How Should Scientists, Theologians and Philosophers Interact?

[dga471 (Daniel)]

@jongarvey

Laws of nature, the perspicacity and intelligibility of the universe, the need for empirical study because of contingency, the non-agency of matter… all those assumptions were based on early modern theological choices, often in direct opposition to the existing, scholastic theology of nature.

I have recently started to realize the truth of this as well, through my interactions with Thomist philosophers. Unfortunately what many such philosophers don’t seem to realize is that criticizing scientists for their arrogance, ignorance, and simplistic view of nature will never convince them. You have to approach them using their own language, which is admittedly reductionist, fundamentalist (to use Nancy Cartwright’s term), even materialist. But this language has worked so well that scientists are loathe to abandon it.