On the Moral Nature of the Universe: Theology, Cosmology, and Ethics

Front Cover
Fortress Press - Religion - 268 pages
What is the ethical import of contemporary scientific cosmology? How does our understanding of the universe relate to our most pressing social concerns? How do the disparate fields of theology, ethics, and the sciences relate to each other? Murphy and Ellis offer a coherent construction of these relations and show how a particular moral vision-a "kenotic" ethic-is supported "from below" by the social sciences and "from above" by theology. The theological import of contemporary cosmology, they argue, points ultimately to an ethic that centers on self-sacrifice and nonviolence. In ambition, rigor, and scale, in its search for an integrated and coherent worldview at a time of unprecedented complexity and uncertainty, readers will find this volume daring and important.
 

Selected pages

Contents

Aim and Scope 1 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 11 The Separation of Ethics from Science and Theology
xv
2 OUR PRESUPPOSITIONS
1
21 The Scientific Setting of the Problem
2
22 Our Philosophical Stance
3
23 Our Theological Position
5
31 Carl Hempel The HypotheticoDeductive Method
6
Scientific Research Programs
8
Intellectual Traditions
11
21 Its Paradoxical Nature
119
31 Law and Renunciation
120
32 Renunciation in the Economic Sphere
124
321 Organizations and Businesses
126
322 Government Role
129
33 Renunciation in the Political Sphere
130
332 Can Governments Practice Renunciation?
131
34 Nonviolence as Renunciation
133

4 OVERVIEW OF THE ARGUMENT
13
5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UNDERTAKING
16
The Hierarchy of the Sciences 1 INTRODUCTION THE INCOMPLETE HIERARCHY
17
11 Arthur Peacocke on the Hierarchy of the Sciences
18
21 Emergent Order
20
22 TopDown Causation
22
Digital Computers
23
25 The Physical Mediation of TopDown Effects
24
26 Living Beings as Hierarchical Systems
28
3 FREE WILL AND DETERMINISM
30
4 CONFIRMATION AND EXPLANATION IN HIERARCHICAL SYSTEMS
35
Cosmology 1 OUTLINE OF COSMOLOGY 11 The Physical Foundation A View of Nature
37
121 The Distribution of Matter around Us
43
122 A Theory of the Evolution of the Universe
44
123 Formation of Astronomical Structure
45
13 Speculations on the Origin of the Universe Itself
46
2 THE EXISTENCE OF LIFE
47
21 Origins of Life in the Universe
48
22 Anthropic Principles
49
221 The Weak Anthropic Principle
50
3 ULTIMATE CAUSATION
51
311 Pure Chance 312 High Probability
52
313 Necessity
53
314 Universality
54
315 Design
55
316 Multiple Causation
56
4 THE NEED FOR A LARGER VIEW
57
41 Limitations of Cosmology Based on Science
58
42 Cosmology and Theories of Ultimate Reality
60
Revision of the Hierarchy 1 THE BRANCHING HIERARCHY OF SCIENCES
62
21 The Analytic and Integrative Sciences
63
22 Historical and Geographical Sciences
64
23 Applied Science Technology
65
24 The Human Sciences
66
25 Sciences and Confirmation
67
3 PURE SCIENCE AND APPLIED SCIENCES
68
4 APPLIED SCIENCE AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
69
5 THE SCIENCES OF THE ARTIFICIAL
71
51 Goals and FeedbackControl Systems
72
52 Hierarchies of Goals
74
53 Goals and Values
75
6 THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
76
61 Pure and Applied Social Sciences
77
62 Hierarchizing the Social Sciences
78
71 Ethics and the Hierarchy of Goals
84
Ethics Theology and the Social Sciences 1 OVERVIEW OF THE ARGUMENT
86
2 SOCIAL SCIENCE AND THE NEED FOR ETHICS
87
211 Ethics in Economics
89
212 Ethics Sociology and Political Theory
94
213 Ethics and Law
96
22 Ethical Determinants of SocialScience Methods
98
3 THE NATURE OF ETHICS
101
31 The Science of Ethics
103
4 ETHICS AND THEOLOGY
105
41 The Metaphysical Basis of Ethics
106
5 THEOLOGY IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
108
51 John Milbank on SocialScientific Heresies
109
6 CONCLUSION
112
The Ethical Core 1 OVERVIEW
113
11 The Structure of Ethics
114
SELFRENUNCIATION
116
4 ETHICS AND EPISTEMOLOGY
137
5 CONCLUSION
138
Reconfiguration of Social Science in Light of Ethics 1 EMPIRICAL CONSEQUENCES OF A KENOTIC ETHIC
139
2 CONFIRMATION IN THE INTERPERSONAL SPHERE
141
3 CONFIRMATION IN THE LEGAL SPHERE
142
4 NONVIOLENCE AND SOCIAL SCIENCE
143
41 Competing SocioEthical Programs
144
42 The Issues at Stake
146
431 TopDown Causation
147
432 Levels of Persuasion and Coercion
149
433 Kenosis and Consent
154
434 The Thesis Proposed
157
44 The Effectiveness of Nonviolence
159
43 Confirmation of Specific Auxiliary Hypotheses
161
5 SOCIAL CHANGE
163
South Africa
164
52 Initiating and Sustaining Kenotic Action
168
THE PROGRAM AND OBJECTIONS
169
Ethics and Theories of God 1 THE NEED FOR A RELATED THEOLOGY
171
2 KENOTIC CONCEPTIONS OF GOD
172
511
174
31 The Hard Core
176
32 Relating the Core to Ethics
177
33 Methodological Auxiliary Hypotheses
179
35 Doctrinal Auxiliary Hypotheses
180
351 Christology and Trinity
181
352 Atonement Sin and Justification
182
Walter Wink on the Domination System
183
A Progressive Problemshift
185
355 Church World and Eschatology
188
356 Kenotic Response to God
192
36 Confirmation
194
37 Rebutting Counterevidence
196
4 THEOLOGY AND COSMOLOGY
199
Ethics Cosmology and Theories of God 1 OVERVIEW OF THE ARGUMENT
200
2 THEOLOGY AND COSMOLOGY
203
21 The Lawlike Character of the Universe
204
22 The Anthropic Universe and Free Will
205
3 COSMOLOGY AND THE KENOTIC UNIVERSE
206
31 The Provident Universe
207
32 The Hidden Nature of Ultimate Reality
208
4 ECHOES OF KENOSIS IN BIOLOGY
209
5 NONCOERCIVE DIVINE ACTION AND PHYSICAL REALITY
211
51 Divine Action at the Quantum Level
212
52 Quantum Indeterminacy and Revelation
213
6 CONSISTENCY WITH THE SCIENTIFIC PICTURE
216
7 THE NATURALSCIENTIFIC CONTEXT FOR MORALITY
217
Epistemological Evaluation 1 SCOPE OF THE EVALUATION
219
OVERVIEW OF THE DATA
221
PROGRESSIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
225
31 Naturalistic Competitors
229
32 Theistic Competitors
233
322 Philip Hefner
236
323 Arthur Peacocke
237
4 LARGESCALE EVALUATION
239
41 Theodicy
241
42 Epistemological Significance of Theodicy
247
5 CONCLUSION
248
I
251
Copyright

