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 diamond WV Theme ...             #5A / 5B            ...individual <---> knowledge

SCIENTIFIC MATERIALISM / VITALISM

I believe that knowledge based on something other than observation and reason is invalid, and that it’s not necessary to postulate that the universe, its life / humans had a Creator. Their existence can be explained by forces acting on matter and random chance.  So the universe has no purpose or notion of good and evil, other than the meaning and value that we give it.  Life involves only physical and chemical processes, not some vital spirit. Some day scientists will create it in the lab.  (Note: Those embracing vitalism disagree. In China the life force is linked with Ch’i (Qi), in India with prana or kundalini. Most religions involve belief in spiritual beings: in living things with souls, disembodied spirits, ghosts, angels, that natural objects are conscious (animism), etc).

Related Words, Beliefs, Background -- 56 entries

More to Explore --Worldview Theme #5A: Scientific Materialism

Materialism     (from online encyclopedia)
Scientific Materialism (from online encyclopedia)
Origin of Life (from online encyclopedia)
Human Evolution (from online encyclopedia)
Atheism  (from online encyclopedia)
The Origins of Scientific Materialism (1940 article from the journal Theosophy)
The Blind Watchmaker (about this classic book by evolutionary biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins)
Blind Watchmaker Applet
The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins (book review of 2006 book) 
Faith, Reason, God, by Cornelia Dean, NY Times (reviews of books by scientists (some believers, some atheists))
Edge (online thought-provoking website exploring questions "at the edge of the world's knowledge")
From Complexity to Life: On the Emergence of Life and Meaning ed. Niels Henrik (review of this 2003 book)
Information Theory, Evolution, and the Origin of Life, by Hubert Yockey (preview of 2005 book at Google Books)
Why Evolution Works (and Creationism Fails), by Matt Young and Paul Strode (read excerpts of 2009 book  at Google Books)
National Center for Science Education (dedicated to defending the teaching of evolution in public schools)
Life on Earth: Instructions in Three Billion (tiny) Letters or Less (2006 UCTV program)
"New Glimpses of Life's Puzzling Origins" by Nicolas Wade (June 15, 2009 article in NY Times Science)
Darwin's Gift: to Science and Religion, by Francisco Ayala (2007 book w/  "rational, measured perspective")
NASA's Origins website (explores questions like "Where Did We Com From?, Are We Alone?")
DNA--The Double Helix (educational exploration from nobelprize.org)
Outer Space Nurseries, by Robert Cowan (Aug 2006 report that "chemistry that gave rise to life on Earth may have begun in space")
The Artificial Life Project (mission is "to promote and assist in the engineering of artificial life")
The International Society of Artificial Life (ISAL) (conferences and conference proceedings on this topic)
"Are Spiritual Encounters All in Your Head? by Barbara Hagerty (part of five part series on NPR, May 2009) 
"Scientist Creates Life--Almost," by Alice Park (article in Time February 4 2008)
BBC News Report on Craig Venter's Progress Toward Goal of Creating Life in the Lab (June 2007 story)
Scientism: Philosophy and the Infatuation With Science, by Tom Sorell (read portions of this at Google Books)
The Scientific and Medical Network: An International Interdisciplinary Forum for People Exploring Worldviews Beyond Materialism 
The Shamans of Scientism by Michael Shermer
"Does Science Make Belief in God Obsolete?" (from the John Templeton Foundation website)
International Society for Complexity, Information, and Design (rejects evolution, supports intelligent design) 
"Why Everyone Should Learn the Theory of Evolution" (from January 2009 Scientific American on Evolution)
Should Science Speak to Faith? (July 2007 Scientific American article provides two perspectives)
Worldwide Corruption of Scientific Materialism (Islamic perspective)
positive Atheism
Science, Religion, Politics, Law and Education (evolution and creationism by Tim Berra)
The Godless Fundamentalist, by Lakshmi Chaudhry (review of The Root of All Evil: Richard Dawkins' documentary) 
The Religion of the Blind Watchmaker (a critical look by Phillip Johnson)
The Unraveling of Scientific Materialism, by Phillip Johnson
Materialism and the Mind Body Problem, by David Rosenthal (read portions of this book at Google Books)
Life 2.0 by Lee Silver (a June 2007 article about rewriting life's genetic code from scratch)
Out of Body Experience Recreated (report on scientists' inducing OOBE using virtual reality goggles)
Anti-Scientism: Which Side Are You On? (May 2007 post by Robert McHenry with commentary by others)
Questioning the Scientific Worldview
Charles Tart article (has good discussion of  "Science and Scientism in the Modern World")
How Does Consciousness Happen? (October 2007 Scientific American article)
quotes about atheism

More to Explore --Worldview Theme #5B: Vitalism

Vitalism (from online encyclopedia)
Odic Force (from online encyclopedia)
Spirituality (from online encyclopedia)
The Vital Force: An Arcane Idea?, by C. Wansbrough
What Does It Mean to Be Alive?  (chapter one from book)
The Philosophy of Biology (from online encyclopedia -- why vitalism has been rejected by mainstream biologists) 
Nature / Animism (includes links)
A Wisdom Archive on Material Force (Eastern / New Age perspective)
What is Qi?  (or old spelling Ch'i; a vital life force, used in Chinese Medicine)
Wellness & Alternative Medicine (from online encyclopedia)
Romanticism, Vitalism, and the Life Sciences
Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith, by George Vaillant (more on this 2008 book)
Thinking With Your Soul, by Richard Wolman (about spiritual intelligence, preview this 2001 book at Google Books)
Healing Through Applying Universal Life Force Energy (Reiki), by David Herron
Vitalism / Reductionism Debate in the Life Sciences, and the concept of Emergence
"The Emerging New Worldview," by Paul Helfrich (paper re: conscious creation and "consciousness is cool")
Consciousness in the Cosmos (essays on the Stoa del Sol website by Beatrix Murrell)
"Information is the Difference Between Life and Matter," by Gert Korthof (explains ideas of Hubert Yockey)  
Do Miracles Happen Today? by James Arlandson (2007 article)
Is There a God? by Marilyn Adamson (presents six reasons to believe in God)
The Holy Spirit, by Michael Welker (1989 article by the editor of the 2004 book  The Work of the Spirit)
Angels (from the Catholic Encyclopedia)
Religion and Healing in America, ed. L. Barnes & S. Sered (read excerpts of this 2005 book at Google Books)
Therapeutic Touch -- History and Philosophy
Therapeutic Touch
United Communities of Spirit (a Global Interfaith Effort)
Life Force Centre for Natural Well Being (British organization established in 1990)
Spirituality and Health Magazine
GhostVillage.com ("the web's most paranormal destination")
Ghost Research Society (clearing house for reports of ghosts, hauntings, etc)
Neither Brain Nor Ghost by W. Teed Rockwell (review  by philosopher Liz Swan of this 2005 book)
Life, Vitalism, Misusing the Name of the Lord, etc. by Christopher Kelty (article and commentary)
What is Nutritional Medicine? by B. Armstrong (article links nutrition with vitalistic life force) 
Principles and the Practice of Homeopathy, by David Owen (comprehensive textbook)
Panentheism (from online encyclopedia) 
quotes related to spirituality 
 

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