Claim 11 of 13 · Case 08 · Science
If human reason is only the product of unguided evolution aimed at survival, then trusting it to find truth undercuts itself, which is a problem for naturalism.
One claim from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
This is a formal logical argument, tied most closely to the philosopher Alvin Plantinga. The worry is easy to feel. Evolution selects for behavior that helps you survive, not for beliefs that happen to be true, and those are not the same target. If your mind is only a survival tool with no aim at truth, then you have no strong reason to trust it, including when it tells you that naturalism is true. Plantinga turned that worry into a step by step argument. It is a serious and contested argument, not a proof, and we give the main objection and his reply below.
Backed by 2 pieces of evidence
Plantinga’s argument, stated as a syllogism
This is the argument itself, in the author’s own structure. It supports the claim by showing that the worry is not just a mood but a chain of steps, in which doubting your own reason spreads to every belief you hold, including belief in naturalism.The main objection, and Plantinga’s reply
Giving both sides keeps the claim honest and shows why the argument is still debated rather than settled.