Nature, Design and Science: The Status of Design in Natural Science (Suny Series in Philosophy and Biology) (Suny Series, Philosophy & Biology) [Paperback]

Del Ratzsch (Author)

Book Description

Series: Suny Series, Philosophy & Biology | Publication Date: March 31, 2001

Explores the question of whether or not concepts and principles involving supernatural intelligent design can occupy any legitimate place within science.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Although the scientific illegitimacy of supernatural design is typically asserted with enormous confidence and vigor, there has been surprisingly little actual work on such key foundational issues as even what design is and on specific criteria for assessing its legitimacy, or lack, as a scientific concept. However, intelligent supernatural design is again surfacing in discussions both of anthropic principles and of certain types of biological complexity. This book develops a definition of design, explicates the more specific concept of supernatural design, defends a general criterion for scientific legitimacy, and argues that in some cases the concept of intelligent supernatural design can meet the relevant requirements for scientific legitimacy.

About the Author

Del Ratzsch is Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College. He is the author of Philosophy of Science: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective; The Battle of Beginnings: Why Neither Side Is Winning the Creation-Evolution Debate; and Science & its Limits: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (March 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791448940
• ISBN-13: 978-0791448946
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #875,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ratzsch Builds Slowly and Solidly, January 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Nature, Design and Science: The Status of Design in Natural Science (Suny Series in Philosophy and Biology) (Suny Series, Philosophy & Biology) (Paperback)

"Nature, Design, and Science" is an excellent treatment of the question of how design considerations could play a role in science. This book is not another of the many "how science is daily proving the existence of God" tomes that regularly appear in the bookstores these days. Ratzsch is both more well informed than most of the authors of such works, and, perhaps paradoxically, less ambitious in his current aims. Ratzsch is not mining the depths of current scientific knowledge for proofs of the existence of a Designer. Rather, he is tackling the tough, often neglected, and always necessary task of asking: Can science -- not just the science of today, but science *in principle* -- make room for a Designer in the first place? After tackling with great rigor a host of objections to including design considerations in science, he concludes that yes, under certain circumstances, the possibility of a Designer can be a legitimate and even fruitful scientific consideration.

Ratzsch's rigor of thought is remarkable throughout the book, as is his grasp of the historical background of his subject. His writing is engaging and lucid, particularly so for a work as philosophically technical as this book would has to be. My only complaint is that he relies on Thomas Kuhn's account of scientific progress a bit too much for my taste. But then again, I never graduated beyond Karl Popper.

"Nature Design, and Science" is not an easy read, and may be boring to readers who have already made up their minds on the questions Ratzsch tries to answer. But for those who appreciate clear thought and who find it important to settle first things first, it lays a great foundation for fruitful discussion on how science and our concepts of a designer can be related to one another.

16 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ID critics should read ID books, September 23, 2001

By 

"darkwomb" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nature, Design and Science: The Status of Design in Natural Science (Suny Series in Philosophy and Biology) (Suny Series, Philosophy & Biology) (Paperback)

It has been the habit of most ID critics to actually not read the book they discuss when they review books by ID theorists. For example, Mark Perakh describes Ratzch critique of The Design Inference by William Dembski as a "devastating critique, revealing inconsistencies and absence of substantiation in many of Dembski's assertions". This is simply wrong and shows that Mark quite possibly did not understand Ratzch's critique (this is further substantiated by the fact that Mark offers no support for his assertion from the book).

The truth is, while he finds Dembski's work valuable, he also points out why he thinks The Design Inference is limited in its application. No more , no less. Overall I think this book is a great contribution to the conversation between ID theorists. And I do recommend reading it.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine and meticulous analysis of a controversial problem, July 31, 2001

By 

Mark Perakh (Escondido, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nature, Design and Science: The Status of Design in Natural Science (Suny Series in Philosophy and Biology) (Suny Series, Philosophy & Biology) (Paperback)

Whereas there are some minor points in that book I am inclined to dispute, I was impressed by ojectivity and consistence of Ratzsch's penetrating analysis of the contentious problem of design. Although Ratzsch is one of "design theorists" he seems to stand alone in that he does not compromise with logic and does not leave any facet of the problem at hand without analysis. This book is not an easy reading, it is a philosophical treatise not designed for a wide audience. I found it worth the time and effort necessary to work through it. In the appendix to his book Ratzsch subjects the book "The Design Inference" by another "design theorist" Dembski (who often is praised as the most rigorous analyst of design) to a devastating and well substantiated critique. In particular he shows that Dembski's explanatory filter highly acclaimed by the latter's cohorts, contrary to Dembski's assertion, produces false positives. This alone makes filter useless. Kudos to Ratzsch for having the courage to show that the King (Dembski) is naked.