Primary causality: In defence of the metaphysical rationality of faith in God as Creator

Verbum et Ecclesia

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Primary causality: In defence of the metaphysical rationality of faith in God as Creator
 
Creator Scott, Callum D.
 
Subject Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Science Cosmology, God, creation
Description Support has been lent to contemporary ‘New Atheism’ from physicalist interpretations of ‘hard’ science. From this perspective, any system of knowledge that does not rely solely upon empirical method is deemed meaningless in comparison to observationally-grounded empirical science. Consequently, as a non-empirically-based approach, faith positions are included in the critique offered by physicalists. The impetus for this article, then, is to establish physicalism as a reductionist epistemology that is partially comprised of – seemingly inconspicuously embedded – metaphysical assumptions. With metaphysics apparent in ‘hard’ science, it is argued from a Thomist perspective that metaphysical themes of primary causality must be realistically considered to account for being. As a logical outcome, the proposal is made that metaphysical primary causality directs to the reasonable suggestion that God creates. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article specifically challenges the currently trendy ‘New Atheist’ school of thought, resting upon the counter-argument offered that ‘hard’ science cannot ultimately account for the emergence or continued existence of being. Utilising Aquinas, the research calls for a re-embracement of unified, as opposed to limited, systems of knowledge.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2015-03-25
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/octet-stream text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ve.v36i1.1377
 
Source Verbum et Ecclesia; Vol 36, No 1 (2015); 8 pages 2074-7705 1609-9982
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1377/2291 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1377/2292 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1377/2293 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1377/2277
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2015 Callum D. Scott https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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