Reason in the Balance: The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law Education

by Phillip E. Johnson

Book Overview

Voted one of Christianity Today's 1996 Books of the Year

In his first book, Darwin on Trial, Berkeley law professor Phillip E. Johnson took on the heavyweights of science. And he got their attention, even provoking a response from neo-Darwinist Stephen Jay Gould in the pages of Scientific American. Now Johnson's back with a book that expands his critique from science to law, education and today's culture wars. Is God unconstitutional?...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830819290
• ISBN13: 9780830819294
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: IVP
• Length: 245 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A non-Christian comments

My doctoral dissertation is an investgation into the beliefs of scientists. Briefly I found that most scientists hold very metaphysical beliefs . When it comes to evolution most of them accept the current materialistic worldview but few of them defend it strongly. It is rather held because nothing else is around.I started my investigation into Darwinism expecting to gradually understand it better and deepen my confidence in it. Naturally I began with the experts- Dawkins, Gould, Mayr, simpson . To date I have read over 50 books - some very detailed indeed. I have also taught biology at undergraduate level. The opposite has happened , it seems the more I study the more it appears that much of Darwinism, especially the overall materialistic , chance driven worldview seems to be held on faith rather than convincing evidence. Certainly it is a valid viewpoint but I was given to believe that there was little doubt in the matter.Johnson's book is an enormous pleasure to read. His writing is beautifully lucid. He is honest about his Christian bias and , I feel, he gets right to the heart of the matter. Really this book deserves to be read by everyone. I personally find belief in God eeven less likely than Neo-Darwinism but I admire the way Johnson reveals his faith. I would love to correspond with a man like this - after reading his book I feel he is wise friend indeed.

By their enemies you shall know them.

I wonder whether the negative reviewers have actually read Johnson's book. This scientist (B.S. Chemistry, Caltech, M.A.Physics, Harvard, Ph.D., Chemical Physics, Harvard; 30 years of research in biophysical nmr and MRI) believes Johnson has made a strong case against the Darwinian model for evolution and ethics. As he points out, people are wedded to the philosophical assumptions, not the science.

Clear and illuminating

I found this book a joy to read. Johnson leads the reader carefully and clearly through his well-reasoned arguments. I now have a heightened awareness of the very real danger of naturalism to science and many areas of Western culture. Rather than succumb to the naturalist mind-set as so many theists have regrettably done, Johnson demonstrates how to stand firm and fight back! If science is defined to exclude God (as it is) then science is limiting itself and may no longer be searching for truth (as it does not).

A breath of fresh reality

This book is by no means casual bedside reading, but Phillip Johnson is brilliant in bringing to light the basis of naturalistic philosophy and the logical assumptions made by those who practice it. Johnson gives illustrations of how this brand of thought has played itself out in science, law and education.With a master's background in the hard sciences, I've found a steady mentality through school that evolution is fact and God has no place in science. Phillip Johnson helped me to understand how the logic of evolutionists works and how hollow and circular their reasoning often is. Understanding naturalists' logical assumptions has dispelled my fear of making a sound arguement in favor of intelligent design and seeing through those arguements made by those advancing a naturalistic worldview.

An analysis of how America is loosing touch with reality

Philip E. Johnson details America's full-fledged embrace of Naturalism within recent contemporary history. The book is an accurate doccumentation of our nations' radical ideological shift towards a non-theistic world view and of course the price of this stupidity, what it looks like, who sells it.