--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Scientific naturalism is a story that…" description: "\"Scientific naturalism is a story that reduces reality to physical particles and impersonal laws, [and] portrays life as a meaningless competition among..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb6/philip-johnson-10392_biology_scientific-naturalism-is-a-story-that-re_284275.png" --- # Scientific naturalism is a story that reduces reality to… ![“Scientific naturalism is a story that reduces reality to physical particles and impersonal laws, [and] portrays life as a meaningless competition among organisms that exist only to survive and reproduce.” quote by Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb6/philip-johnson-10392_biology_scientific-naturalism-is-a-story-that-re_284275.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb6/philip-johnson-10392_biology_scientific-naturalism-is-a-story-that-re_284275.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb6/philip-johnson-10392_biology_scientific-naturalism-is-a-story-that-re_284275.png) > “Scientific naturalism is a story that reduces reality to physical particles and impersonal laws, \[and\] portrays life as a meaningless competition among organisms that exist only to survive and reproduce.” [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The view reduces existence to material mechanisms, ignoring purpose, meaning, or values. **In simple terms:** It sees life as purely survival driven. Key Takeaway Consider broader meanings beyond materialism. Themes philosophy materialism meaninglessness Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - debates on purpose - personal values - spiritual inquiry Key Concepts existentialism ethics biology Questions to Reflect On - What gives your life meaning? - Can science address purpose? A Different Perspective It may overlook subjective experiences and cultural narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Naturalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naturalism/) [Organisms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organisms/) [Particles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particles/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [Science...has become identified with a philosophy known as materialism or scientific naturalism. This philosophy insists that nature is all there is, or at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-e-johnson/science-has-become-identified-with-a-philosophy-known-as-materialism/) [Phillip E. 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Its goal is to find out how the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/science-is-a-way-of-thinking-much-more-than-it-is-a-body-of-knowledge/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A natural hierarchy is simply an order of increasing wholeness, such as: particles to atoms to cells to organisms, or letters to words to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-natural-hierarchy-is-simply-an-order-of-increasing-wholeness-such/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [In our greatest universities, naturalism - the doctrine that nature is all there is - is the virtually unquestioned assumption that underlies not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-johnson/in-our-greatest-universities-naturalism-the-doctrine-that-nature-is/) [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) > [Naturalism and materialism mean essentially the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-johnson/naturalism-and-materialism-mean-essentially-the-same-thing/) [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) > [I'm not interested in putting naturalism on stage - I want passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tiffany/i-m-not-interested-in-putting-naturalism-on-stage-i-want-passion/) [John Tiffany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tiffany/) > [“Scientific research is based on the idea that everything that takes place is determined by laws of nature, and therefore this holds for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/scientific-research-is-based-on-the-idea-that-everything-that-takes/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“The future's unfolding Swaths of possibilities Rapids of change With cliffs of discovery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-moonias/the-future-s-unfolding-swaths-of-possibilities-rapids-of-change-with/) Sandy Moonias > [“The most essential prediction of Darwinism is that, given an astronomical number of chances, unintelligent processes can make seemingly-designed systems, ones of the complexity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-behe/the-most-essential-prediction-of-darwinism-is-that-given-an/) [Michael J. Behe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-behe/) > [“What makes today’s popular atheism so depressing is neither its conceptual boorishness nor its self-righteousness but simply its cultural inevitability. It is the final,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/what-makes-today-s-popular-atheism-so-depressing-is-neither-its/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) ## More by Philip Johnson > [Architecture is the art of how to waste space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-johnson/architecture-is-the-art-of-how-to-waste-space/) [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) > [I'm a chameleon, so changeable. I see myself as a gadfly and a questioner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-johnson/i-m-a-chameleon-so-changeable-i-see-myself-as-a-gadfly-and-a/) [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) > [I hate vacations. If you can build buildings, why sit on the beach?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-johnson/i-hate-vacations-if-you-can-build-buildings-why-sit-on-the-beach/) [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) > [I like to be buttoned onto tradition. The thing is to improve it, twist it and mold it; to make something new of it;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-johnson/i-like-to-be-buttoned-onto-tradition-the-thing-is-to-improve-it-twist/) [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) > [So now the floodgates are open to the delight of pure form, whatever its origin. 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It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. 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