Definition
Methodological Naturalism is the foundational principle of science that restricts scientific inquiry to natural explanations for all observable phenomena. It is not a metaphysical claim that “only nature exists” (philosophical naturalism), but a procedural requirement that science must proceed as if nature is all there is, because non-natural causes are by definition untestable and non-falsifiable.
Why It Matters
Ignoring methodological naturalism allows untestable, supernatural explanations to halt scientific progress. When ‘miracles’ are accepted as causes, the incentive to find repeatable, natural mechanisms vanishes, leading to stagnant knowledge and the erosion of the boundary between science and dogma.
Core Concepts
- Agnosticism toward the Supernatural: Science does not deny the existence of the supernatural; it simply recognizes that such claims are outside its domain. A “miracle” cannot be constrained by natural laws and therefore cannot be the subject of a scientific hypothesis.
- Testability Criterion: Explanation must be inferred from confirmable data that can be substantiated by others. Attributing an effect to a supernatural force is a “science stopper” because it removes the incentive to keep searching for natural mechanisms.
- Kitzmiller v. Dover Case: A seminal legal case in 2005 where a federal court ruled that Intelligent Design (ID) is not science because it relies on supernatural causation and thus violates methodological naturalism.
- Rules of the Game: Methodological naturalism represents the “ground rules” that distinguish science from other ways of knowing (religion, art, personal intuition).