ABSTRACT

By asking how well theological views of human nature stand up to the discoveries of modern science, Alan Olding re-opens the question of whether the "design" argument for the existence of God is fatally undermined. A distinctive feature of the work is its emphasis on the metaphysical implications of biology and how these at times conflict with other, more plausible metaphysical positions. Another is its close critical examination of the "design" argument and of the relation God has to the world he creates. "Modern Biology and Natural Theology" takes up issues currently of concern to many thinkers and will provide fascinating reading for anyone interested in philosophical problems, particularly the impact of Darwinism on natural theology.

part I|68 pages

Biology

chapter Chapter 1|22 pages

The decline of purposive explanations

chapter Chapter 2|22 pages

Biology and metaphysics

chapter Chapter 3|22 pages

The stuff we are made of

part II|46 pages

Problems

chapter Chapter 4|4 pages

Reductionism or Darwinism

chapter Chapter 5|19 pages

Biology and knowledge

chapter Chapter 6|21 pages

Consciousness and its objects

part III|50 pages

Natural theology

chapter Chapter 7|7 pages

Biology and cosmology

chapter Chapter 8|17 pages

From world to God

chapter Chapter 9|24 pages

And back again