project WORLDVIEW worldview theme playing card #5 description         copyright 2013               Home   

 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).