My views on Scientific Anti-Realism

A Facebook friend of mine asked me some questions. Below are his questions and my response.

Hello [Annoyed Pinoy]! I read this from you and found it very interesting:

"...really is best for Christians to hold to some form of scientific anti-realism (e.g. Clarkian operationalism, or some other scientific anti-realism that's compatible with Christianity)."

What do you mean by Clarkian operationalism? From my understanding, they reject that science is a source of knowledge. Is this what Clarkian operationalism entails or would it be another aspect to Clarkian philosophy of science? Also, how far do we take scientific anti-realism?

My response:

As you know, I have great respect for Steve Hays' apologetics. In his blogger profile he wrote, "...I’m an Augustinian exemplarist. I’m a Cartesian dualist. I’m an alethic realist, but scientific antirealist...." Steve isn't a Clarkian. He is a presupper more along the lines of Van Til, but he might not call himself a Van Tillian. Even though I think for a while he was a teaching assistant for John Frame (one of Van Til's protégés). I too am a presupper, but don't mind calling myself a Van Tillian because I *mostly* agree with him (with minor disagreements). When I call myself a scientific anti-realist, I'm not using the term exactly as it's normally used. Simply, I use it to affirm what I believe about science which is similar (not exactly) to what Clarkians generally believe. Namely, that what the world calls "science" cannot tell us (either in principle and/or in actuality) what reality is really like. Including and especially physical reality. See Gordon H. Clark's brilliant book The Philosophy of Science and Belief in God which devastatingly demolishes all scientific pretensions to knowledge. The word "science" of course has been used for centuries to refer to all types of "knowedge", generally speaking. Though, nowadays it mostly refers to the physical and natural sciences. I suspect different Clarkians have different specific views regarding science. See for example the works of Vincent Cheung regarding the limits of science and induction. He's a modified Clarkian. As You know, I have disagreements with Cheung too (cf. Aquascum's dismantling of Cheung's apologetic).

Clarkians are Opperationalists (which I think is a version of Instrumentalism). Namely, that science tells us useful things about the physical world. But it does not give us true knowledge about the physical world (and obviously also nothing about non-natural and/or spiritual worlds/realms). Clarkians believe science can only tells us how to better operate in the world to get things accomplished and improve our lives. That makes sense since Clarkians are empirical skeptics. I'm not an empirical skeptic.

I think science *might* be able to tell us some univocally true things about the physical world (I doubt it), but it CANNOT DEFINITELY do so. As a Van Tillian, I think general revelation (and therefore also science) tells us analogically true things about the physical world, but not necessarily univocal truths as God knows them. This is especially true if there's some truth to the growing Quantum Idealism movement (of which there are Christian versions, or what I'll call CQI). I'm very open to CQI, though I'm not dogmatic on its truth. CQI argues that physical realism is false and that divine idealism is true. That the physical world we experience is a simulation "in" God's mind (similar to Bishop George Berkeley's idealism). There are variations of CQI. See my collected links to videos on QI by Johanan Raatz and by whoever it is who creates the videos on Inspiring Philosophy's youtube channel here:
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/09/scientific-evidence-against-materialism.html

Yesterday [9/2/2017], Dr. Bruce Gordon was the guest lecturer at Jonathan McLatchie's Apologetics Academy webinar and he spoke on "On the Tension Between Quantum Physics and Physicalism". To my surprise and delight, he argued for his own version of CQI. He says he has some differences with Raatz, but seemed to say that they were in much agreement too. The video of the lecture should be uploaded to YouTube in a few days at their channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKJ_EeoOeUtCyRT4g8OUlkQ/videos

When it is uploaded I'll link to it HERE (along with the video).

I said that it would be beneficial if Christians were to hold to some form of scientific anti-realism for 3 reasons.

1. Because a truly rational (and possibly also a truly scientific) approach demands that science cannot tell us definitely truth things about the physical world or any other part of reality(ies). This is demonstrable via Clarkian apologetics and suggested by modern science itself. Including the recent discoveries in quantum physics.

