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Essay: Methodological Naturalism

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  • Published: 23 January 2019*
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  • Words: 1,413 (approx)
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In philosophical terms, there is a difference between methodological naturalism and metaphysical naturalism. First, let us define methodological naturalism, it is how it sounds, a scientific method. In other words, “trying to understand the world.” Scientists look for natural causes not supernatural predicaments. It is a method that we must obtain knowledge of the world around us; knowledge of the world god has created. Metaphysical naturalism states that, no realm of the supernatural exists, it is non-physical; even mental. Ruse seems to believe that if you are a methodological naturalist than you should also be a metaphysical naturalist. His theory is seen in many ways and all have different perspectives in his beliefs, especially from theists and atheists. In my opinion, I believe that Ruse, and his theory define the truth and is correct that if you are a methodological naturalist then states that you should also be a metaphysical naturalist, it makes plenty of sense. I for a fact abide that the relationship between methodological naturalism and metaphysical naturalism is the only reasonable entailment. Effectively there is no difference between methodological naturalism and metaphysical naturalism, if you are one, you should be the other because both these concepts contradict with one another. Through Ruse’s theory his argumentations from simplicity and an argument from consistency define why Ruse is correct in believing that methodological naturalism is technically saying that you are also a metaphysical naturalist.
 
 
Naturalism in contrast to supernaturalism is known as a natural law that is an idea or belief in which forces and laws operate the world, the philosophical study of the nature of reality and what the world is known to be, through the means of scientific relations. Naturalism excludes any means of supernatural activity thus defining that naturalism is atheism and that naturalism is basically the matter of reality, so how can people conclude that methodological and metaphysical naturalism don’t have any relation to one another. There set in beliefs that philosophical naturalists take one step further to believe that the rejection of science to believe in supernatural causes is true when in fact science is the main source of all our natural causes. Methodological naturalism and metaphysical naturalism are told apart by the fact that methodological naturalism is an epistemology of science while metaphysical naturalism is a position natural, physical causes (Barbara Forrest, 2000). It is generalized and accepted that both these concepts are unique and important aspects of modern scientific views are visualized in a sense that makes sense to believe in science than to rather not believe in it.

Being a methodological naturalist means that people believe in methods of science, taking the world and trying to understand it in a scientific perspective. It is pretty sensible when trying to understand what is existent and what is non-existent. From what is understandable methodological naturalism makes only one assumption, therefore, there exists an underlying view, that is the accounts of causation of natural kinds due to metaphysics. These prior beliefs or ‘working assumptions’ of methodological naturalism is in fact true when associating it with metaphysical naturalism. Supernaturalism is likely to be false because both methodological naturalism and metaphysical naturalism are related by means through scientific views, and how the world revolves around natural causes and not supernatural predicaments. Nothing supernatural exists- this point may generate many strong opinions amongst Theists and Atheists but also unrelated to the diversion of science (Barbara Forrest, 2000). Methodology is an essential aspect of science that studies the natural universe, from what is gathered metaphysical naturalism is profoundly the same. Natural laws and theories based on what exists and what does not exist, suffices to solve problems constructed and analyzed by scientists themselves. In order for an existential possibility of a supernatural entity to exist, it is not logical when science is our key opponent in all of this. Science is what makes our world a natural case not supernatural entities.

Metaphysical naturalism, in other words philosophical naturalism as a view that is taken from many people about the world is a common generalization of the gathered tested results of scientific inquiry. In metaphysics, the inquiries taken is predictive because what we know about the universe is due to the reliance of science. Science explains naturalistic outcomes in the world around us today, not supernatural causes. We assess the world with current scientific theories about natural causes, Ruse in fact seemed to do so too. Metaphysical naturalism postulates that basically there is nothing that is supernatural but there exists to be naturalistic explanations. It is possible to defend for that methodological naturalism and metaphysical naturalism is related to one another, that if you are one you are the other because both seems to conclude examples and evidence defending that both are the same concepts, which relates to how we see the word through scientific views.

Ruse takes us through his argument of simplicity and defines it as it is said, simple. That it is likely to be false and that god does not exist in a general sense. It is a complicated explanation that stresses the predicaments that because we believe in science it is easier to not believe that supernatural causes exist and that science is a known factor that everyone’s belief is bound to be true. Naturalism is more likely to be true than supernaturalism because it has more facts and evidence to be backed up rather than having false assumptions of the supernatural world. With this said simplicity takes over and Ruse’s explanation. Even if it were to be true by exemplified definition that a scientific hypothesis could involve no reference to God, nothing of much interest would follow, considering the fact that metaphysics holds no doctrine of supernatural causes, only that it is presumably all due to science.

Ruse uses consistency as his second part of his argument stating that he believes that methodological naturalism leads to metaphysical naturalism because if you believe in one, you should believe in all. As oppose to disbelief the same goes if one does not believe in one, there is no point in believing in any. Science denotes an important fact about human activity and is impossible to note this through the realm of supernatural causes. However, we can describe typical patterns of science, and we can differentiate things about what usually or often characterizes science. Therefore, in saying this, it is a characteristic of this activity to involve observation as well as experiments, which can often be carried out as ‘thought experiments’ as opposed to experiments actually carried out physically. Any reference to god is unacceptable in Ruse’s point of view because he does not believe in supernatural propositions. Therefore, theorizing his scientific claims is true and what he believes about methodological naturalism and to also say that it has relation to metaphysical naturalism is substantially adequate.

Thus, Ruse is correct, when saying that if you are a methodological naturalist, you are also a metaphysical naturalist because morality does not exist objectively it is rather due to science for most of the time. Ruse believes that science is the definition that deals with three presupposed objects and properties that are natural, repeatable and governed by laws of nature. Ruse understands that these regularities are grounded in some form of succession, when defining the characteristics of science through methodological and metaphysical naturalism. Believing in science rather than saying that god exists and the world is supernatural is just too good to be true. We can conclude that science is always going to be true because it is based on real facts that everyone can abide by. Supernatural causes are falsely seen because we cannot see supernatural entities. It is not visible for one to produce a known fact that there is something beyond our natural world. People may believe in supernatural because it is mysterious and the is unknown but that’s what it is, the unknown that no one knows then truth about. It creates just as many mysteries as it claims to have solved. Science, because of its reliance upon methodological naturalism and metaphysical naturalism is much, subtle to conclude that both these concepts have the same meaning, to not support the belief in the supernatural, and metaphysical naturalism has no room for it either. Science seems to explain everything and it makes so much more sense of how our world exists, it is just more ideal to believe in natural causes rather than supernatural beliefs.

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