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Does science have to be causal in order to be science? Reflections on Nina Asari's questions

Walach, H. (2009) Does science have to be causal in order to be science? Reflections on Nina Asari's questions. Archive for the Psychology of Religion/Archiv für Religionspsychologie. 31(3), pp. 315-318. 0084-6724.

Item Type: Article
Abstract: Nina Azari in her commentary on our article in this issue “Spirituality: The Legacy of Parapsychology” has raised the issue of what it actually takes for something to be called science. Does causality come into the picture? If so, how does causality relate to our non-local model that seems to explicitly eschew the question of causality? The answer lies in what one is willing to accept as causality. If causality can be conceived broader than just efficient-mechanistic causality then certainly our model is causal. If one insists on efficient-mechanistic causality as the only and truly scientific notion of causality, it is not. But then, I would argue, this is a very restricted and also short sighted view which should be questioned, and eventually, disregarded. This is what we have set out to do
Uncontrolled Keywords: Causality; non-locality; spirituality; religion; Ockham
Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion > BL175 Natural theology > BL239 Religion and science
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology > BF1001 Parapsychology. Psychic research. Psychology of the conscious
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion > BL51 Philosophy of religion. Psychology of religion. Religion in relation to other subjects
Creators: Walach, Harald
Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Health & Society > Psychology
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes
Faculties > Faculty of Health & Society > Psychology
Research Centres > Centre for Psychology and Social Sciences
Date: 2009
Date Type: Publication
Page Range: pp. 315-318
Journal or Publication Title: Archive for the Psychology of Religion/Archiv für Religionspsychologie
Volume: 31
Number: 3
Language: English
ISSN: 0084-6724
Status: Published / Disseminated
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/2248

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