Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism [Hardcover]

Andrew J. Petto (Editor), Laurie R. Godfrey (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 2007

From leading scientists, lawyers, and educators, a new and decisive rebuttal to the assault on evolution from proponents of "intelligent design."

With the pseudoscience of creationism rising again under the guise of "intelligent design," this powerful collection eviscerates the new assault on evolution and reveals the pervasive and insidious threat posed to genuine science by ID proponents like Phillip Johnson, Michael Behe, and William Dembski. The sixteen original essays address two key issues: the overwhelming scientific evidence for evolution gathered over 150 years and the dubious underpinnings of creationism; and how society can mount better educational and legal policies to prevent a theological takeover of our public and scientific institutions. The book includes powerful voices in the modern culture war against ID, including Kevin Padian, paleontologist and expert witness in the landmark lawsuit of Kitzmiller v. Dover. With creationist arguments forever morphing and reappearing under new aliases, this new confrontation is a must- read for teachers, students, and general readers, and a ringing and lasting refutation of creationism's fraudulent claims. 12 illustrations

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Paying significant attention to creationism's newest incarnation, intelligent design, this revision of Petto and Godfrey's 1983 Scientists Confront Creationism contains mostly new essays and some revised holdovers from the original edition. The 16 articles include contributions from some of the biggest names in the anti-creationism field: Wesley Elsberry demolishes the concept of complexity promoted by William Dembski, while several contributors demonstrate that Dembski defines his terms idiosyncratically, in a manner that scientists have not found productive, and that his mathematics and logic are wanting. Similarly, ample evidence is presented to show that Michael Behe's best examples of irreducible complexity have been found to have simpler versions indicating how they could have evolved. Individually, the chapters are well written for a general audience. Collectively, however, there is a fair amount of repetition, The best chapters directly take on the claims of creationists and promoters of intelligent design; less engaging and useful are chapters that largely ignore the controversy and present detailed evolutionary information. Nonetheless, there is much to help readers gain a robust understanding of the current controversy. Indeed, the point is very clearly made that the battle is a political one and not one of scientific substance. (Mar.)
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About the Author

Andrew J. Petto is the editor of Reports of the National Center for Science Education in Oakland, California, and a lecturer in anatomy and physiology at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He lives in Wisconsin.

Laurie R. Godfrey is a professor of anthropology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She lives in Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (March 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393050904
• ISBN-13: 978-0393050905
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.4 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,583,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

139 of 152 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Christian and Intelligent Design Proponent should read this book... September 5, 2007

By Tom Carpenter VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This books is, without question, a must read for individuals on both sides of the Intelligent Design debate. I, for one, do not understand why Christians are threatened by reading such material and why it is automatically given low reviews (1 or 2 stars) as a method of attack. First, I am an author and I know that having reviews helps sell books and one or two negative reviews can be very good for a book. Second, I am a Christian and I found the book very well written and full of interesting information.

Now, before all the evolutionists get to excited, the book did not present any "conversion" power arguments. In other words, there was nothing here that made me say, "Wow! Evolution did happen." There were many things that made me think more deeply and there were also some interesting insights about the thinking of the opposing side.

For example, on page 182 speaking about a comment by Francis H. C. Crick made in an application for a student research fellowship, the author admits that the goal of showing that areas apparently too mysterious to be explained by physics and chemistry could actually be explained has not been achieved. Then, in the next breath, the author says, "there is no evidence indicating an ultimate supernatural origin of the basic biological phenomena." So we see that the author requires evidence to believe there is a supernatural explanation, but he does not require any evidence to prove that there is a natural explanation. In other words, things that science has failed to explain must be believed to have a natural explanation even though there is no evidence for it. Notice how this is accorded to the naturalistic viewpoint, but not to the supernatural viewpoint....

I appreciate the book greatly because it helps me understand the arguments from both sides better and it also provides me with windows into the thinking process of the evolutionist's mind. I know that evolutionists think I am illogical or irrational for not agreeing with evolution; however, I have also studied logic and thinking skills for much of my adult life and I am internally sincerely certain that I am thinking logically. Therefore, I do not think those who disagree with me are thinking illogically or irrationally just a I don't think this of myself though others clearly disagree with me; I think they are thinking differently. They consider some things to be true that I consider to be possible and I consider some things to be true that they consider possible. They may also consider some things to be probable that I consider to be improbable. It all depends on our biases, which we all have - some are just afraid to admit it.

I think we all need to work harder to understand each other and we need to spend less time attacking the character of each other. This book helps us do this - yes, even those of us who believe in a Creator. Creationists, IDers and evolutionists are nearly all sincere. There have been liars on both sides, but we need to realize that the person against whom we are debating is just that: a person. Whether they evolved or were created, they are of the same species as me and I respect them.

