naturalism
Sign in to savebelief that only natural laws, entities and forces operate in the universe
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Naturalism is the belief that everything in the universe operates according to natural laws and forces, without any supernatural or spiritual causes at work. It matters because it shapes how people understand the world—influencing whether they look to science, religion, or other frameworks to explain why things happen.
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Double rainbow at Yosemite National Park.
In philosophy, naturalism is the position that only natural laws and forces (as opposed to supernatural ones) operate in the universe. According to naturalism, the causes of all phenomena are to be found within the universe and not transcendental factors beyond it. In its primary sense, it is also known as ontological naturalism, metaphysical naturalism, pure naturalism, philosophical naturalism and antisupernaturalism. "Ontological" refers to ontology, the philosophical study of what exists. Philosophers often treat naturalism as equivalent to physicalism or materialism, but there are important distinctions between the philosophies.