AP+2016+Naturalism

Catherine Gavin

Aim: The purpose of teaching naturalism would be to give significance to those who do not believe in spiritual forces that govern the world. Naturalism is the belief that solid laws instead of spiritual forces guide the world, appealing to those more logically-inclined, that breaks into two different branches: philosophical and literary. A lot of the concept of naturalism revolves around nature, considering that it is a solid and real concept that is always growing and evolving around humanity. This appeals to those who lean toward logic because it is also a solid object, such as a tree, instead of an ideology that cannot be acknowledged with the senses. Instead of relying on supernatural sources for processes, naturalism gives a “natural” and almost scientific approach to phenomenons in the world that satisfy those who lack a spiritual belief and thus give them a purpose. Instead of allowing them to believe a concept that holds no weight to them, naturalism offers an alternative; the purpose for naturalism is to see how the natural world interacts with itself instead of how a supernatural being interacts with the people of the world and invokes a new meaning to philosophy.

Audience: As there are two different branches of naturalism, philosophical and literary, the audience includes a wide range of readers as well as philosophical personas. According to the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “naturalism seeks to show that philosophical problems as traditionally conceived are ill-formulated and can be solved or displaced by appropriately naturalistic methods” (Jacobs). In a sense, the philosophical definition of the word argues against the belief in any higher being or imagined causes. It defines naturalism as the belief in the natural order of the world and how nature impacts the outcome of everything, not a magical being. Many different philosophers used this idea of naturalism in their work, and it is used a lot in literature. In literature, it can branch and impact a wider audience because of its wide use. Overall, this idea appeals mostly to the scientific community, as it uses scientific facts to back up its claim that nature is in charge, not an entity that one cannot see. However, although this concept of nature is the basis of naturalism, it has been interpreted differently by many others. This allows it to appeal to a wider audience because of its loose interpretation. The debate over what naturalism should include and what it means is still very heated today between philosophers and scientists alike.

Historical: Naturalism was a hot topic during the first half of the 20th century, taking the stage with the self proclaimed naturalists, John Dewey, Ernest Nagel, Sidney Hook and Roy Wood Sellars. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “These philosophers aimed to ally philosophy more closely with science. They urged that reality is exhausted by nature, containing nothing “supernatural”, and that the scientific method should be used to investigate all areas of reality” (Papineau). Throughout the debate over naturalism, the theory has no concrete definition or meaning. Today, the term is used very loosely by philosophers, who know that this term has a different meaning for all who interpret it. Because of the hot debate over what naturalism means, there are many different levels to which philosophers hold themselves when it comes to whether or not that are a “naturalist” or “non-naturalist”. Throughout history, it has become a more popular look on philosophy since it disregards any “supernatural” being and only focuses on nature and how it affects humans. However, many naturalists proclaim that they are somewhat naturalist, where they look at how reality functions and claim some sort of scientific background, whereas hardcore naturalists only stick to the scientific facts in order to back up their philosophical findings.

Cultural: The philosophical idea of naturalism has had a huge impact in culture, mainly through literature. In regards to this, and according to Washington State University English professor, naturalism is defined as, “a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings...characters can be studied through their relationships to their surroundings” (Campbell). Naturalist literature has impacted culture through its study of human beings in relation to nature. As well as analyzing the effect of nature on human beings in the novels, naturalist authors also use scientific backing in order to write their novels. It shows how human instincts and passions interact with the world around them, especially in regards to environment and hereditary influences. The characters in the novels typically try to practice their own free will, but are impeded by the forces around them. In a sense, naturalistic writing has influenced literary culture, encouraging authors to look more at scientific reasoning rather than just human emotions and beliefs. Naturalism has allowed authors and philosophers to take a more scientific approach on subjects that were typically looked at from a spiritual or religious view.

Works Cited Campbell, Donna M. "Naturalism in American Literature." Literary Movements. Washington State University., 4 July 2013. Web. 06 Jan. 2016. Jacobs, Jon. "Naturalism." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Colgate University, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016. Papineau, David. "Naturalism." Stanford University. Stanford University, 22 Feb. 2007. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.