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An attempt by the apologists for creationism to artificially inject their metaphysical theory with scientific credibility. Intelligent design makes the "deduction" that the development of complex life on this planet was an intelligent creator, largly on the basis of argument by personal incredulity, a flawed understanding of Darwinian natural selection and fundamental misunderstandings of basic principles of thermodynamics and biology. Advocates claim natural selection/evolution (which they frequently confuse) are impossible, and often have links to other biblical-literlists that believe the earth is only 30000 years old, and other such fantasies. There is reason that the evidence would lead any impartial person to come to such conclusions; it is therefore an example of wishful thinking and by the principle of Occam's razon is a metaphysical (faith) based belief, not a scientific one. The continued deliberate obtuseness on this issue has led to fundamentalists attempting to force science teachers to present it in the classroom, and the general devaluing of science in the population of the US and other countries as a whole.
Although there is not a scrap of evidence for intelligent design, it is impossible to disprove (because god can do anything!), and hence it is a metaphysical theory.
Because natural selection is demonstrably observably occuring right now, it is a scientific theory.
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An apparently unprovable hypothesis that living creatures were created by an all-powerful, intelligent entity that itself did not have a creator. Contrast with evolution. ID proponents typically fail to understand 4 things:
1) Scientists use the word "theory" differently than the layperson
2) Science operates just fine in the absence of absolute truths. Thus, if evolutionary theory doesn't explain everything, that's not a problem - it's a "work in progress"
3) People are no better off substituting a slightly imperfect scientific theory for a completely unsupported religious hypothesis
4) The fact that ID cannot be disproven is a weakness, not a strength (e.g. There are 482,331 raisins orbiting Saturn right now... I defy you to prove me wrong).
If Intelligent Design is such a great alternative explanation to evolutionary theory, why aren't proponents actually USING it to advance scientific understanding? In short, they should practice what they preach... literally.
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1. A n00bish, pseudo-science religious theory that advocates that some phenomenon are just too complicated to be explained by science alone, and therefore God, or an intelligent designer must exist.
2. Excrement.
Dude, I made such an intelligent design in the pot this morning!
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1. The theory that an omniscient being plays a vital role in the workings of the universe and is the explanation of all things (including but not limited to the origins of life itself) that have not yet been fully proven.
2. A subtle way for creationists, particularly Christian extremists, to inject their religious ideas in to the public school systems and scientific community.
Although the theory of intelligent design is defended with rhetoric about how evolution is also only a theory (thusly giving right for other theories to be taught as well), one key thing is different- the implied meaning of the word theory. Evolution is not a theory. It is a scientific theory. Scientific theories are not plain "I think this is why this works" theories, they are "I think this is why this works, and here's the lowdown on how it works" theories.
Scientific theories are attempts to explain through experimentation and observation the workings of the universe, whereas intelligent design is a theory with no supplied (let alone proven) hypothesis. This is also known as speculation. Furthermore, if at any time in the future there is a supposed hypothesis for intelligent design, it would be immediately discredited due to it's superstitious roots. If all speculation were to be credited as scientifically valid, well, just take a look at the flying spaghetti monster theory.
Intelligent design has been rejected by the scientific community since the 1800's, and regardless of what our political leaders or the mass media or religious leaders (assuming they're all separate people) say, intelligent design was and always will be speculation. It is because of the loose interpretation of the word theory that intelligent design has been seen by creationists as a loophole in vocabulary, thusly (in their mind) justifying suggesting it as scientifically valid. Which it's not.
Get over it.
"String Theory" is speculation because its hypothesis has not yet been proven through demonstration.
"Set Theory" has been proven through endless mathematical examples and is practiced by pretty much everything and everyone on a daily basis.
"Theory of Evolution" has been proven through observation that if an animal does not produce offspring, its species' overall gene pool has been slightly altered. Logical deduction concludes, that over a long period of time, this 'weeding-out' of the gene pool can ultimately alter the species itself. (Also known as "Natural Selection").
"Theory of Intelligent Design" is speculation because it never did and never will offer a hypothesis. It is a clever word to mask the statement "God made you and that's that. To argue or explain God is to be against God and therefore against one's own nature. This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the government of the United States of America."
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Psuedo-Scientific name for the term, "creationism", describing an unfound speculation that God created life on Earth as it exists today. Proponents believe life is too complex to have evolved, even given hundreds of millions of years.
The only people who support Intelligent Design are the deeply religious and crackpot "scientists" with fake, store-bought doctorates from unaccredited Christian colleges.
Despite being rejected in the science community for over 200 years, many christians insist on having creationism taught in our public schools.