2. Since science cannot tell us anything univocally true about the physical world, no scientific evidence or argument could possibly disprove Christianity.

3. Since science cannot disprove Christianity, the approach of scientific anti-realism by Christians would forever protect believers' faith from ever being damaged by the external evidence of science. The only possible way to undermine or attack Christianity now would be to show internal and/or logical contradictions WITHIN the Christian worldview. Something both doubting Christians and non-Christians (including atheists & anti-theists) can attempt to come up with.

Karl Popper, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of science of the 20th century wrote:

First, although in science we do our best to find the truth, we are conscious of the fact that we can never be sure whether we have got it.... [W]e know that our scientific theories always remain hypotheses.... [I]n science there is no "knowledge" in the sense in which Plato and Aristotle understood the word, in the sense which implies finality; in science, we never have sufficient reason for the belief that we have attained the truth.... Einstein declared that his theory was false: he said that it would be a better approximation to the truth than Newton's, but he gave reasons why he would not, even if all predictions came out right, regard it as a true theory.... Our attempts to see and to find the truth are not final, but open to improvement;... our knowledge, our doctrine is conjectural;... it consist of guesses, of hypotheses, rather than of final and certain truths.- Karl Popper

"It can even be shown that all [scientific] theories, including the best, have the same probability, namely zero."- Karl Popper

"The game of science is, in principle, without end. He who decides one day that scientific statements do not call for any further test, and that they can be regarded as finally verified, retires from the game."- Karl Popper

Critiques of Clarkianism and Scripturalism

The following are links to critiques of Clarkianism and Scripturalism (the unique theology, philosophy, and apologetical approach of Gordon H. Clark). Some of the better known Clarkians are John W. Robbins, W. Gary Crampton and Sean Gerety. Vincent Cheung is a Modified Clarkian and Scripturalist.

In the blogs of Triablogue, sometimes the blog is dedicated to addressing Clarkianism and/or Scripturalism, and other times only in a secondary way. Sometimes the relevant Clarkian/Scripturalist discussion is in the comments section of the blog. Also, because of the Van Til/Clark Controversy some blogs are really about Van Til's theology/apologetics but mention Clark in a secondary sense. However, I want to make it clear that there are many blogs at Triablogue that are devoted to Van Til's theology/apologetics which are very interesting but aren't included in the following list of links because they don't significantly interact with Clarkianism/Scripturalism. Remember also that Scripturalists sometimes disagree on specifics. For example, Vincent Cheung could be considered a "Modified Clarkian Scripturalist". Also, unlike most Clarkians who are cessationists, Cheung is a continuationist with regard to the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. Finally, realize that some blogs are for the purpose of humor and are to be taken tongue-in-cheek rather than taken seriously.

I created this blog for two reasons:

1. To highlight the problems with Clarkianism and Scripturalism so that Christians won't continue making the mistakes that Clarkian Scripturalists are making, and

2. So that Christians can better separate the good from the bad in Clarkian apologetics. There is much good in Clarkian and modified-Clarkian apologetics. The problem is that the good is mixed in with the bad. This blog is meant to help sift the wheat from the chaff so that Christians can more effectively defend the Christian faith in a way that doesn't ultimately undermine it.


Papers by Aquascum On Scripturalism
http://www.proginosko.com/aquascum/

        see especially: Aquascum's  "A Response to Vincent Cheung "          

Triablogue blog posts:

Gordon Clark-1 Saturday, June 18, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/06/gordon-clark-1.html

Gordon Clark-2 Saturday, June 18, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/06/gordon-clark-2.html

Extra-scriptural scripturalism Wednesday, June 22, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/06/extra-scriptural-scripturalism.html

Solitaire Wednesday, June 22, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/06/solitaire.html

Sense & nonsense Saturday, June 25, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/06/sense-nonsense.html

