Liberal Naturalism and the Scientific Image of the World (original) (raw)

The paper explores the challenges posed by scientific naturalism in accounting for human consciousness, meaning, and morality within the scientific worldview, known as the 'placement problem'. It argues that while these elements are indispensable to human experience, they cannot be fully explained or understood through the lens of scientific theories, as they are rooted in non-scientific rational intelligibility. This distinction emphasizes the limitations of scientific explanations in capturing the essence of human thought and behavior, and suggests that normative aspects of everyday life require a different approach than what is provided by traditional scientific disciplines.