Source: “The Fifth Dimension: An Exploration Of The Spiritual Realm”, By John Hick*,* Danforth Professor of the Philosophy of Religion, 2013.
2. Naturalism - Good News, or Bad News for Humanity?.mp4
This material explores the "bad news" implications of naturalism, arguing that a purely naturalistic view of the universe, if true, presents a dire outlook for humanity as a whole. The author contends that while religious interpretations often offer "good news," naturalism, particularly for the vast majority of people who experience suffering, deprivation, and unfulfilled potential, offers no ultimate hope or compensation. While acknowledging that fortunate individuals might find positive aspects in naturalism, the text emphasizes that this perspective is elitist and fails to address the widespread pain, tragedy, and lack of human flourishing that characterize much of human existence, both historically and currently. Ultimately, the author challenges naturalists to frankly confront these grim implications rather than ignore them.
The central thesis of the text is that "a naturalistic interpretation of the universe, if true, is very bad news for humanity as a whole." The author explicitly contrasts this with a religious interpretation, which is generally presented as "very good news." This is not an argument for the truth of religion, but rather an exploration of the inherent, often unacknowledged, pessimistic consequences of a naturalistic worldview.
The author highlights Bertrand Russell as a "realistic and hard-headed naturalistic thinker" who frankly acknowledged the grim implications of naturalism. Russell's famous essay is quoted to illustrate this point:
"That Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man's achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins - all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy that rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding des-pair, can the soul's habitation henceforth be safely built."
This quote underscores the idea that naturalism necessitates an acceptance of human insignificance, the ultimate demise of all human endeavor, and the finality of death, leading to a foundation built on "unyielding despair."
While acknowledging that naturalistic thinkers can point to many positive aspects of life (love, community, art, science, physical enjoyments), the author argues that this optimistic outlook is "available only to those who have been lucky in the lottery of life."