1. Intelligent Design vs Evolution Dana Hemmingson, NS241, Fall 2011 Intelligent Design The idea of Intelligent Design is the major opposing view in relation to evolution and most creationists have a number of arguments against the theory of evolution. A “classic” version of the argument for intelligent design can be found in William Paley’s Natural Theology. In this book, Paley compares the complexity of living things to the inferior complexity of a watch that we know was designed by an intelligent being. The same way that the watch can not exist without a watchmaker, Paley argued that living things could not exist without their own intelligent designer (“Argument to Design”). There are other issues with evolution, and specifically its mechanism of natural selection that are studied today. One study recognizes the role for natural selection in reinforcing premating barriers, but there is still controversy as to whether or not selection reinforces postmating barriers (Turner). This study showed that plants and animals are known to sometimes selectively abort otherwise viable embryos, thereby restricting parental investment to offspring with higher potential fitness. So it is supported at least in this study that selection does not support certain evolutionary routes (Turner). Most arguments against natural selection and evolution as a theory are because things in our bodies and world work too well to have not been designed that way to begin with by some superior being. Creationists believe that random chance could not be the explanation for why our traits are the way they are. Evolution The theory of evolution not only is an explanation of the fact that life has evolved; it also gives us the mechanisms for evolution, like mutations, natural selection, and genetic drift. These mechanisms go a long way towards explaining how life evolved. Creationist arguments against evolution can sound quite persuasive because most of these arguments don’t address evolution itself, they instead argue against a set of misunderstandings. One of the mechanisms of evolution, natural selection, preserves favorable traits over time, and eventually enough change accumulates to cause a large-scale change in the population. This supports the idea of evolution as opposed to Intelligent Design because remnants of the original traits are left behind. Also, natural selection does not create entirely new traits—it instead modifies traits that are already present. Another major argument against the idea of Intelligent Design, and in support of evolution is that they are on “a mission to find evidence which supports a predetermined conclusion -- that being that an intelligent agent created everything” and it is easy to find evidence to support a hypothesis if you ignore the other evidence that isn’t helpful. Supporters of Intelligent Design and Creationism tend to be biased and to allow their biases to affect their opinions and ideas. Most often it is said that Creationists ignore evidence in support of evolution, and can’t be argued with because they look at the world in a different way. Summary Evolution and Creationism believers tend to think that they need to argue their points to one another, but there is no need for argument. The two fields of belief are not in opposition to one another- one tells how we began and the other explains how we got to be the way we are now. Evolution explains changes in traits while creationism explains the beginning of our existence. In an interview with Richard Dawkins, a well known scientist who has experience in the field of evolution, he stated that: “They need to understand what evolution is about. Many of them don’t” in reference to the general population (Dawkins). Scientists Feel Miscast in Film on Life’s Origin But now, Dr. Dawkins and other scientists who agreed to be interviewed say they are surprised — and in some cases, angered — to find themselves not in “Crossroads” but in a film with a new name and one that makes the case for intelligent design, an ideological cousin of creationism. The film, “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,” also has a different producer, Premise Media. FOR MORE READING: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/science/27expelled.html?ref=ev olution http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/science/27expelled.html?ref=ev olution

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