Overall, I did not find the tone of this book to be harsh or judgemental like, say, a Richard Dawkins book. This book, for the most part, just presents facts and what the writers perceive to be either facts or strong probabilities. I think the arguments in the article on Biological Complexity are particularly strong, though they have not persuaded me for a few reasons.

First, the author defines complexity in its different manifestations and then shows how evolution could (my word) allow for it; however, the fact that evolution could allow for it in the ways specified does not mean that it did. For example, the author states, "My colleagues have shown (not speculated, shown) that the amino-acid changes that are unique to the bar-headed goose hemoglobin (Perutz 1983; Jessen et al. 1991) do in fact confer higher affinity for oxygen." That is a complete quote, even the emphasis on the word shown is in the original article. Look closely at that quote and read the article in context and you'll see the repeated use of the phrases "changes that are" and "changes we observe" and so on. My point is this: the author emphasizes that his colleagues have "shown" that the amino-acid changes do confer higher affinity for oxygen. My question is: so what? The key to understanding why this argument does not change my opinion in any way is to note that they did not observer the amino-acids changing... they simply observed that the differences between these particular geese and others is in the amino-acids. This change could be designed or it could be lost in the other geese though their ancestors had it. It does not show that some new thing has developed only that it is a different thing than that which we see elsewhere. For this, design is just as good of an explanation.

Second, the argument that the concept of emergence allows for complexity to arise from simplcity is not an argument that proves that complexity has arisen from simplicity in evolutionary biology. It would, at best, prove that it could have. I could argue that God could have created it too. I would have no more observant evidence for my case than the argument of emergence has for the evolutionary case. This is not to say that we do not observe emergence, only that we have not observes a new complex biological entity emerging. In other words, it just says there is an explanation that's compatible with evolution, but it doesn't change the mind of one who is biased against evolution just like my statement arguing for God would not change the mind of one biased toward evolution.

Third and finally, the core argument of ID (irreducible complexity) is very lightly addressed. One example, the eye is given (though this is a fitting example since Darwin also addressed it in Origin) and possible evolutionary steps are highlighted. However, I was surprised to see no clear argument against the logic that says, "There are x number of things that have to be true for the eye to work and these x number of things had to evolve at the same time to make the eye useful. The odds of this happening are staggering and therefore it is just as rational to believe a supernatural power created the eye or guided the evolution of the same as it is to say that the dice fell in the right way." I've heard and read arguments that are acceptable against this logic, but the author didn't really provide them. Instead, an affectionate discourse on the thinking of Darwin was undertaken that resulted in no real persuasion ability.

Now, I'm sure some of you will dislike my review, and I understand. However, I hope you'll notice that I gave the book a good rating while at the same time clearly not being persuaded by it. This is because I love mental stimulation and this book certainly provides plenty. Let me be clear, I do not believe that any of the authors intended to manipulate or misrepresent the information and I hope that no comment has been taken to mean such; however, I do believe that a careful reading and an attention to the choice of words used in the articles reveals more about the bias of the writers (such as is revealed about me in this review too) than the articles reveal about the strengths of modern evolutionary science as opposed to intelligent design. Read more ›

123 of 145 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Scientists Separate Sense From Nonsense April 18, 2007

By Carl Flygare

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fervent fundamentalist religious groups (Jewish, Christian, or Islamic), have exhibited chronic allergies to science ever since Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species" convincingly presented his theory of evolution by natural selection. Unweaving rainbows could be tolerated - but dismantling cherished creation myths spawned an array of pseudoscientific hives and rashes ranging from 'creation science' to 'Intelligent Design.'

Faith-based resistance to evolution - a theory supported by an overwhelming and extraordinary consilience of scientific evidence - has deleteriously impacted everything from separation of church and state to economic competitiveness as science, and science education, became essential prerequisites for information age economies and political systems. "Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism" thoroughly and convincingly deconstructs the all dog, no pony, creationist and ID sideshow with sixteen essays by prominent scientists, historians, and educators.

PART ONE focuses on the origins of 'scientific creationism' and 'Intelligent Design.' Ronald L. Numbers unmasks the shell-game strategies employed by creationists attempting to substitute religious dogma for science in American classrooms. Shortly after the Supreme Court rejected 'scientific creationism' in the 1987 Edwards v. Aguillard ruling 'Intelligent Design,' chronicled by Eugenie C. Scott, whelped into view. Sired by an unremarkable claque of born again lawyers, underachieving academics, and a Moonie; 'Intelligent Design' was accompanied by a strident but content-free PR initiative from The Discovery Institute for the Renewal of Science and Culture. John R.... Cole closes this section by documenting the conceit that led backers of 'Intelligent Design' to their own Golgotha in Kitzmiller v. Dover in 2005.

