Dawkins on ID

Richard Dawkins weighs in with regard to the trickery and lies of Intelligent Design proponents.

Also, see “No Science for You!” which Valerie so graciousy pointed to in a comment on my last post on this topic.


ADDENDUM: from the Dawkins article, “Bring us your mysteries for we can use them. Don’t squander precious ignorance by researching it away. Ignorance is God’s gift to Kansas.”

2 thoughts on “Dawkins on ID

  1. kodjo

    I love Dawkins’ piece & agree that in it he characterise, at a polemic level, much of what the ID folk say. In that sense, it is not merely fair, but called for. He responds with equal polemic.

    Despite that, I have much more sympathy for William Saletan’s view on ID, which is that ID essentially cedes the case to science (http://www.slate.com/id/2062009). Put in Dawkins’ terms, proponents of ID, who, below the level of propaganda are often quite honest, actually bring questions to the table that are interesting enough to deserve an answer.

    I do not have at hand the ID text inserted into the Kansas curriculum, but I have read it (quoted in New Yorker recently? more likely Slate?), & in my view it is innocuous, as it entirely consistent with the scientific method. This is also true of the various claims made by the academic supporters of ID. Indeed, but making their points coherently and in the context of recognised science, they allow others to respond, on the same level.There was a rather nice review of two books that present two of the main intellectual propositions from the academic ID folk, and the response of other academics in a recent New Yorker. If you are interested I’ll see if I can find it & send to you.

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