Introduction to Naturalism
By Steve Berthiaume
(Atheists' Voices Column)
Naturalism is a worldview which many atheists will find appealing.
It holds that humans are completely natural beings; that is, we
posess no supernatural aspect, like souls, spirits, essences, etc.
Our thoughts, emotions, and personality are the results of biological
brain processes. It is a direct refutation of the "Cartesian
Dualist" idea that we consist of two natures -- mind and body -- that has
its roots in modern neuroscience.
Naturalism is also the understanding that we are part of the chain of causation that stretches all the way back to the beginning of the universe. Everything about us -- our actions, physical characteristics, emotions and feelings -- is the result of previous causes. We are, as Center for Naturalism director Tom Clark puts it, "fully-caused beings."
One of the more loaded implications of this worldview involves our classical notions of free will. Seeing ourselves as part of a chain of events gives us, on first consideration, the impression that we are not freely-willing agents. While it is true that our choices necessarily occur within the causal chain (after all, if there is no cause to choose, we don’t choose), this doesn’t mean that we are stuck with Fatalism -- the belief that we are condemned to a single path through life regardless of our actions. Think about it -- just because someone has thrown a rock at our heads does not mean that we must resign ourselves to the blow: we can choose whether or not to duck. Our instinct for self-preservation may cause us to take evasive action, or perhaps we have placed ourselves in harm's way to protect another person. Either way our choice had a cause.
The key to understanding free will within the Naturalistic framework is to realize that when we make a choice, there are causes behind the choice: our genes, prior experiences, emotional state at the time -- all these factors cause us to be who we are, think what we think, and do what we do.
If this still leaves you with the feeling that you are not free, consider the alternative. The classical concept of free will holds that we make decisions on our own, not subject to influence by anything. This places us outside the causal chain -- but this would mean that if our actions are not caused, they are random events, and if they are random, then we definitely have no control at all. Certainly this is not what religious people have in mind when they say their god has given them free will, but there are only two alternatives: either our behavior is caused, or it's not.
There's an old salesman's saying: "No decision is difficult once you have all the facts." While the Naturalistic worldview does not -- like religion -- pretend to have all the answers, looking at free will in the proper light can enhance our personal lives. For example, we might not get so upset at a friend's chronic tardiness once we undrestand that, were we in their situation (and by that I mean totally, completely in their shoes -- genetically, emotionally, financially, healthwise etc. -- in effect, were we them) we would behave exactly the same way.
Excessive self-recrimination and pride are also put in their place under Naturalism: I made a bad decision, but anyone else would have done the same in my place. I won the tournament, but anyone with my training and knowledge could have done the same (more on personal responsibility and social implications in the next column).
There is also room for Spirituality within Naturalism. Since the profound feelings that religious people seek are the result of biological processes in the brain, there is no reason why atheists should not be able to enjoy them as well, only devoid of supernatural baggage. While western religious traditions have (in my experience, at least) taught that only through Faith are these experiences available, there is a large body of empirical research from the eastern philosophies of which anyone can avail themselves.
To sum up, as atheists we've banished the supernatural from our lives, but many of us still see ourselves as “mind-body” creatures. The realization that this is not the case is not something to be feared; indeed, I see it as a logical extension of atheism. It is rather something that can increase our feeling of connectedness to the universe, give us more compassion for our fellow beings, and provide us with more control over our lives.
I encourage you to visit the Center for Naturalism on the web at naturalism.org.
By Steve Berthiaume
(Atheists' Voices Column)
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Naturalism is also the understanding that we are part of the chain of causation that stretches all the way back to the beginning of the universe. Everything about us -- our actions, physical characteristics, emotions and feelings -- is the result of previous causes. We are, as Center for Naturalism director Tom Clark puts it, "fully-caused beings."
One of the more loaded implications of this worldview involves our classical notions of free will. Seeing ourselves as part of a chain of events gives us, on first consideration, the impression that we are not freely-willing agents. While it is true that our choices necessarily occur within the causal chain (after all, if there is no cause to choose, we don’t choose), this doesn’t mean that we are stuck with Fatalism -- the belief that we are condemned to a single path through life regardless of our actions. Think about it -- just because someone has thrown a rock at our heads does not mean that we must resign ourselves to the blow: we can choose whether or not to duck. Our instinct for self-preservation may cause us to take evasive action, or perhaps we have placed ourselves in harm's way to protect another person. Either way our choice had a cause.
The key to understanding free will within the Naturalistic framework is to realize that when we make a choice, there are causes behind the choice: our genes, prior experiences, emotional state at the time -- all these factors cause us to be who we are, think what we think, and do what we do.
If this still leaves you with the feeling that you are not free, consider the alternative. The classical concept of free will holds that we make decisions on our own, not subject to influence by anything. This places us outside the causal chain -- but this would mean that if our actions are not caused, they are random events, and if they are random, then we definitely have no control at all. Certainly this is not what religious people have in mind when they say their god has given them free will, but there are only two alternatives: either our behavior is caused, or it's not.
There's an old salesman's saying: "No decision is difficult once you have all the facts." While the Naturalistic worldview does not -- like religion -- pretend to have all the answers, looking at free will in the proper light can enhance our personal lives. For example, we might not get so upset at a friend's chronic tardiness once we undrestand that, were we in their situation (and by that I mean totally, completely in their shoes -- genetically, emotionally, financially, healthwise etc. -- in effect, were we them) we would behave exactly the same way.
Excessive self-recrimination and pride are also put in their place under Naturalism: I made a bad decision, but anyone else would have done the same in my place. I won the tournament, but anyone with my training and knowledge could have done the same (more on personal responsibility and social implications in the next column).
There is also room for Spirituality within Naturalism. Since the profound feelings that religious people seek are the result of biological processes in the brain, there is no reason why atheists should not be able to enjoy them as well, only devoid of supernatural baggage. While western religious traditions have (in my experience, at least) taught that only through Faith are these experiences available, there is a large body of empirical research from the eastern philosophies of which anyone can avail themselves.
To sum up, as atheists we've banished the supernatural from our lives, but many of us still see ourselves as “mind-body” creatures. The realization that this is not the case is not something to be feared; indeed, I see it as a logical extension of atheism. It is rather something that can increase our feeling of connectedness to the universe, give us more compassion for our fellow beings, and provide us with more control over our lives.
I encourage you to visit the Center for Naturalism on the web at naturalism.org.
(Please feel free to discuss this column in this thread on the AtheistParents.org message board.)
October 25, 2004