What is wrong with intelligent design?

Author: Dawes, Gregory

Source: International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Volume 61, Number 2, April 2007 , pp. 69-81(13)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

While a great deal of abuse has been directed at intelligent design theory (ID), its starting point is a fact about biological organisms that cries out for explanation, namely “specified complexity” (SC). Advocates of ID deploy three kind of argument from specified complexity to the existence of a designer: an eliminative argument, an inductive argument, and an inference to the best explanation. Only the first of these merits the abuse directed at it; the other two arguments are worthy of respect. If they fail, it is only because we have a better explanation of SC, namely Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

Keywords: Intelligent design; Design arguments; Teleological arguments

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11153-007-9112-2

Affiliations: 1: Email: gregory.dawes@otago.ac.nz

Publication date: 2007-04-01