Refuting the Irrefutable Monday, June 27, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/06/refuting-irrefutable.html

Continuing Comments on Cheung Friday, July 01, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/07/continuing-comments-on-cheung.html

Scripturalism as Neo-Deism Sunday, July 03, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/07/scripturalism-as-neo-deism.html

"Biblical" rationalism is incoherent Thursday, July 07, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/07/biblical-rationalism-is-incoherent.html

Preservation & providence Sunday, July 10, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/07/preservation-providence.html

Can Cheung change a flat tire? Tuesday, July 12, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/07/can-cheung-change-flat-tire.html

Why I'm not a Cramptonian Thursday, July 14, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/07/why-im-not-cramptonian.html

John Robbins: man or myth? Sunday, July 17, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/07/john-robbins-man-or-myth.html

Crampton cramps Wednesday, July 20, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/07/crampton-cramps.html

Outing the incognita Sunday, August 21, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/08/outing-incognita.html

Van Til's Serious Trinitarian Theology Wednesday, August 24, 2005
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2005/08/van-tils-serious-trinitarian-theology.html

Maneuvering Around fatal Maneuvers Saturday, March 04, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/maneuvering-around-fatal-maneuvers.html

Dracula rises from the grave Sunday, March 05, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/dracula-rises-from-grave.html

Inductive logic Monday, March 06, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/inductive-logic.html

The Creature From The Black Lagoon Monday, March 06, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/creature-from-black-lagoon.html

Intramural debate Tuesday, March 07, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/intramural-debate.html

Intramural Debate (Part II) Tuesday, March 07, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/intramural-debate-part-ii.html

On Cheungian Occasionalism Wednesday, March 08, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/on-cheungian-occasionalism.html

Sudduth on scripturalism Thursday, March 09, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/sudduth-on-scripturalism.html

More on Cheung Friday, March 17, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/more-on-cheung.html

More Scripturalist Mumbo Jumbo Saturday, March 18, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/03/more-scripturalist-mumbo-jumbo.html

Scripturalism and 2 Peter 1:19 Sunday, September 10, 2006
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/09/scripturalism-and-2-peter-119.html

"It can be lonely up here looking down at the rest of you poor pions from the top of the world!" :-( Saturday, January 27, 2007
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2007/01/it-can-be-lonely-up-here-looking-down.html

I'm The Best Around, Nothing's Ever Gonna Bring Me Down Sunday, January 28, 2007
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2007/01/im-best-around-nothings-ever-gonna.html

Paradox in Christian Theology Monday, March 26, 2007
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2007/03/paradox-in-christian-theology.html

Scripturalist Were Offended By This Post, So I Removed Offensive Content Thursday, May 03, 2007
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2007/05/just-say-no-to-scripturalism.html

Clarkoholics Thursday, May 03, 2007
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2007/05/clarkoholics.html

What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You Friday, May 04, 2007
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2007/05/what-you-dont-know-can-hurt-you.html

Tinkerbell Exists! Sunday, September 30, 2007
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2007/09/tinkerbell-exists.html

Ron D. Meets That Triabloguer  Saturday, December 9, 2007
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2007/12/ron-d-meets-triabloguer.html

I Was Wrong, nihil ad rem Wednesday, January 02, 2008
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-was-wrong-nihil-ad-rem.html

Cornelius Van Til: Reformed Apologist and Churchman (American Reformed Biographies) Tuesday, April 01, 2008
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2008/03/cornelius-van-til-reformed-apologist.html

You're Irrational! Wednesday, April 16, 2008
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2008/04/youre-irrational.html

Recovering The Reformed Confession: Reviewed Monday, December 01, 2008
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2008/12/recovering-reformed-confessions.html

Showing Gerety The Door Tuesday, April 21, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/showing-gerety-door.html

Skepticism, Infallibilism, and Knowledge Thursday, April 23, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/skepticism-infallibilism-and-knowledge.html

