Alex Rosenberg
Philosopher of science who defends "scientism": physics fixes all the facts, and science answers the big questions, often in the negative.
Life
Alex Rosenberg (born 1946) is an American philosopher of science, professor at Duke University. He works on biology, economics and scientific explanation. In The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011) he defends 'scientism': physics describes all of reality, which in the end excludes purpose, free will and objective meaning. He matters for questions of God, mind and the meaning of life.
Main works
Draws the consequences of a purely scientific view of the world, without purpose or free will.
Positions
click a row to see the evidenceHe is an atheist and argues that science leaves no room for God.
Rosenberg, The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)
Only science, built on observation and experiment, gives knowledge of reality ('scientism').
Rosenberg, The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)
Physics fixes all the facts; thoughts are not 'about' anything, so the mind is nothing over and above the brain.
Rosenberg, The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)
Free will is an illusion: our choices are fixed by physical causes.
Rosenberg, The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)
He defends a 'nice nihilism': there are no objective moral facts, though we can keep our decent habits.
Rosenberg, The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)
Scientific method is the only reliable judge of what is true.
Rosenberg, The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)
Life has no purpose or meaning given by the universe.
Rosenberg, The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)