Taking the Broad View: Differentiating Between Natural and Paranormal Phenomena in Science
Summary
What differentiates natural phenomena from paranormal ones? C.D. Broad has developed conceptual means in line with an emerging analytical philosophy by which to view paranormal phenomena, which is of note due to the fringe-science status generally ascribed to the study of the paranormal, yet C.D. Broad being a respected member of a very science-minded academic community in his time. This thesis will look at the framework he proposes in Lectures on psychical research in an attempt to answer this question. As an exercise in applicability the proposed framework will be applied to a case study. Paracelsus’ Aurora of the Philosophers, an alchemical text, will be subject to analysis, after which we will evaluate the merits of the system and whether the philosophical claims made by C.D. Broad can be maintained.