The Territories of Human Reason: Science and Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities (Ian Ramsey Centre Studies in Science and Religion)

"Our understanding of human rationality has changed significantly since the beginning of the century, with growing emphasis being placed on multiple rationalities, each adapted to the specific tasks of communities of practice. We may think of the world as an ontological unity-but we use a plurality of methods to investigate and represent this world. This development has called into question both the appeal to a universal rationality, characteristic of the Enlightenment, and also the simple 'modern-postmodern' binary. The Territories of Human Reason is the first major study to explore the emergence of multiple situated rationalities. It focuses on the relation of the natural sciences and Christian theology, but its approach can easily be extended to other disciplines. It provides a robust intellectual framework for discussion of transdisciplinarity, which has become a major theme in many parts of the academic world. Alister E. McGrath offers a major reappraisal of what it means to be 'rational' which will have significant impact on older discussions of this theme. He sets out to explore the consequences of the seemingly inexorable move away from the notion of a single universal rationality towards a plurality of cultural and domain-specific methodologies and rationalities. What does this mean for the natural sciences? For the philosophy of science? For Christian theology? And for the interdisciplinary field of science and religion? How can a single individual hold together scientific and religious ideas, when these arise from quite different rational approaches? This groundbreaking volume sets out to engage these questions and will provoke intense discussion and debate."-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 The Territories of Human Reason: Science and Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Introduction: Science and Theology in an Age of ‘Multiple Situated Rationalities’ 12 MAPPING THE TERRITORIES OF HUMAN REASON 14 MAPPING THE TERRITORIES OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION 17 THE AIM OF THIS BOOK 24 I: Exploring the Notion of Rationality 28 1: One Reason; Multiple Rationalities: The New Context of Discussion 30 SHIFTING NOTIONS OF RATIONALITY 32 RATIONALITY, EMBODIMENT, AND EMBEDDEDNESS 33 REFLECTIONS ON THE CULTURAL AND SOCIAL EMBEDDEDNESS OF RATIONALITY 38 THE EMBODIMENT OF RIGHT REASON: THE ‘WISE’ 43 CONCERNS ABOUT HUMAN RATIONALITY 46 ONE REASON; MULTIPLE RATIONALITIES 50 RATIONALITY, IDEOLOGY, AND POWER 57 2: Mapping Human Reason: Rationalities across Disciplinary Boundaries 61 ON THE CORRELATION OF RATIONALITIES 64 SCIENTISM: THE NATURAL SCIENCES AS THE ULTIMATE RATIONAL AUTHORITY 67 MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES ON A COMPLEX REALITY 70 SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY: DISTINCT PERSPECTIVES ON REALITY 74 SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY: DISTINCT LEVELS OF REALITY 76 3: Social Aspects of Rationality: Tradition and Epistemic Communities 86 COMMUNITIES AND THEIR EPISTEMIC SYSTEMS 87 RATIONALITY, COMMUNITY, AND TRADITION 91 RATIONALITY AND DOMINANT CULTURAL METANARRATIVES 95 SCIENCE AND RELIGION: REFLECTIONS ON THE COMMUNAL ASPECTS OF KNOWLEDGE 100 II: Rationality in Science and Theology: A Critical Engagement 104 4: Rational Virtues and the Problem of Theory Choice 106 WHAT IS A THEORY? 108 INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION 112 CORRESPONDENCE AND COHERENCE AS THEORETICAL VIRTUES 117 OBJECTIVITY 121 SIMPLICITY 124 ELEGANCE AND BEAUTY 128 A CAPACITY TO PREDICT 130 5: Rational Explanation in Science and Religion 135 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ‘EXPLAIN’? 136 CAUSALITY AS EXPLANATION 140 UNIFICATION AS EXPLANATION 143 TWO APPROACHES TO EXPLANATION: ONTIC AND EPISTEMIC 146 RELIGIOUS EXPLANATION: SOME GENERAL REFLECTIONS 148 RELIGIOUS EXPLANATION: ONTIC AND EPISTEMIC 151 THEOLOGY, ONTOLOGY, AND EXPLANATION 154 A CASE STUDY: AQUINAS’S ‘SECOND WAY’ 156 THE IMAGE OF GOD AND RELIGIOUS EXPLANATION 159 UNDERSTANDING AND EXPLAINING: A RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE 161 6: From Observation to Theory: Deduction, Induction, and Abduction 165 THE ENTANGLEMENT OF THEORY AND OBSERVATION 168 LOGICS OF DISCOVERY AND JUSTIFICATION 170 DEDUCTION IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES 175 DEDUCTION IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY 178 INDUCTION IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES 181 INDUCTION IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY 183 ABDUCTION IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES 186 ABDUCTION IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY 189 7: Complexity and Mystery: The Limits of Rationality in Science and Religion 193 MYSTERY AND IRRATIONALITY 193 MYSTERY IN SCIENCE 198 MYSTERY IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY 201 THE TRINITY AS MYSTERY 206 ON BEING RECEPTIVE TO MYSTERY 210 MYSTERY: AN INVITATION TO DEEPER REFLECTION 212 8: Rational Consilience: Some Closing Reflections on Science and Christian Theology 214 TOWARDS A ‘BIG PICTURE’: A METAPHYSICAL TURN 215 THE COLLIGATION OF INSIGHTS 221 A CASE STUDY IN COLLIGATION: SCIENCE AND SOCIALISM 223 A CASE STUDY IN COLLIGATION: SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY 229 RATIONALITY: A COHESIVE APPROACH 232 Bibliography 238 Index 294 Our Understanding Of Human Rationality Has Changed Significantly Since The Beginning Of The Century, With Growing Emphasis Being Placed On Multiple Rationalities, Each Adapted To The Specific Tasks Of Communities Of Practice. We May Think Of The World As An Ontological Unity-but We Use A Plurality Of Methods To Investigate And Represent This World. This Development Has Called Into Question Both The Appeal To A Universal Rationality, Characteristic Of The Enlightenment, And Also The Simple 'modern-postmodern' Binary. The Territories Of Human Reason Is The First Major Study To Explore The Emergence Of Multiple Situated Rationalities. It Focuses On The Relation Of The Natural Sciences And Christian Theology, But Its Approach Can Easily Be Extended To Other Disciplines. It Provides A Robust Intellectual Framework For Discussion Of Transdisciplinarity, Which Has Become A Major Theme In Many Parts Of The Academic World.0alister E. Mcgrath Offers A Major Reappraisal Of What It Means To Be 'rational' Which Will Have Significant Impact On Older Discussions Of This Theme. He Sets Out To Explore The Consequences Of The Seemingly Inexorable Move Away From The Notion Of A Single Universal Rationality Towards A Plurality Of Cultural And Domain-specific Methodologies And Rationalities. What Does This Mean For The Natural Sciences? For The Philosophy Of Science? For Christian Theology? And For The Interdisciplinary Field Of Science And Religion? How Can A Single Individual Hold Together Scientific And Religious Ideas, When These Arise From Quite Different Rational Approaches? This Groundbreaking Volume Sets Out To Engage These Questions And Will Provoke Intense Discussion And Debate.