Religion and Scientific Method
I With the immense success of modem science it has generally become accepted that the only way to acquire knowledge is by the use of the method uniformly practiced by working scientists. Consequently, the credibility of the claims of religion, which seem
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PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES SERIES IN PHILOSOPHY Editors: WILFRID SELLARS, KEITH LEHRER,
University ofPittsburgh University of Arizona
Board of Consulting Editors:
J ONA THAN
BENNETT,
ALAN GIBBARD,
University of British Columbia University of Pittsburgh
ROBERT ST ALNAKER, ROBERT G. TURNBULL,
Cornell University
Ohio State University
VOLUME 10
GEORGE SCHLESINGER
The University 0/ North Carolina at Chapel Hill
RELIGION AND SCIENTIFIC METHOD
D. REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY DORDRECHT-HOLLAND I BOSTON-U.S.A.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Schlesinger, G Religion and scientific method. (philosophical studies series in philosophy; v. 10) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Theism. 2. Good and evil. 3. Free will and determinism. 4. Religion and science1946I. Title. 77-24266 BL200.S345 210 ISBN- 13: 978-90-277-0816-8 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-010-1235-5 DOl: 10.1007/978-94-010-1235-5
Published by D. Reidel Publishing Company, P.O. Box 17, Dordrecht, Holland Sold and distributed in the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Inc. Lincoln Building, 160 Old Derby Street, Hingham, Mass. 02043, U.S.A.
All Rights Reserved Copyright © 1977 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1977 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informational storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner
T ABLE OF CONT ENTS
VII
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION
PART I THE PROBLEM OF EVIL Chapter 1: Stating the Problem of Evil Chapter 2: The Irrelevance of the Amount of Evil Chapter 3: The Standard by which Divine Acts are Appraised Chapter 4: Suffering as Punishment Chapter 5: The Question of an Afterlife Chapter 6: The 'Soul Making' Theodicy Chapter 7: The Question of Moral Evil Chapter 8: The Justification for Creating Opportunities for Virtuous Response Chapter 9: A New Solution Chapter 10: The Removal of Objections to the Last Solution
9 14
18 22
27 42
47 52 59 64
PART II FREE WILL, MEN AND MACHINES Chapter 11: A Conflict Between Religion and Science Chapter 12: Newcomb's Problem of Choice Chapter 13: The Unpredictability of Some Human Choices
83 85 91
VI
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 14: Some Queries Concerning the Absolute Incompetence of Predictors Chapter 15: The Predictor as a Diagnostician Chapter 16: a-Machines and J3-Machines Chapter 17: 'Y-Machines and c5-Machines
99 104 119 125
PART III THE CONFIRMATION OF THEISM Chapter 18: Chapter 19: Chapter 20: Chapter 21: Chapter 22: Chapter 23: Chapter 24: INDEX
Pascal's Wager Theism and the Verification Principle The Vindication of the Verification Principle The Principles Underlying Scientific Method Miracles The Evidence for Theism Theism and Scientific Method
135 141 149 157 173 182 193 202
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to the various Editors who permitted me to advance in their journals pr
