Absolutes Quote by Richard Lewontin
“Evolutionists ... have a prior commitment, a commitment to naturalism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door”
About This Quote
Source Article: The Materialist Bias in Evolutionary Science, 1996
Evolutionists are bound by materialism, shaping scientific methods and concepts to favor material explanations, excluding divine influence.
In simple terms: Science is guided by material assumptions.
Key Takeaway
Question the assumptions underlying scientific frameworks.
Themes
science
materialism
philosophy
methodology
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- research design
- education
- public communication
- policy
- philosophical debate
Key Concepts
naturalism
epistemology
bias
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the consequences of a strictly materialist approach?
- Can science incorporate non-material explanations responsibly?
A Different Perspective
It can limit openness to alternative metaphysical perspectives.
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