Naturalism, First Cause & Consciousness

Naturalism, First Cause & Consciousness

Surrey, British Columbia, today with first photo with my new Samsung Galaxy S4. 

The Village Church, a fairly new multi-site mega church in Surrey, British Columbia.

'The Great Debate Series' began today and Naturalism was the first topic with a focus on Oxford Professor, Richard Dawkins.

Naturalism

Naturalism assumes that nature is viewed as the fundamental and original source for all that exists, and therefore all reality needs to be explained in terms of nature. Dubray (1911)(2007: 1). All events find an adequate explanation within nature itself. Dubray (1911)(2007: 1).

Simon Blackburn defines naturalism as generally a view that nothing resists explanation from methods of natural sciences. A naturalist will therefore be opposed to the concept of mind-body since it allows for the possible explanation of human mental capacity outside of science. Blackburn (1996: 255).

The pastor explained in today's sermon that naturalism has a difficulty explaining 'first cause' within a Darwinian model of origins and existence. Some naturalists postulate that the universe is the first cause, therefore its own first cause, but he correctly noted the universe is expanding according to present scientific data and knowledge. He stated that according to the big bang theory the universe began approximately 15 billion years ago.

To state that the apparently, according to data, finite universe caused itself would be philosophically problematic.

I would state that this causes a vicious regress.

In the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Simon Blackburn discusses ‘infinite regress’ and mentions that this occurs in a vicious way whenever a problem tries to solve itself and yet remains with the same problem it had previously. A vicious regress is an infinite regress that does not solve its own problem, while a benign regress is an infinite regress that does not fail to solve its own problem (numbers in mathematics). Blackburn writes that there is frequently room for debate on what is a vicious regress or benign regress.

The theist and Christian view by having God as the non-caused infinite, first cause does not fall to vicious regress.

God is and always was and always will be.

God as infinite.

The pastor also raised the difficulty of consciousness within naturalism.

Sir John Houghton defines consciousness as ‘a quality possessed by human beings’ and the extent that it may be possessed by higher animals is the subject of debate. Houghton (1995: 219).

Although the human brain is sometimes compared to a computer, the human brain seems different as it thinks, feels, and demonstrates the property of self-awareness and consciousness. Houghton (1995: 92). 

Rocco J. Gennaro of Indiana State University documents grammatically that the main term under review, 'consciousness' is derived from the Latin con (with) and scire (know). Gennaro (2006: 1).

Michael Winkelman of the American Anthropological Association writes that common understanding of a model of consciousness includes attention-awareness, phenomenal experiences, self-referencing, learning and the use of information, interpreting meanings, having goals, and systems of social reference. It is suggested that consciousness manifests itself through the physical properties of the brain. Winkelman (2004: 1). 

Biologist Alfred Gierer from Tubingen suggests that consciousness appears as ‘a system’s feature of our brain with neural processes strictly following the laws of physics’. Gierer (2003: 1). Gierer explains that there is not however, a general and exhaustive theory of human consciousness. Gierer (2003: 1).

Houghton admits it is difficult for many observers to accept that consciousness can be defined in a meaningful way or to describe it in terms of other things. Houghton (1995: 92-93).

The theist and Christian would see room here for a discussion of human intellect and consciousness being connected to an immaterial soul/spirit. The pastor correctly noting God as spirit from John 4:24 and that understanding God's nature could not be understood empirically. Humanity is created with soul/spirit according to Genesis 2:7.

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

DUBRAY, C.A. (1911)(2007) ‘Naturalism’ in New Advent: Catholic Encyclopedia, New York, Robert Appleton Company.

GENNARO, ROCCO, J. (2006) ‘Consciousness’, in The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Martin, Tennessee, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

GIERER, ALFRED (2003) ‘Brain, mind, and limitations of a scientific theory of human consciousness’, Preprint of a contribution to the symposium: Proteus im Spiegel-Kritische Theorie des Subjekts im 20, Tubingen, Max-Planck-Institute Biology, Tubingen.

HOUGHTON, JOHN (1995) The Search for God, Can Science Help?, Lion Publishing, Oxford. 

WINKELMAN, MICHAEL (2004) ‘Understanding Consciousness Using Systems Approaches and Lexical Universal’, American Anthropological Association, Arlington, Virginia, American Anthropological Association.

LA Dodgers Fan 

Los Angeles Dodgers: Has he given up on any attempt on being fit and now thinks 'I might as well flaunt it? '

I am a large man, and I have a lot of muscle from years of exercise mostly, but I really am not one that favours publicly flaunting obesity from those that have no intention of working out. All  this fan needs is some 'tats' to draw more attention. Notice he sort of cleared his section.