Materialism Quote by William A. Dembski
““Science must not degenerate into applied materialistic philosophy. But this is exactly what it does at the hands of today's alchemists, namely, the materialistic evolutionists who hold their views not because of empirical evidence but because of a prior metaphysical commitment to materialism.””
About This Quote
Science should remain empirical, not be driven by a pre‑existing philosophical agenda that forces data to fit materialist doctrine.
In simple terms: Science must stay evidence‑driven, not ideology‑driven.
Key Takeaway
Beware of philosophy dictating science.
Themes
Epistemology
Philosophy of Science
Materialism
Science vs Ideology
Mood
Skeptical
Cautious
Type
Philosophical critique
Warning
When to use this quote
- Academic debates on scientific methodology
- Policy discussions on research funding
- Public discourse about evolution
Key Concepts
Empiricism
Metaphysical bias
Practical Applications
- Critical analysis of scientific claims
- Teaching philosophy of science
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure scientific objectivity while acknowledging philosophical influences?
- What safeguards prevent ideology from shaping research agendas?
A Different Perspective
Materialist frameworks can generate testable hypotheses and have historically advanced science, so dismissing them outright may limit inquiry.
![“[Materialism] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism, to chemism, to polarity, to the vegetable and to the animal kingdom. And if we suppose this to have been done, the last link in the chain would be…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal-kingdom_materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-s_50402.jpg)
![“If we do want to do that [ colonise space to survive, ], then vacuous materialism is not going to be enough for us.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8c5/quentin-s-crisp-4149_enough_if-we-do-want-to-do-that-colonise-space_40648.jpg)
![“[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion, why do you not believe in materialistic science, which has an unparalleled record of fulfilled prophecy? Consider, for example, eclipses.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/875/carl-sagan-160_belief_when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-a_25095.jpg)