A Green Stye Saturday, April 25, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/green-stye.html

Sean of the Dead Monday, April 27, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/sean-of-dead.html

Jiffy Jeff's Gym Wednesday, April 29, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/jiffy-jeffs-gym.html

You're dethpicable! Wednesday, April 29, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/youre-dethpicable.html

Is Scripturalism Scriptural? Thursday, April 30, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/is-scripturalism-scriptural.html

Bivalence & paradox Thursday, April 30, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/bivalence-paradox.html

Did John Robbins know anything? Saturday, May 02, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/did-john-robbins-know-anything.html

Scripturalism's Three-card Monte Tuesday, May 05, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/scripturalisms-three-card-monte.html

So who's afraid of da big bad wolf? Wednesday, May 06, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/so-whos-afraid-of-da-big-bad-wolf.html

Hearing a broken record Wednesday, May 06, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/hearing-broken-record.html

The problem of induction Thursday, May 07, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/problem-of-induction.html

Logicality & paradoxicality Friday, May 08, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/logicality-paradoxicality.html

Scripturalist Metaphysics of Personhood Wednesday, May 13, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/scripturalist-metaphysics-of-personhood.html

Shadowboxing with a lepresean Thursday, May 14, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/shadowboxing-with-lepresean.html

Everything you perceive is unreliable Friday, May 15, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/everything-you-perceive-is-unreliable.html

Sensation and revelation Friday, May 15, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/sensation-and-revelation.html

On Scripturalism and (some of) its Epistemological Shortcomings Monday, May 18, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/on-scripturalism-and-some-of-its.html

John Robbins, Empiricist! Monday, May 18, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/john-robbins-empiricist.html

Gerety to Sudduth via Robbins via the Ouija Board Tuesday, May 19, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/gerety-to-sudduth-via-robbins-via-ouija.html

A quick note on a quick note Tuesday, May 19, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/quick-note-on-quick-note.html

Ink marks on a page Tuesday, May 19, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/ink-marks-on-page.html

Empiricism Wednesday, May 20, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/empiricism.html

Clarkian monophysitism Thursday, May 21, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/clarkian-monophysitism.html

On the Propriety of Asking Scripturalists Whether They Know X, Y, or Z Thursday, May 21, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/on-propriety-of-asking-scripturalists.html

Hume in sheepskin Thursday, May 21, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/hume-in-sheepskin.html

A quick note on a quick note by TF Thursday, May 21, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/quick-note-on-quick-note-by-tf.html

A Quick Note on Scripturalist Context Thursday, May 21, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/quick-note-on-scripturalist-context.html

Correcting a Misquote of Calvin Friday, May 22, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/correcting-misquote-of-calvin.html

Skepticism about scepticism Friday, May 22, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/skepticism-about-scepticism.html

The Death of Christian Apologetics Thursday, May 28, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/death-of-christian-apologetics.html

The task of apologetics Friday, May 29, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/task-of-apologetics.html

Innate knowledge Friday, June 05, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/06/innate-knowledge.html

How do you know? Friday, June 05, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-do-you-know.html

The Empire Strikes Back Wednesday, July 08, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/07/empire-strikes-back.html

Gut-reactive theological method Sunday, October 18, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/10/gut-reactive-theological-method.html

Clarkian confusions Thursday, October 22, 2009
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/10/clarkian-confusions.html

Response to Crampton Tuesday, March 09, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/response-to-crampton.html

Rejoinder to Crampton Tuesday, March 09, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/rejoinder-to-crampton.html

Crampton on perspicuity Wednesday, March 10, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/crampton-on-perspicuity.html

Apparent or actual contradictions? Wednesday, March 10, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/apparent-or-actual-contradictions.html

Hello Friday, March 12, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/hello.html

Science and Health with Key to the Scripturalists Saturday, March 13, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/science-and-health-with-key-to.html

Why Anderson is not a Densonian Saturday, March 13, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-anderson-is-not-densonian.html

