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Habits of Mind, Scholarship and Decision Making in Science and Religion

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Abstract

Recent papers have drawn a contrast between habits of mind in science and religion and it has been argued that, because of the different nature of these habits of mind, science education and religious education are necessarily in conflict with each other. The present paper draws on research into habits of mind in science and their relationship with wider scholarly activity and decision making and presents a case that habits of mind in science and religion are much more alike than has been presumed. In contrast to the dogmatic materialism which others have claimed lies behind the practice of modern science a more tentative form of naturalism is advocated in this paper for those who carry out scientific research. Some aspects of the nature of exemplary religious education are pointed out and implications for science education are discussed.

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Correspondence to Colin F. Gauld.

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Gauld, C.F. Habits of Mind, Scholarship and Decision Making in Science and Religion. Sci Educ 14, 291–308 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-004-1997-x

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