Science & Its Limits: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective

by Del Ratzsch

Science, especially naturalistic science, has come under fire of late. No longer does it command the near universal respect it once held. From the right has come a fresh attack on Darwinism and arguments for intelligent design. From the left postmodern theorists have attacked the very notion of objective truth claims, scientific or otherwise. Into the fray Del Ratzsch breathes a breath of calm. He asks, What is science? What can it tell us? What can't it tell us? What challenges does it offer to Christian faith? How should a Christian respond? Originally published under the title Philosophy of Science, this revised volume surveys how views of science have developed and changed over time, especially since the Kuhnian revolution of the 1960s. Now updated to reflect current discussions of intelligent design and postmodern views of science, Science and Its Limits offers readers a thoughtful perspective on contemporary trends and useful advice on how to approach faith and science issues.

Genres: Science, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Christian

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 2000

Reviews

[Kate M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very philosophical and dense book, but with a lot of gems

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about the way science takes certain things for granted by assuming that God cannot possibly exist. I do wish that the author had spent more time on definitive arguments against said scientists versus merely stating that they exist.

[Lee Irons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was originally titled "Philosophy of Science" when it was first published in 1986. In the Preface, the author (Del Ratzsch, professor in the philosophy department at Calvin College) states that "The purpose of this volume ... is to give Christians an initial understanding of what natural science is, what it can do, how and why it works, and what it cannot do" (pp. 8-9).

The first half of the book reads like a textbook on the philosophy of science, making the original 1986 title perfectly appropriate. The author traces the historical development of this subfield of philosophy--the philosohy of science--beginning with the traditional Baconian view of science, moving to logical positivism and Popper's falsification theory, then on to Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" (1962) and the subsequent shift toward understanding science as a social enterprise carried on within communities of scientists, followed by more radical postmodern views (chs. 2-3). Ratzsch's lengthy discussion of postmodern views of science (pp. 51-60) was unexpected but delightful and highly relevant today, e.g., the preposterous idea of "indigenous science" gaining a foothold in Canada. He then provides a discussion of where the field of the philosophy of science currently stands, e.g., the debate over realism vs. anti-realism, and the difficulties of confirmation theory (chs. 4-5). Chapter 5 on the competence of science is pretty amazing and shows that science can neither prove nor disprove its own theories, that it is not a purely empirical discipline, and that there is the huge problem of "bridge principles" (p. 76) connecting empirical data with theoretical ideas which are in principle non-empirical. This doesn't mean science is a purely subjective enterprise, but it does bring the absolute authority claims of science down a notch.

So far, as I said, the book reads like a textbook on the philosophy of science that could be taught in any philosophy department in a secular university. But now we come to the midpoint of the book where it changes and becomes more focused on a Christian audience. If you are a Christian wrestling with the challenge of science to faith, the second half will be a great help to you. Chapter 6 is about what science cannot tell us. It cannot provide the epistemic foundations for itself, it cannot tell us about the ultimate origins or purpose of the universe, and it has a tendency to extend itself beyond its competence resulting in various reductionisms. Chapter 7 is a response to scientific challenges to religious belief. A major addition in this 2000 edition is a new chapter on Intelligent Design (ch. 8), which Ratzsch is cautiously supportive of. Chapter 9 is an argument for why it is legitimate for a Christian to pursue a career as a scientist. Chapter 10 is an analysis of the various ways Christians can address areas where the Bible or Christian faith seems to run into conflict with science, providing a typology of the various ways Christians have navigated such disputes (e.g., the days of creation, evolution).

In sum, I like this book and think it is helpful. It is similar to J. P. Moreland's "Scientism and Secularism" (Crossway, 2018). Ratzsch adopts a more genteel manner, while Moreland is much more polemical and feisty (which I actually like). Ratzsch traces the history of the philosophy of science, whereas Moreland cuts out most of the history (e.g., making no mention of Thomas Kuhn, to my surprise). Ratzsch's writing is more accessible for the non-philosopher or the undergraduate student, while Moreland makes some technical philosophical arguments that most non-philosophers will struggle with. On the other hand, I do like Moreland's book a little better than Ratzsch's because of the way Moreland takes scientism and positivism head on. Also, Moreland has a good deal to say about the issue of consciousness and the philosophy of mind, all of which is absent from Ratzsch's book.

[Радостин Марчев · Rating 4 out of 5]

Като цяло много добра книга за философия на науката.
Макар да е писана на популярен език, който я започва трябва да има поне някаква представа по разглежданите въпроси - иначе бързо ще се изгуби в големия брой точно, но кратко описани идеи.

[Brian Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Del Ratzsch examines the philosophy of science and its relationship to Christianity. Judging by the way people talk about science, it seems that most would be surprised to learn there is such a thing as philosophy of science, and that philosophical matters influence science. For example, whatever definition of "science" one uses is determined not by science itself, but by philosophy.

Ratzsch traces the history of the philosophy of science before looking at issues such as intelligent design (it is science), various views of how Christianity relates to science, and other issues.

I would give this book 3.5 stars if I could. What is frustrating is that the theoretical issues are hardly expressed in concrete examples. The book could be written more clearly if Ratzsch illustrated concepts by actual examples of how philosophy affects science. Still, it is worth noting that science does have its limits, and it is certainly not the only way of knowing truth.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read any other book about the theories behind how science works, but I found this book to be even handed, even though it had an obviously Christian approach to science. It is telling that the first edition of this book was called simply, Philosophy of Science, because that is all this book is really about. The author never talks about limits of science in a constraining way, only in a natural way as the consequence of a particular ideology. This book was enlightening for me, because quite often religion and science are deemed incompatible, but that is only because usually there is a disjoint in their theories of science and how it works. It would help many people to read a book like this and see that science is not so clearly defined as we would like to think.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really outstanding, clearly written, down-to-earth book which ought to be required reading for high school and college science students. Goes through the changes in the philosophy which underlies the practice of science over the past half century, with focus on the impact of Thomas Kuhn and his successors. Demonstrates clearly what science is good at and what it is not good at. Provides a great corrective to the false pretensions of some proponents of "scientism" (i.e., the long-since discredited positivist belief that only that which can be empirically demonstrated is real and that the methods of science are the only legitimate method for the acquisition of truth). I heartily recommend it.

[Nathan Marone]

Ratzch's book is a pretty good primer on philosophy of science, paying particular attention to the work of Thomas Kuhn. The later sections are geared toward Christians who want to think about how to integrate a philosophy of science into their larger theological framework. The strength of Ratzch's book is that he lays out the pros and cons of each view (or sub view) that he covers, recognizing that each shift in philosophy of science can offer us new insights but also lead to new problems. The weakness, of course, is that it is only a primer, so there are a number of issues that deserve fuller treatment.

[Joshua Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very complete book in which the author lays out the basics of philosophy of science. A must read for anyone who is involved in any controversy in regards to science as it gives a clear sense of just what is definite and what is ambiguous. A couple of chapters can get a bit thick but it is worth the time for those not otherwise knowledgeable in the field.

[Jonathan]

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