Christian Science redivivus Sunday, March 14, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/christian-science-redivivus.html

Aborting propositions Sunday, March 14, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/aborting-propositions.html

Gordon Clark's Paradoxical View of the Trinity Monday, March 15, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/gordon-clarks-paradoxical-view-of.html

Taxonomy According to Gordon Clark Tuesday, March 16, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/03/taxonomy-according-to-gordon-clark.html

James Anderson on Sola Scriptura Tuesday, May 18, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/05/james-anderson-on-sola-scriptura.html

Van Til's Trinitarian formulation Tuesday, November 23, 2010
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/11/van-tils-trinitarian-formulation.html

How Universalism Gets Everyone Out of Hell . . . And Heaven Tuesday, May 17, 2011
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-universalism-gets-everyone-out-of.html

Sense & sensibility Wednesday, June 08, 2011
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2011/06/sense-sensibility.html

Overly Dependent On TAG Thursday, July 07, 2011
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2011/07/overly-dependent-on-tag.html

The virtual world of Scripturalism Tuesday, June 05, 2012
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2012/06/virtual-world-of-scripturalism.html

God loves a hilarious giver  Tuesday, March 04, 2014
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2014/03/god-loves-hilarious-giver.html

Doubting Thomist
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2014/04/doubting-thomist.html

Thor's hammer
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2014/09/thors-hammer.html

What lies behind the fence?
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/06/what-lies-behind-fence.html

Is Scripturalism unscriptural?
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/07/is-scripturalism-unscriptural.html

Scripturalism and knowledge
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/07/scripturalism-and-knowledge.html

Signs and seasons
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/07/signs-and-seasons.html

A dilemma for Scripturalism
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-dilemma-for-scripturalism_1.html

Clark on 1 John
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/clark-on-1-john.html

One great blooming, buzzing confusion
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/one-great-blooming-buzzing-confusion.html

Scripturalism's Cartesian deceiver
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/scripturalisms-cartesian-deceiver.html

How the Cartesian demon bedevils Scripturalism
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/how-cartesian-demon-bedevils.html

Scripturalism and foundationalism
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/scripturalism-and-foundationalism.html

Clark and Gödel
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/clark-and-godel.html

Frame's presuppositionalism
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/frames-presuppositionalism.html

Clark's hammer
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/clarks-hammer.html

Crosslinguistic influence
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/crosslinguistic-influence.html

Proving first principles
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/proving-first-principles.html

The light of nature
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-light-of-nature.html

Navajo witchcraft
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/12/navajo-witchcraft.html

Finding the Bible
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/12/finding-bible.html

Seneca guns
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/12/seneca-guns.html

Axiomatic opinions
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/01/axiomatic-opinions.html

Inerrancy and Scripturalism
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/06/inerrancy-and-scripturalism.html

Bacardi rum
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/08/bacardi-rum.html

Absolute personality
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/08/absolute-personality.html

The Word of Life
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-word-of-life.html

Scripturalists in the Matrix
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/08/scripturalists-in-matrix.html

Parenting tips for Scripturalists
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/08/parenting-tips-for-scripturalists.html

Look ma, no hands!
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/08/look-ma-no-hands.html

Breaking into the circle
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/08/breaking-into-circle.html

Criticisms by fellow Scripturalists

God, the Author of Sin and Metaphysical Distanciation:A Brief Rebuttal of Vincent's Cheung Theodicy
http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/ddd_chc82/theology/CheungAuthorSin.html
(This critique seems to be written by Daniel H. Chew who is himself a Scripturalist. He uses the middle initial "H" at the website homepage HERE. This might be the same Daniel Chew mentioned by Steve Hays at Triablogue.blogspot.com and by Drake Shelton.)

More critiques of Vincent Cheung by Daniel Chew at his blog. These are blogposts with the label "Vincent Cheung":  http://puritanreformed.blogspot.com/search/label/Vincent%20Cheung