Peirce: Underdetermination,Agnosticism, and Related Mistakes

There are two ways that we might respond to the underdetermination of theory by data. One response, which we can call the agnostic response, is to suspend judgment: “Where scientific standards cannot guide us, we should believe nothing”. Another response, which we can call the fideist response, is to believe whatever we would like to believe: “If science cannot speak to the question, then we may believe anything without science ever contradicting us”. C.S. Peirce recognized these options and suggested evading the dilemma. It is a Logical Maxim, he suggests, that there could be no genuine underdetermination. This is no longer a viable option in the wake of developments in modern physics, so we must face the dilemma head on. The agnostic and fideist responses to underdetermination represent fundamentally different epistemic viewpoints. Nevertheless, the choice between them is not an unresolvable struggle between incommensurable worldviews. There are legitimate considerations tugging in each direction. Given the balance of these considerations, there should be a modest presumption of agnosticism. This may conflict with Peirce's Logical Maxim, but it preserves all that we can preserve of the Peircean motivation.     

Christianity and Philosophy

Continental Philosophy Review -     

Christianity and Bakhtin

Book reviewed in this article:
Ruth Coates, Christianity in Bakhtin: God and the Exiled Author     

Christianity and Bakhtin

Book reviewed in this article: Ruth Coates, Christianity in Bakhtin: God and the Exiled Author     

Integrating Asian Christianity into History of Christianity Courses

This essay begins with diverse arguments for modifying history of Christianity courses to include the experiences of Asian Christianity. After discussing fundamental assumptions, several problems are articulated. The major portion of the essay describes three different strategies for integrating new materials into current curricular offerings. By conceptualizing the relationships between Asian Christianity and the history of Christianity in terms of (1) parallels, (2) supplements, and (3) challenges, material from theformer can be more readily incorporated into the teaching of the latter. Such strategies can be utilized in different teaching contexts, depending on the needs of students and instructors.     

基督教与近代科学

从根本上，基督教不是科学的反对性力量，而是近、现代科学的诱发性和促进性力量。本文尝试从三个方面对基督教与近、现代科学之间的关系予以澄清一、基督教和科学关系在具体的历史发展中所经历的四个发展阶段混合阶段、分化阶段、对立阶段、各自独立发展又相得益彰的阶段；二、基督教是近代科学得以产生的最基本的促发要素；三、宗教与科学属于人类生活和文化的两个完全不同的领域，不会构成根本性的冲突。