Intelligent Design
Folks at The Corner on NRO have had some interesting exchanges about intelligent design (”ID”) theory. I love John Derbyshire. He often writes exactly what I’m thinking better than I could have myself, but here he is way off. In this particularly silly post, he perpetuates the false dichotomy between God and science, which is really a false dichotomy between faith and reason:
The work-a-day business of scientists is to investigate the natural world, and come up with naturalistic explanations for observed phenomena. A scientist who says: “There isn’t a naturalistic explanation for this. Can’t possibly be. Must be God’s will,” is just not being a good scientist.
This attempt to exclude the possibility of God from all scientific inquiry by definition is particularly frustrating.
First, that is not an accurate description of what ID theory does. It is not about shying away from scientific inquiry when something is unexplained. Second, by what authority or reasoning is it the scientist’s job to come up with only with “naturalistic” explanations? I thought it was his job to come up with scientific explanations (i.e. explanations arrived at through the scientific method). Excluding certain explanations at the outset, before the inquiry has even begun, is not consistent with the scientific method. Yet, those who oppose ID theory exclude the possibility that an intelligent being created the universe. They do so not on the basis of scientific evidence, but on their own prejudice.
This question is not original with me, but I think it captures the essence of this debate. Are you the sort of person who might happen upon Mt. Rushmore, look up in awe and think, “Gee, look what the wind and the rain did to those rocks?” That is the reaction of someone who categorically rejects all but the “naturalistic” explanations for observed phenomena.
related articles
- Wilson Handles Hitchens (June 12th, 2007)
- An ID Exchange (January 2nd, 2006)
- Narrowing the Gap (December 14th, 2005)
- Wimpy Evolution (December 3rd, 2005)
- The Value of Dissent, and the Price (November 11th, 2005)
October 28th, 2005 at 7:40 pm
Here’s some fodder for the fire. Intelligent design and evolution. Maybee his finger ?
Evolution requires cell division but cell division/mutation does not produce enough energy force to facilitate splitting of itself. Therefore with all life forms, cell division/mutation occurs only with some external force.
No one has been able to identify where this external force originates. But it occurs in the carbon atom within the building blocks of the nucleotide. There is empty space between the inner electron shell and the nucleus where this external force is transfused to the nucleus.
Is this the finger of GOD stirring the essence of life or is this GOD within and part of all ?
OR could this be free floating energy that transforms its intensity for each and every individual nuclei. Because each requires a different energy intensity for it’s task to produce spliting cells throughout all life.