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Spring 2008

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 23, Number 2

Categories: Spring 2008 | Philosophy

Economic Science and the Poverty of Naturalism: C. S. Lewis's "Argument from Reason"

David J. Theroux, The Independent Institute

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TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise23(2),2008,95-112EconomicScienceandthePovertyofNaturalism:C.S.Lewis's"ArgumentfromReason"DavidJ.TherouxTheIndependentInstituteAbstractManyofthesciences(includingeconomics)havebeendominatedbyanaturalistworldviewthatgenerallyassumesthattheuniverseandlifearepurposelessandthatmankindissimplyamorecomplex,materialversionofeverythingelseinthenaturalworld.TherenownedscholarandauthorC.S.Lewisoffersanimportantlinkwiththeworkofeconomistswhohaveseenscholars'embraceofpositivismandscientismascontrarytothedevelopmentofknowledgeregardinghumanaction.Inexaminingnaturalism,Lewisshowsthatmaterial"facts"alonecannotprovideanyconclusionswithoutsomeindependentbasistoevaluatesuchdata.HeclaimsthattheanalysisofanyworldrequirestheexistenceofscientistswhoseviewsarenotmechanicallydeterminedbytheworldtheyareexaminingInsodoing,Lewisclearlyunderstandsthatreason,freewill,andindividualchoicearenotillusions;theyareintrinsicandobjectivetruths—nonnegotiablepresuppositions—uponwhichhumaninquiryandeconomicsciencerest.Suchunderstandingnecessitatesatheisticdualismofbothamaterialandimmaterial,naturalandsupernatural,physicalandmetaphysicalreality.I.IntroductionFormanyyears,thenaturalandsocialsciences(includingeconomics)havebeendominatedbythenaturalistworldviewthattheuniverseandlifearepurposelessandthathumankindissimplyamorecomplexversionofeverythingelseinthematerialworld.Inotherwords,anindividualhumanisnomoreandnolessthanasystemOfmolecularprocessesdeterminedbyphysicallaws.Inthissystem,allhumanendeavorsandideasaretheproductofamechanistic,causalprocessofphysicalevents.Althoughprobablybestknownforhisfiction,OxbridgeUniversityscholarC.S.Lewisalsoexaminesthenaturalistworldviewandmakesthecasethatmaterial"facts"alonecannotprovideany95

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Metadata [hide]

Title	Economic Science and the Poverty of Naturalism: C. S. Lewis's "Argument from Reason"
Authors/Creators:	David J. Theroux, The Independent Institute
Year:	2008
Volume:	23
Number:	2
Pages:	95 - 112
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Naturalism, Reason, Economic science, Positivism, Scientism

Citation:
Theroux, David J. / 2008. "Economic Science and the Poverty of Naturalism: C. S. Lewis's "Argument from Reason"." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 23(2): 95-112.