The Nature of Nature: Laws, Science, and God | Dr. Jeffery Koperski | Ep. #308

The idea that the laws of nature are neutral, God-free principles of science is a myth—according to philosopher Dr. Jeffrey Koperski. In a deep dive into the history and philosophy of science, he reveals that the very concept of laws of nature emerged from Christian theology, not secular empiricism. The scientific revolution was fueled by the belief that a divine lawgiver established universal, consistent rules for the cosmos—something Isaac Newton and René Descartes took for granted. Yet in the Victorian era, thinkers like Thomas Huxley quietly redefined 'laws of nature' to exclude God, not through argument, but through institutional power and narrative control. This shift wasn’t inevitable—it was a deliberate campaign to naturalize science. Koperski argues that the most coherent view of laws today isn’t the mechanistic 'software' model of modern physics, nor the Aristotelian 'disposition' theory, but 'decretalism': the view that laws are God’s decrees, not just patterns, but metaphysical constraints that govern what is possible in nature. Crucially, he rejects the idea that God must 'break' laws to act—miracles don’t violate laws, they simply introduce new forces within the same lawful framework. This reframes divine action not as interference, but as the unfolding of a universe designed with inherent stability and adaptability. The episode dismantles the myth of science vs. religion, showing that the scientific method itself was born from theological assumptions.