Science and Naturalism

For many people, science and naturalism go hand in hand.  Some even think that science is just another name for naturalism.  But is that right?  If naturalism were true then matter and energy is all there is, and science should only consider explanations that consist of ‘natural’ causes.  This approach works well in some branches of science.  However, for others (like forensics or archaeology) scientists need to consider non-material causes such as design and intention.  Many scientists now realize that you can’t reduce everything down to natural properties and causes and that a better definition of science must include non-material things like consciousness itself and the information in the living cell.  Intelligent Design highlights the problems of defining science according to a naturalist worldview.