Title variants
INTELLIGENT DESIGN THEORY AND CREATIONISM
Languages of publication
Abstracts
Intelligent design theory claims that various phenomena of nature were designed by an intelligent being and that design is scientifically detectable. Critics claim, however, that this theory cannot be scientific because it invokes a supernatural creator, which makes it just a new variation of traditional creationism and thereby a religious position. This objection is unsound, because intelligent design theory is not identical with creationism in the traditional sense. The hallmark of this theory is metaphysical minimalism – the detection of design does not entail the identification of a designer, and this means that the designer does not have to be a supernatural being. Thus, intelligent design theory is compatible with a broad spectrum of worldviews, from theism, through deism, to atheism. Whether it can be called “creationism” depends on the meaning ascribed to this ambiguous term. However, using the term causes needless confusion and tends to discredit it out of hand. From an intellectual point of view, therefore, it is preferable not to use this term.
Keywords
Journal
Year
Volume
Issue
Pages
134-150
Physical description
Contributors
author
- Instytut Filozofii, Uniwersytet Zielonogórski, al. Wojska Polskiego 71a, 65-762 Zielona Góra, Poland
References
Document Type
Publication order reference
Identifiers
YADDA identifier
bwmeta1.element.cejsh-cfc12227-2aa7-4257-be32-b30c87c4ae95