Other editions - View all

On the Moral Nature of the Universe: Theology, Cosmology, and Ethics
Nancey C. Murphy,George Francis Rayner Ellis,Plus Urphy
No preview available - 1996

Common terms and phrases

aims Alasdair MacIntyre Anabaptist Anthropic Principle applied sciences argue argument Arthur Peacocke auxiliary hypotheses behavior biological chap chapter character Christian church claim coercion complex concept confirmation context cosmology described determined divine action economic evaluation evil example existence explain fact fine-tuning follows George F. R. Ellis goals God's hierarchical structuring hierarchy higher levels human sciences hypothetico-deductive Ibid important Imre Lakatos involved issue Jesus John Howard Yoder John Milbank justice kenosis kenotic kenotic ethic Lakatos's lower-level means metaphysical modern moral Nancey Murphy natural sciences Niebuhr noncoercive nonviolence organization particular philosophy physical cosmology physical laws political position possible practice problem pure quantum quantum indeterminacy question reason relations religious renunciation research program role scientific sense social sciences society suffering theology tion top-down causation top-down effects tradition ultimate reality understanding University Press Vatican City Vatican Observatory violence Yoder

References to this book

About the author

George F. R. Ellis is Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Visiting Professor of Astronomy at the University of London, and President of the Royal Society of South Africa.

Bibliographic information

TitleOn the Moral Nature of the Universe: Theology, Cosmology, and Ethics
Volume 137 of ISSR library
Theology and the sciences
AuthorsNancey C. Murphy, George Francis Rayner Ellis
PublisherFortress Press
ISBN1451408420, 9781451408423
Length268 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Philosophy / History & Surveys / General
Religion / General
Religion / Theology
  
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