-- Alister E. Mcgrath. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [227]-281) And Index. "Our understanding of human rationality has changed significantly since the beginning of the century, with growing emphasis being placed on multiple rationalities, each adapted to the specific tasks of communities of practice. We may think of the world as an ontological unity-but we use a plurality of methods to investigate and represent this world. This development has called into question both the appeal to a universal rationality, characteristic of the Enlightenment, and also the simple 'modern-postmodern' binary. The Territories of Human Reason is the first major study to explore the emergence of multiple situated rationalities. It focuses on the relation of the natural sciences and Christian theology, but its approach can easily be extended to other disciplines. It provides a robust intellectual framework for discussion of transdisciplinarity, which has become a major theme in many parts of the academic world.0Alister E. McGrath offers a major reappraisal of what it means to be 'rational' which will have significant impact on older discussions of this theme. He sets out to explore the consequences of the seemingly inexorable move away from the notion of a single universal rationality towards a plurality of cultural and domain-specific methodologies and rationalities. What does this mean for the natural sciences? For the philosophy of science? For Christian theology? And for the interdisciplinary field of science and religion? How can a single individual hold together scientific and religious ideas, when these arise from quite different rational approaches? This groundbreaking volume sets out to engage these questions and will provoke intense discussion and debate" -- University Press Scholarship Online "Our understanding of human rationality has changed significantly since the beginning of the century, with growing emphasis being placed on multiple rationalities, each adapted to the specific tasks of communities of practice. We may think of the world as an ontological unity-but we use a plurality of methods to investigate and represent this world. This development has called into question both the appeal to a universal rationality, characteristic of the Enlightenment, and also the simple 'modern-postmodern' binary. The Territories of Human Reason is the first major study to explore the emergence of multiple situated rationalities. It focuses on the relation of the natural sciences and Christian theology, but its approach can easily be extended to other disciplines. It provides a robust intellectual framework for discussion of transdisciplinarity, which has become a major theme in many parts of the academic world.0Alister E. McGrath offers a major reappraisal of what it means to be 'rational' which will have significant impact on older discussions of this theme. He sets out to explore the consequences of the seemingly inexorable move away from the notion of a single universal rationality towards a plurality of cultural and domain-specific methodologies and rationalities. What does this mean for the natural sciences? For the philosophy of science? For Christian theology? And for the interdisciplinary field of science and religion? How can a single individual hold together scientific and religious ideas, when these arise from quite different rational approaches? This groundbreaking volume sets out to engage these questions and will provoke intense discussion and debate."--Provided by publisher Our understanding of human rationality has changed significantly since the year 2000, with growing emphasis placed on multiple rationalities, each adapted to the specific tasks of communities of practice. We may think of the world as an ontological unity—but we use a plurality of methods to investigate and represent this world. This development has called into question both the appeal to a universal rationality, characteristic of the Enlightenment, and also the simple ‘modern–postmodern’ binary. This work is the first major study to explore the emergence of multiple situated rationalities. It focusses on the relation of the natural sciences and Christian theology, but its approach can easily be extended to other disciplines. It provides a robust intellectual framework for discussion of transdisciplinarity, which has become a major theme in many parts of the academic world. The work offers a major reappraisal of what it means to be ‘rational’ which will have significant impact on older discussions of this theme. It explores the consequences of the seemingly inexorable move away from the notion of a single universal rationality towards a plurality of cultural and domain-specific methodologies and rationalities. What does this mean for the natural sciences? For the philosophy of science? For Christian theology? And for the exciting and important interdisciplinary field of science and religion? How can a single individual hold together scientific and religious ideas, when these arise from quite different rational approaches? This ground-breaking volume sets out to engage these questions. In doing so, it is certain to provoke intense discussion and debate. 'The Territories of Human Reason' explores the emergence of multiple situated rationalities. It focuses on the relation of the natural sciences and Christian theology, but its approach can easily be extended to other disciplines. It provides a robust intellectual framework for discussion of transdisciplinarity, which has become a major theme in many parts of the academic world. McGrath offers a major reappraisal of what it means to be 'rational' which will have significant impact on older discussions of this theme. He sets out to explore the consequences of the seemingly inexorable move away from the notion of a single universal rationality towards a plurality of cultural and domain-specific methodologies and rationalities. This groundbreaking volume will provoke intense discussion and debate