The Uniformity of Natural Laws in Victorian Britain: Naturalism, Theism, and Scientific Practice

Abstract

A historical perspective allows for a different view on the compatibility of theistic views with a crucial foundation of modern scientific practice: the uniformity of nature, which states that the laws of nature are unbroken through time and space. Uniformity is generally understood to be part of a worldview called "scientific naturalism," in which there is no room for divine forces or a spiritual realm. This association comes from the Victorian era, but a historical examination of scientists from that period shows that uniformity was an important part of both theistic and naturalistic worldviews. Victorian efforts to maintain the viability of miracles and divine action within a universe ruled by natural laws receives special attention. The methodological practices of theistic and naturalistic scientists in the nineteenth century were effectively indistinguishable despite each group's argument that uniformity was closely dependent on their worldview. This similarity is used to reexamine both the reasons for the decline of the role of religion within the scientific community and claims made by the intelligent design movement about the relationship of science and religion.

Providence and the Affective Benefits of Natural Causality

“…Theistic scientists like John Herschel, James Clerk Maxwell, and others believed that nature ran according to laws that, thanks to God's "constant and ubiquitous action," were completely consistent and stable temporally and spatially. 79 Baden Powell captured the spirit of these figures when he wrote that "law and order, physical causation and uniformity of action, are the elevated manifestations of Divinity, creation and providence." 80 So complete was their commitment to the uniformity of the laws of nature that they believed miracles were merely natural phenomena the laws governing which had not yet been fully understood, and that genuine exceptions to nature's uniformity counted against the divine origin of all things.…”

The evolving spirit: morals and mutualism in Arabella Buckley's evolutionary epic

“…99 Thus, the uniformity of natural law served as a historical common space between science and religion, and allowed for both to adopt nearly identical scientific methodologies. 100 While in some senses it was revolutionary, the Victorian shift from natural theology to scientific naturalism did not change scientific practice all that much. 101 During the Victorian period, the uniformity of natural law served as common ground between science and religion, not as ammunition for a war between the two.…”

Scientific Uniformity or “Natural” Divine Action: Shifting the Boundaries of Law in the Nineteenth Century

“…In exploring the history of divine action, I aim to expand on the work of Matthew Stanley, who examined the ways in which Victorian naturalists and theists could successfully argue for the justification of uniformity in nature in opposition to each other (Stanley 2011; Stanley 2015). Stanley included Victorian views on miracles; however, due to its brevity, his article was not able to account for the many nuances, especially in relation to the theists, and widely varied stances on the veracity of miracles.…”