed by SPSS Inc. in 1968 and acquired by IBM in 2009, this tool was initially designed for social science data analysis, evolving to serve a wider range of disciplines. It was later renamed to Statistical Product and Service Solutions.
SPSS streamlines the process from data preparation to analysis and reporting. It is characterized by its user-friendly interface, which conceals...
SPSS streamlines the process from data preparation to analysis and reporting. It is characterized by its user-friendly interface, which conceals...
1.3K
02:30Chirality in Nature
17.3K
Chirality is the most intriguing yet essential facet of nature, governing life’s biochemical processes and precision. It can be observed from a snail shell pattern in a macroscopic world to an amino acid, the minutest building block of life. Most of the snails around the world have right-coiled shells because of the intrinsic chirality in their genes. All the amino acids present in the human body exist in an enantiomerically pure state, except for glycine - the sole achiral amino acid.
17.3K