Relaxed Naturalism: A Liberating Philosophy Of Nature
Publication Name
The Routledge Handbook of Liberal Naturalism
Abstract
Naturalisms, of whatever stripe, are quintessential philosophical offerings. A naturalistic philosophy also gives guidance about which methods and means are appropriate for understanding the various aspects of nature. The success or otherwise of any given philosophy of nature ultimately depends on how well it stands up as an account of how things hang together. Relaxed Naturalism resists reductionism yet seeks to draws upon and harmoniously integrate the discoveries from a wide range of sciences and humanistic disciplines. A viable, well-rounded naturalism requires something more than taking up a liberal attitude about the kinds of entities that belong on the list of the legitimately natural. The idea that philosophy in an inescapably humanistic discipline flies in the face of the Scientific Naturalism that dominates much of today's philosophy. The apparent trouble with historical narratives in general is that “they fail to identify the real causal forces that drive events”.
Open Access Status
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First Page
165
Last Page
176