Naturalism and the Human Condition
Against Scientism

A compelling account of why naturalism, or the 'scientific world-view' cannot provide a full account of who and what we are as human beings. Drawing on sources including Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Husserl and Sartre.

Naturalism and the Human Condition is a clear and compelling account of why naturalism, or the 'scientific world-view' misrepresents what we are as human beings. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Husserl and Sartre, Olafson skilfully exposes the limits of naturalism. Yet he does this using examples favoured by naturalists themselves, for example, in philosophy of mind and brain sciences. The book brings the debate into the public arena by stressing the importance of serious analysis and philosophical investigation of human nature. In doing so Olafson shows that the way our identity as human beings is understood has real consequences for us all.