Intelligent Design is not science, nor should it be respected as such. Its a children's fable, not unlike saying babies come from the stork.
Kent Hovind, the most well-known "righteous" Christian proponent of Intelligent Design is currently serving 10 years in prison for tax evasion.
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Intelligent design is a fundamentally flawed theory.
It does not belong in a scientific debate because it cannot produce valid observational evidence.
It also does not belong in a philosophical debate because its only premise is that there are some slight flaws in evolution (and what scientific theory doesn't have flaws). From this premise it is impossible to show the existence of an intelligent designer.
Kansas has just become another state to teach intelligent design. When will they learn that America needs proper scientists to make the microwaves, bird flu vaccines, tactical nuclear weapons, and other modern home comforts they enjoy.
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A (not so) clever attempt by American (yes, intelligent design is a product of, and is limited almost exclusively to the United States) Christian fundamentalists at re-packaging creation "science", and trying to sneak it into public schools by making it appear (at least to their desperate selves) as strict science. They call it the "Theory" of Intelligent Design, and call themselves Intelligent Design "Theorists" (or IDers).
This so-called "theory" is hard to define, since intelligent design "theorists" are very careful to keep their definitions as vague as possible, as to avoid getting thrown out of classrooms over and over again (like they have been). Here is a little run-down of some of intelligent designs' incoherent claims:
- They offer nothing more than the mere hypothesis that the universe was created by "a creator" (who him/her/itself had no creator). Who is this creator? "Duhhhh..... we don't know."
- When did this "creator" create the universe? "Duhhh...We don't know." or "We don't do there". Could be 10,000 years old or billions. They don't say. This is where the young-earth creationists get into fights with the old-earth ones.
- HOW did this creator create the universe? "Duhhhh.... we don't know." Brilliant.
- Love to claim that Evolution is "JUST A THEORY" (more on that later)
- Launch a variety of attacks on evolution, and believe that by pointing out "errors" in the evolutionary theory, it must mean GOD DID IT by DEFAULT.
- Misinterpret and misunderstand science and try to use that as proof of God's existence. Make sense? (Yeah. Doesn't to me either).
- Claim that the Grand Canyon was carved out in a few days by "The Great Flood", and that all of the Earth's geographic features were carved out by said flood. (For more on this nonsense, look-up "Flood Geology")
- Claim the fossil record is either: animals who died in the "great flood", a hoax by scientists to trick the public at large, or a hoax by the devil to trick people into believing in evolution.
- Man and dinosaurs walked the earth together (the Flintstones was accurate after-all!).
And much, much, MUCH more incoherent BABBLE.
Here are a few things intelligent design "theorists" are forgetting:
- The universe began expanding about 14 billion years ago, and has been expanding ever since. Everything can be traced back to a common point. The Big Bang Theory was first proposed in 1927 by a Belgian Priest after observing the red shift in distant nebulas by astronomers to a model of the universe based on relativity. Years later, Edwin Hubble found experimental evidence to help justify this theory.
- The Earth is about 4.5 billion years old (AMPLE time for evolution, contrary to what IDers are claiming).
- The grand canyon is made up largely of shale and granite, which could not under any circumstances have been cut in a "few days" by a "great flood".
- There is an innumerable amount of transitional species in the fossil record to support evolution, along with genetic evidence.
- The word "theory", like many other words in the English language (and any other language) has MORE THAN ONE MEANING (SURPRISE). In a scientific context, it means a group of propositions for explanation for a class of phenomena. "Gravitational Theory", "Einstein's Theory of Relativity", "Germ Theory". The word theory doesn't mean "guess". The "Theory of Evolution" explains HOW evolution happens, not WHETHER it does.
Of course, to anybody willing to see the scientific evidence that completely discredits ID and Creation "science" as pure pseudo-scientific religious garbage, it is obvious. So if the scientific evidence is so clear, why don't IDers see it? Because they DON'T WANT TO. Fortunately, almost everyone world-wide can see the facts, including most middle-eastern countries. However, there is a small minority of Christian fundamentalists in America who want to wipe out science and implement Biblical Law. They don't care about science. Science is just the "wedge issue". They want to destroy it. Their true agenda can be seen by reading "The Wedge Strategy" (google it). This short document, which was leaked onto the internet, clearly details their true agenda, and it ISN'T scientific knowledge. And to all you creationists and IDers out there, YOU WILL NEVER WIN.
"We have concluded that (intelligent design) is not science, and moreover that (intelligent design) cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents."
- Judge John Jones, Harrisburg, PA, December 20, 2005. The judge also stated:
"It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy."
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