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Challengers of Scientism Past and Present: William James and Marilynne Robinson

Challengers of Scientism Past and Present: William James and Marilynne Robinson Challengers of Scientism Past and Present: William James and Marilynne Robinson James Woelfel / University of Kansas Introduction riting more than a century apart, William James and Marilynne Robinson are allies in forcefully and eloquently challenging the Wclaims and widespread appeal of scientism or positivism: the belief that scientific knowledge provides a necessary and sufficient worldview and entails the reduction of all reality, including the world of human subjects, to physical processes. Both James and Robinson are particularly concerned with and critical of the efforts of scientistic reductionism to describe the human life-world entirely in terms of the prevailing science. Both distinguish sharply between scientific inquiry, an essential and crucially valuable human activity, and scientism, the promotion of a metaphysical agenda under the guise of science. Scientism has become widely influential because of its dissemination in books, articles, and other media by leading scientists who explain science to a general audience. Over a hundred years after his death, William James remains a fresh and timely voice on a range of contemporary issues. James, whose entire postsec- ondary education was in the natural sciences—his only degree was an MD from Harvard—was of course a pathbreaking psychologist and philosopher who moved http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Theology & Philosophy University of Illinois Press

Challengers of Scientism Past and Present: William James and Marilynne Robinson

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Publisher
University of Illinois Press
ISSN
2156-4795

Abstract

Challengers of Scientism Past and Present: William James and Marilynne Robinson James Woelfel / University of Kansas Introduction riting more than a century apart, William James and Marilynne Robinson are allies in forcefully and eloquently challenging the Wclaims and widespread appeal of scientism or positivism: the belief that scientific knowledge provides a necessary and sufficient worldview and entails the reduction of all reality, including the world of human subjects, to physical processes. Both James and Robinson are particularly concerned with and critical of the efforts of scientistic reductionism to describe the human life-world entirely in terms of the prevailing science. Both distinguish sharply between scientific inquiry, an essential and crucially valuable human activity, and scientism, the promotion of a metaphysical agenda under the guise of science. Scientism has become widely influential because of its dissemination in books, articles, and other media by leading scientists who explain science to a general audience. Over a hundred years after his death, William James remains a fresh and timely voice on a range of contemporary issues. James, whose entire postsec- ondary education was in the natural sciences—his only degree was an MD from Harvard—was of course a pathbreaking psychologist and philosopher who moved

Journal

American Journal of Theology & Philosophy – University of Illinois Press

Published: Jun 28, 2013

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