Materialism is Dead. Now What?

This year, I've been boning up on the latest developments in the "Intelligent Design" controversy. I've been devouring Denyse O'Leary's 3 excellent blogs on the relationship between science and faith; I saw the movie Expelled (and trolled through the IMDB.com message boards to judge the debate between critics and fans); and last but least, I've been deconstructing some of the more basic objections to I.D. as a scientific theory.

So where do things stand in the spring of 2009?

Well, let me start here...I am more convinced than ever that I.D. is "right" and "materialism" is "wrong"...the case against "materialism" is overwhelming...

When it comes to physics...The idea that the universe was created "by chance" is virtually preposterous (hence, the new scientific fad of "multiverses," which - by definition - cannot be proved, disproved, or scientifically studied).

When it comes to biology...The tenets of neo-Darwinism are also in shambles.

I've broken down neo-Darwinism into four main ideas: (1) life can be produced "by chance" in a soup of chemicals, 2) life can come from non-living matter, 3) random genetic mutations and environmental pressures can explain the creation of new species, and 4) there is a logical evolutionary continuum (known as "common descent") between apes and humans.

Literally 150 years after Darwin published On the Origin of Species, there is still ZERO evidence for the first 3 tenets, and surprisingly little evidence for the final one. We should stop making excuses and admit that Darwinism isn't a science anymore; it's an ideology.

By contrast, I.D. is the only reasonable framework for understanding the complexity of the most "basic" units of life - the cell and DNA.

As for psychology..the scientific establishment doesn't have a "workable theory" for consciousness...there is a split between those who think the "mind is an illusion" and those who admit the "mind is real" but insist on keeping it packaged in the materialist paradigm...unfortunately, neither side is keeping up with the evidence...the newest evidence in "consciousness studies" is that 1) the mind is real, and 2) it's more powerful than the brain.

What's the proof? NDE's (Near-Death Experiences) are the most famous (and well-documented) source of proof; but other mental abilities - like remote viewing and precognition - show beyond any reasonable doubt that the mind is MORE than the brain.

To sum up..we've won.... On a purely intellectual level, materialism is dead...it's no longer conceivable for a layman (like myself) to objectively weigh the evidence and call materialism a viable philosophy..in fact, the sheer of volume of evidence against it is embarassing...it cannot inspire and it cannot convince...it's dead...the only remaining step is giving it a proper funeral.

So where do we go from here?

Well, we should NOT sit around and wait for the scientific establishment to shout, "Sorry, y'all. You were were right." If their mission was true science, they might feel obligated to issue an apology and call for a honest partnership; but since their actual mission is spreading an atheist ideology, we shouldn't hold our breath.

Instead, we need to influence the "commanding heights" of our culture (outside of science); and by that I mean: books, magazines, blogs, movies, churches, and even political groups. I am hopeful that my book, The Mustard Seed, may - on some small level - contribute to our movement. But everyone can play a role. By just speaking publicly - refusing to nod and smile when a co-worker or family member bashes religion - can have a positive impact by withering the self-confidence of the other side.

They have fear; we have facts. And if we show no fear, we will win.

But I'm starting to digress (as usual)...

As for me...while I'm going to continue to monitor the latest developments in physics and biology, I don't expect a lot of breakthroughs on those fronts...at this point, we've probably learned what we're going to learn...the battlelines in the debate have been drawn...it's like the Western Front of World War One...each team is just waiting for the other side to crack...until, of course, some third force breaks the logjam...hopefully, popular culture can be that force.

In any case, what interests me NOW is relating what we've learned from physics and biology to psychology. Psychology (specifically, "consciousness studies") is the main game in town. From a scientific perspective, I hope that I.D. leaders will direct more time and resources to this area of study. If we know God exists, and that he plays an active role in life's creation, then we should try to learn how He communicates with us on a mental level.

Heck, maybe He'll finally explain what He wants from us!

-Todd

**UPDATE, MAR. 25, 2009**

I just re-read this blog post, and I wish to clarify a few points.

First, I want to elaborate on my assertion that "materialism is dead." In retrospect, that sounds a little "triumphalist." What I mean is...materialism is intellectually and morally dying (and very close to death)...I'm sure we'll be hearing from the materialists for literally decades to come, but they are a spent force. The future belongs to a union between science and faith.


In making that bold prediction, I am inspired by the words of novelist Ayn Rand, who through her fiction and non-fiction works, spoke eloquently about the failures of "collectivism" (better known as "socialism"). In 1960, "collectivism" seemed like it was on the march; freedom and capitalism was on the retreat, But in a prescient speech that same year, Ms. Rand said the following...

"The intellectuals and the so-called idealists were determined to make socialism work...Well, ladies, and gentlemen, the socialists got their dream...They got it in the twentieth century...They got it in every possible form and variant, so that now there can be no mistake about its nature: Soviet Russia - Nazi Germany - Socialist England.

This was the collapse of a modern intellectuals' most cherished tradition. It was World War II that destroyed collectivism as a political ideal. Oh yes, people still mouth its slogans, by routine, by social conformity and by default - but it is not a moral crusade any longer. It is an ugly horrifying reality."

Rand's assertion that collectivism had already been destroyed in World War Two (!!) probably elicited a lot of scorn in her audience...but she was right...the Cold War just needed to play out...and in 1991, the collectivist empire died with a whimper.

I am wagering that a similar thing is happening with materialism...if Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, and Socialist England showed the moral and practical failures of collectivism (even if it took literally decades to unwind the damage), the newest discoveries in physics, biology, and psychology are thrusting nails into the coffin of materialism...hence, my assertion that materialism is on its death bed.

Ever since 1973 (when Brandon Carter discovered the "anthropic principle"), materialism has been gradually unraveling. Since then, all facets of science - after centuries of pouring acid on the idea of God's existence and man's special place in the universe - are moving BACK towards that original idea that yes, life is more than just a random firing of electrons and neurons. We DO matter.

One day in the future, people may look back at the 2005 debate over teaching I.D. in public schools, and view it as a cultural turning point. Even though the I.D. advocates lost that case (much like John Scopes in the "Monkey Trial"), they will turn courtroom defeat into cultural victory.

History has an odd habit of repeating itself. But never in the way you expect.

-Todd