Reason in the Balance: The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law, and Education.(Brief Article)

By Phillip E. Johnson. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1995. 245 pp. $19.95.

Although the majority of Americans hold the theistic belief that there is a Supreme Being who created and sustains the universe, members of the intellectual elite of our nation predominantly hold the naturalistic view that the physical universe is all there is. With a clear and accessible style, Phillip E. Johnson argues that "scientific naturalism and liberal rationalism" is now the regnant world picture in science, law, and education. He offers insightful critiques of this position based on his own position which he labels "theistic realism."

Johnson analyzes the effects of naturalism in our schools and colleges, finding that it preempts teaching any favored conception of the good life, debunks traditional moral values, subtly undermines parental authority, and invalidates the serious consideration of religious claims in the name of a false neutrality.

In politics and law, the naturalistic worldview replaces the traditional foundation of the constitution, which was a conception of natural law operating in an inherently moral universe, with a conception of "rights" and "interests." This subtle shift removes any higher moral standard by which to judge humanly-produced laws.

Likewise, the arena of scientific inquiry is strongly dominated by the naturalistic view of reality, which provides a backdrop for developing and testing explanatory theories. Analyzing the proposals of Stephen Hawking and other notable scientific minds, Johnson shows how naturalistic precommitments influence the search for a grand, comprehensive vision of all reality. For example, speaking from the platform of theoretical ...