So I was bopping around the forum here and I noticed that many of our site sponsors espouse or promote a philosophy called "naturalism". I don't think I have ever paid attention to this particular emanation of Western secularism, and would be curious to know more about it. Does anyone here describe themselves as a naturalist? If so, what does the term mean to you? How is naturalism different from, say, materialism? What is the "nature" part of naturalism meant to refer to exactly? I can look up wikipedia on my own, but I am curious about your personal take.
The way I understand it, naturalism is the view that the world can be understood through natural processes rather than relying on supernatural explanations. But I think there’s an important distinction depending on how someone defines it.
For example, methodological naturalism is basically the approach used in science. It looks for natural explanations without necessarily taking a position on whether anything supernatural exists. Philosophical or metaphysical naturalism goes further, holding that reality itself doesn’t include anything supernatural.
As for the difference between naturalism and materialism, I think the two overlap quite a bit, but they’re not necessarily identical. Materialism, or what philosophers today generally call physicalism, holds that everything is ultimately physical or dependent on the physical. Naturalism is a broader term, and not everyone who identifies as a naturalist agrees on exactly what belongs in the natural world.
And I don’t think the word “nature” necessarily refers to plants, animals, or the environment. It’s really referring to the natural order of things, although even philosophers disagree about precisely where to draw that boundary.
What I find interesting is that naturalism doesn’t require someone to believe we already have explanations for everything. There are still plenty of unanswered questions. The real difference seems to be how someone approaches those questions and what kinds of explanations they’re willing to consider.
That’s my understanding of it anyway. I’d be interested to hear how someone who actually identifies as a naturalist would explain it.
NHC
Welcome back! 
