Naturalism and Subjectivism: A reconciliation of two rival methods

1. Introduction

The great tradition, going back at least to Kant and Husserl, has naturalism and subjectivism as its two great contenders, with their definitions being in terms of rival types of method. In the analytic tradition, naturalism and subjectivism have been much less prominent, but they have not disappeared altogether. In Frege and Peirce, for example, we find a clear commitment to naturalism, while in Husserl and Heidegger we find a defence of subjectivism. The aim of this essay is to explore the relationships between naturalism and subjectivism, and to see how these two positions can be reconciled.

2. Subjectivism

There are two main types of subjectivism: theoretical subjectivism and methodological subjectivism. Theoretical subjectivism is the view that reality is constituted by our thoughts or perceptions. This means that what we take to be real is determined by our mental state. Methodological subjectivism is the view that our knowledge is limited to our own mental states. This means that we cannot know anything about the external world, except through our own thoughts and perceptions.

2. 1 Theoretical Subjectivism

The simplest form of theoretical subjectivism is idealism, which holds that reality consists solely of minds and their contents. Idealists argue that we cannot know anything about the external world, because there is no such thing as an external world. All we can know are our own thoughts and perceptions. Berkeley was a prominent idealist, and he argued that the material world is just a collection of ideas in our minds. We cannot know anything about the world beyond our own minds, because there is no such thing as a world beyond our minds.

Kant also held a form of idealism, but he was more careful than Berkeley in distinguishing between the things-in-themselves (which we cannot know) and the phenomenal world (which we can know). For Kant, the phenomenal world is constituted by our perceptions, but this does not mean that it is unreal. It just means that we cannot know anything about the things-in-themselves, which are the things as they really are in themselves, independent of our perception.

2. 2 Methodological Subjectivism

Methodological subjectivism is the view that our knowledge is limited to our own mental states. This means that we cannot know anything about the external world except through our own thoughts and perceptions. Husserl was a leading proponent of this view, and he argued that we can only ever have access to our own conscious experiences. We cannot directly experience theexternal world, because all we ever have access to are our own mental states. This means that all knowledge is subjective, because it is based on our own conscious experiences.

Heidegger also held a form of methodological subjectivism, although he did not use this term. He argued that we cannot understand the world in terms of objective scientific concepts, because these concepts are only valid for us humans. We need to understand the world in terms of our own lived experience, which is something that science cannot provide us with.

3. Naturalism

There are two main types of naturalism: positivism and empiricism. Positivismis the view that reality consists of what can be observed and measured. This means that only those things which can be observed and measured are real. Empiricism is the view that our knowledge is based on our experience. This means that we cannot know anything that is not based on our experience.

3. 1 Positivism

Positivism is the view that reality consists of what can be observed and measured. This means that only those things which can be observed and measured are real. Positivists argue that we cannot know anything about the external world except through our observations and measurements. They also argue that scientific theories are just hypotheses which need to be verified by observation and measurement.

3. 2 Empiricism

Empiricism is the view that our knowledge is based on our experience. This means that we cannot know anything that is not based on our experience. Empiricists argue that all our knowledge is derived from our sense-experiences. We cannot know anything about the external world except through our senses.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, naturalism and subjectivism are two rival methods of investigating reality. Naturalism holds that only those things which can be observed and measured are real, while subjectivism holds that our knowledge is limited to our own mental states. Both positions have their strengths and weaknesses, but they can also be reconciled in certain ways.

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