Is science the only way to know anything about anything?
Christian philosopher and author Peter S. Williams gave this lecture in October 2014 to Sheffield University's Christians in Science group. The talk lasts about 55 minutes and is followed by a 40 minute Q&A session.
Says Peter: "After illustrating the recent growth in the idea that science is the only way to know anything about anything – an idea promoted by the likes of Stephen Hawking and the new atheists – I show why this idea is wrong."
The lecture explores questions such as 'What is science?' and looks at the relationship between science, philosophy and arguments for God. The practice of science relies on philosophical disciplines (such as logic, ethics and the philosophy of science), while scientific observations and theories inevitably raises meta-physical (ie. beyond-physics) questions that have philosophical answers.
"I defend two philosophical arguments for God", says Peter. "They have premises which are supported by contemporary scientific discoveries: a causal argument from the finite past and a version of the fine tuning design argument."
The Q&A at the end of the lecture takes in questions such as "Who created God?", "If scientism is so obviously self-refuting, why do new atheists still hold it?" and "Isn't theism just a way of coping with uncertainty?"
Peter S. Williams is the author of several books, including:
A Faithful Guide to Philosophy
C.S. Lewis vs the New Atheists
For more of Peter's resources, visit his website PeterSWilliams.com.
© 2015 Peter S. Williams and the Christian Evidence Society
