Is Naturalism Bleak? A Reply to Holland and Cottingham

Abstract

Although Cottingham and Holland make a persuasive case for the claim t it is difficult to situate a meaningful life within a Darwinian naturalistic mology, this paper argues that their case should be modified in response the apparent fact that certain persons seem genuinely not to experience 'bleakness' that they describe. Although certain of these cases will reflec incomplete appreciation of the existential implications of Darwinian natu ism, at least some of those cases may be genuine. The resulting possibility certain persons can embrace Darwinian naturalism and live meaningful li in apparent immunity to the 'bleakness charge' therefore poses new puzzles Cottingham and Holland, and for wider questions about the meaningfulnes human life. I consider that possibility in light of the work of David E. Co and Paul Feyerabend and offer a set of three suggestions for further developi these debates. KEYWORDS Cottingham; Holland; bleakness; contingency; existential response; meani naturalism. 1. I offer my thanks to Alan Holland and an anonymous journal referee for very helpful c ments on this article.

Education for Sustainable Development

“…For example, if students are asked to consider photographs of a drought-stricken village, and if they choose to examine the reasons for, and their feelings about, such a situation, then they can find a spur to action that can lead to a greater sense of meaningfulness and purpose in their own lives. As the debate that begins this issue of the journal between bleak naturalists on the one hand and cheerful naturalists on the other (Kidd 2013) illustrates, knowledge about the nature of the world and our potentially destructive role in it does not necessarily lead to despair. When held in a supportive, educative space, such knowledge can lead to an awakened empathy, an informed sense of purpose, and a desire to contribute positively to the world.…”