Non-theistic · nontheistic
Philosophical Naturalism
The claim that the natural world is all there is, argued as a position rather than assumed as a mood. Less interested than humanism in supplying a replacement ethics, and correspondingly less pluralist about what counts as true.
What makes it unusual
The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.
- A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the naturalFurther toward "nothing beyond the natural" than most traditions in the matrix.
- C1 Survival of the selfends at deathFurther toward "ends at death" than most traditions in the matrix.
- A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or orderFurther toward "impersonal principle or order" than most traditions in the matrix.
- D2 Centrality of ritualoptional or absentFurther toward "optional or absent" than most traditions in the matrix.
All seventeen positions
Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.
The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.
- position
- tolerated variation
A · The divine
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists | nothing beyond the naturalContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address | impersonal principle or orderContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits | strictly oneContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it | wholly beyond the worldContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.08 | 0.08 |
B · Knowledge and authority
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience | reason and direct experienceContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.98 | 0.02 |
| B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all | metaphorical, or no text at allContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.95 | 0.05 |
| B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides | individual conscience decidesContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.92 | 0.06 |
C · Self and destiny
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form | ends at deathContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return | one life, then judgmentContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound | leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.78 | 0.14 |
D · Practice
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight | achieved by effort or insightContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.92 | 0.07 |
| D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent | optional or absentContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.95 | 0.05 |
| D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated | leaning to be celebratedContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.68 | 0.16 |
E · World and others
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths | between one true path and many valid pathsContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.55 | 0.20 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural | beginningless or naturalContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.98 | 0.02 |
| E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice | an individual choiceContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.92 | 0.06 |
| E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred | between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredContemporary philosophical naturalism (Dennett, Sellars, Papineau) | 0.42 | 0.18 |
Further reading
- Papineau, “Naturalism”, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — The position stated carefully, including what it does not claim.
- Dennett, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea — Naturalism applied to the questions religions usually answer.
Compared with
The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.