Danaher’s critiques of irreducible complexity are poorly informed and based on misunderstandings of intelligent design and what its key defenders argue.
A Misguided Critique of Irreducible Complexity Read More »
Recently, someone asked me to comment on an article, published in 2017, by John Danaher, a lecturer in the Law School at the University of Galway, Ireland. He is widely published on legal and moral philosophy, as well as philosophy of religion. In his article, Danaher alleges that proponents of intelligent design (ID) are religiously motivated.
Are Proponents of ID Religiously Motivated, and Does It Matter? Read More »
We are all familiar with thermostats — devices we use to regulate temperature, typically in central heating and air conditioning systems, as well as ovens, refrigerators, and water heaters. But did you know that our bodies also contain their own thermostat, which is responsible for maintaining our body temperature at the optimal level?
In its Design, the Body’s Thermostat Resembles Human Technology Read More »
I recently read a paper from 2007 by two plant geneticists, Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig and Heinz-Albert Becker, from the Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany. The paper presents a review of carnivorous plants, which, by employing “enormously different and ingenious trap mechanisms,” ensnare and digest insects.
Carnivory in Plants: A Problem for Evolution Read More »
Lowder concludes that “Whatever problems may exist within that argument, being a God-of-the-gaps argument clearly isn’t one of them.” I completely agree with Lowder’s assessment. Intelligent design makes the argument that various specific features of life and the universe are rendered vastly more probable than they would otherwise be by the supposition that a conscious mind was involved in their origins.
Atheist Philosopher Explains Why Intelligent Design is Not a ‘God-of-the-Gaps’ Argument Read More »
The development of an egg cell and its activation in response to encountering a sperm cell exhibit exquisite design, being contingent upon multiple mutually dependent processes, all of which are needed for successful reproduction. When considered in conjunction with the incredible engineering features of the sperm cell and the seminal fluid, it would seem to put the thesis of design almost beyond question.
The Exquisite Design of Egg Cells Read More »
Several different structural components are necessary for the vertebrate sense of hearing. It strains credulity to suppose that an unguided process of random variation sifted by natural selection could assemble such a delicately arranged system. It instead points to a cause with foresight.
The Sense of Hearing Is a Masterpiece of Engineering Read More »
Muscle contraction — which we so easily take for granted — is an incredibly complex and elegant process, involving incredible engineering and design. To contend that the phenomenon of muscle contraction arose through a blind and undirected process, one tiny Darwinian step after the other, seems to me to strain credulity.
Understanding the Biochemistry — and Intelligent Design — of Muscle Contraction Read More »
Muscle is one of the most fundamental of animal tissues. It is muscles that animate our bodies — allowing us to move, stand upright, breathe, and even speak. Muscles are precisely the sort of thing that we might expect a designer of embodied intelligent beings to produce.
The Incredible Design of Muscles Read More »
Here, I will address an objection to irreducible complexity I’ve encountered that attempts to handwave the argument away as though I were missing something obvious. This is, in my judgment, one of the weakest objections to irreducible complexity, though it persists as a popular one — even among experts. It is therefore worth commenting on. I will use as case examples two responses to recent articles of mine.
How NOT to Argue Against Irreducible Complexity Read More »