6.3 science and religion Flashcards
1
Q
Who developed the scientific method?
A
- Galileo
- further developed by Isaac Newton
2
Q
What is meant by the scientific method?
A
- scientists make predictions based on their experience, and work on the principle that what has happened in the past is a reliable predictor of what will happen in the future
3
Q
How is the scientific approach characterised?
A
- by claims that have to be supported by evidence
4
Q
What reasoning do scientists use?
A
- both inductive and deductive reasoning
- though neither are infallible, people regard scientific findings as reliable
5
Q
What are the three key stages of the scientific method?
A
- observation
- hypothesis
- experimentation
6
Q
What does Karl Popper argue about the scientific method?
A
- science is about proving the hypothesis wrong
- falsification
7
Q
How is the religious method characterised?
A
- based on belief and faith
8
Q
What are the two broad approaches to making sure beliefs are true?
A
- fideism
- critical rationalism
9
Q
What is meant by fideism?
A
- literally means ‘faithism’
- don’t need empirical evidence for what they believe - all they need is belief itself
- evidence/proof undermines faith
10
Q
What is meant by critical rationalism?
A
- in order to be coherent, beliefs must be: rational and not go against empirical science
- uses both inductive and deductive reasoning to support religious belief
11
Q
What are the weaknesses of the religious method?
A
- the results aren’t repeatable = it isn’t possible to rerun a religious experience to check on what it was like
- it’s possible to induce religious feelings by stimulating parts of the brain, which raises the possibility that the religious ‘sense’ is just something the brain does
12
Q
What is the Big Bang Theory?
A
- the universe was formed from a one-off, unique ‘explosion’ called the singularity around 13.7 billion years ago
13
Q
What are the origins of the Big Bang Theory?
A
- in the observation that there was movement within the universe - which appears to be moving outwards from a central point, away from Earth
14
Q
How has the Big Bang Theory challenged religious belief?
A
- it contradicts the Bible’s description of a six day creation
- if the Bible is wrong about creation, it could be wrong about other things too
- if we reject the biblical account of creation, should we not also reject other tenets of Christian belief e.g. the Trinity?
15
Q
Who developed the Steady State Theory?
A
- Gold, Bondi and Hoyle
16
Q
What is the Steady State Theory?
A
- suggested that the universe has always existed (and will always) in more or less the state that we see it in now
- the density of matter in the universe remains the same despite the expansion
17
Q
What does John Polkinghore believe about creation?
A
- accepts evolution and the Big Bang as part of the mind and purpose of a creator
18
Q
When and why was Intelligent Design developed?
A
- in 1987 to make creationism a science
19
Q
What is Intelligent Design theory?
A
P1 = the universe shows signs of irreducible complexity
P2 = irreducible complexity can only be explained by intelligence
C = therefore there was an intelligent designer
20
Q
Why does Intelligent Design reject natural selection?
A
- biological organisms are so complex that they cannot be explained by gradual evolution
21
Q
What are some challenges to intelligent design?
A
- scientific theories haven’t failed
- the emergence of complexity is possible over the length of time
- offers no testable hypotheses
22
Q
What is meant by the anthropic principle and the fine-tuning argument?
A
- the universe is precisely set up for life and that any change in the cosmological constant of the universe would’ve prevented life from developing
23
Q
What is meant by creationism?
A
- individuals who have rejected scientific cosmologies and instead held to a literal interpretation of the account of creation in Genesis
24
Q
What are the two types of creationsim?
A
- young Earth creationists
- old Earth creationists
25
What do Young Earth Creationists believe?
- in a wholly literal interpretation of Genesis
- the account is a **literal, historical account** of the origin of the world
- world was created in 6 days
- the Earth is 6,000 years old
26
What do Old Earth Creationists believe?
- they take a slightly less literal view of creation
- the 6 days creation story is true BUT they translate the original Hebrew word ‘yom’ (day) to represent **periods of creation**
27
What are the arguments of Teilhard de Chardin?
- sees the processes of science as the very tools of God in creation
- human evolution is leading towards us eventually being able to evolve to an ‘**omega point**’ of perfection
28
What is meant by the theory of evolution?
- the random mutation of species over time, with a bias towards mutations/adaptations that give an advantage for survival
29
What does Richard Dawkins add to the theory of evolution?
- evolution is a ‘**blind**’ process that happens purely by the chance process of natural selection; there is no purpose/plan
30
How does Hume define miracles?
- a transgression of a **law of nature** by a particular volition of the deity
31
How does Swinburne define miracles?
- impossible events that change how we understand natural laws to work
32
How does S Evans define miracles?
- events that have a function and purpose and usually that function is a revelatory one
33
How does R F Holland define miracles?
- a coincidence, or improbable event that has been interpreted in religious terms
34
How are miracles seen in the Bible?
- as God at work in the world
35
What is the purpose of biblical miracles?
- explain the nature of God
- show Jesus is the Messiah
- illustrate the teachings of Jesus
- show the nature of the KofG
36
What are the three categories of miracles Aquinas proposes?
1. events done by God that nature could never do e.g. walking on water
2. events done by God that nature could do BUT not in that order/timescale e.g. water into wine
3. events done by God that nature could do but God does without the use of natural laws e.g. healings
37
What are the philosophical problems with using miracles as evidence?
- Hume = considered the probability of miracles taking place to be very low
- it will always be more likely that the witness to a miracle is mistaken or lying because of how unlikely it is that a miracle could take place
38
What is a counter of the philosophical problems of using miracles as evidence?
- the improbability of a miracle doesn’t mean that it couldn’t happen
39
What is meant by the God of the Gaps argument?
- God was used to explain that which couldn’t be explained
- with advances in scientific knowledge, God has been pushed out of most of these gaps
40
What are the scientific rejection of miracles, as out forward by Baruch Spinoza?
P1 = miracles are violations of the laws of nature
P2 = by definition, natural laws are immutable (never change)
P3 = immutable laws cannot be violated, otherwise there can be no basis for science (cannot predict anything)
C = miracles are impossible; they are mere ‘absurdities’
41
What are some strengths of the scientific position on miracles?
- science can use reliable methods to test miracle claims
- if scientific laws really are violated by miracles, then there can be no basis for science
- miracles are weak evidence by comparison with scientific evidence
- the God of the Gaps idea gives a convincing explanation of where miracle stories come from
42
What are some weaknesses of the scientific position on miracles?
- if miracles really do happen, then the simple fact is that science cannot investigate them because they are beyond the laws of nature
- if miracles must be rejected, then scientists should reject the singularity too
- scientific understanding of the God of the gaps misses the point of miracles have a context - a purpose - they are demonstrations of God’s power and love