PART TWO includes essays by Victor J. Stegner, G. Brent Dalrymple, and Antonia Lazcano that roast creationist chestnuts ranging from 'The Second Law of Thermodynamics makes evolution or the natural origin of life impossible' (it doesn't, in fact non-equilibrium thermodynamics underlies a variety of physical and chemical processes that allowed life to develop and evolve on earth); to the age of the earth itself - an incontrovertible 4.54 billion years old. Despite all available scientific evidence, Young Earth Creationists (YECs) continue to insist that earth and the cosmos are only 6,000 to 10,000 years old - only off by factors of 750,000 for the earth and more than 2,000,000 for the universe!

Other PART TWO highlights pair Kevin Padian's and Kenneth D. Angielczyk's paper on how creationists duplicitously deny transitional forms with Robert Dorit's insights on biological complexity - flagellating Michael Behe's clumsy implementation of 'irreducible complexity.' Wesley R. Elsberry succinctly reveals the statistical slight-of-hand inherent in William Dembski's 'Design Inference.' The pretentious pseudomathematics genre was invented by Dembski and Elsberry's denouement is a fitting coup de grace. A summary of Human evolution by C. Loring Brace closes out this segment.

PART THREE pits Robert T. Pennock against an addled Dembski on philosophical and methodological grounds. His summarization is priceless:

"In other words, Dembski's argument works like this: If you cannot think of a way for natural regularities and/or chance to explain something, they say that a 'designer' did it. Dembski's 'design inference' is nothing more than a formalization of a simple god-of-the gaps argument. It is the standard argument from ignorance put in the form of a flow chart." Game, set, and match to Pennock.

J. Michael Plavcan explores how the concept of cognitive dissonance compels creationists to leap from the same conceptual cliffs over and over again with lemming-like disregard for the consequences. This model of how 'creation scientists' regurgitate fallacious arguments in the face of repeated and authoritative rebuttals is my favorite essay. If you want to know how Henry Morris, Duane Gish and Ken Ham (among others) manage to get everything exactly wrong read this chapter first and then enjoy the rest of the book.

Editors Andrew J. Petto and Laurie R. Godfrey worked with the essayists to weave numerous threads into a coherent and compelling tapestry that successfully champions sense over nonsense. If you cherish reason and prefer a reality-based worldview to faith-based voodoo, you will treasure this book.

Also try Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationism by Robert T. Pennock, Unintelligent Design by Mark Perkah, The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design, Expanded Edition by Ronald L. Numbers, or Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design by Barbara Forrest Read more ›

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Collection of Papers Discussing the History and Analyzing the Veracity of Creationism August 31, 2008

By John Kwok HALL OF FAMEVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

"Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism" is an important updated edition of an earlier volume focusing on the history and claims made by "scientific creationists" back in the 1980s. This recently expanded edition, edited by Andrew J. Petto, editor of the Reports of the National Center for Science Education, and Laurie R. Godfrey, the editor of the original edition, takes a long, hard look at the history, scientific claims and educational implications of creationism, especially in its latest, most virulent, flavor, Intelligent Design. This superb tome is subdivided into three parts; the first is a historical and philosophical survey of creationism. The second part explores its most important scientific claims in ample detail. The third section examines creationism from the perspective of trying to understand science, discussing how and why it fails to meet the rigorous self-imposed centuries-old standards of peer-reviewed scientific research. The sixteen contributors include a diverse group of scientists, philosophers, and other educators, including such luminaries as philosopher of science Robert Pennock, geochronologist G. Brent Dalrymple, vertebrate paleobiologist Kevin Padian and historian Ronald Numbers. This is truly an important, exceptional book which deserves a place on the bookshelves of anyone seeking to understand the history and aims of American creationist movements, especially that of Intelligent Design.

The opening section on the history and philosophy of creationism features superlative essays written by Ronald Numbers and National Center for Science Education executive director Eugenie Scott. Numbers' essay starts this section with a terse, but vivid, account of the history of American creationism.... Scott follows with an in-depth examination of the Intelligent Design movement itself, emphasizing its recent legal debacle, the 2005 Kitzmiller vs. Dover Area School District trial. Anthropologist John Cole's concluding essay focuses on the significance of the Discovery Institute's notorious "Wedge Document" as a "blueprint" for inserting Intelligent Design creationism into almost every important facet of American educational and cultural life.

In the book's second section, there are several essays that I found especially useful. Physicist Victor J. Stenger explains creationism's fascination with cosmology, along with a lucid mathematical rebuttal of Discovery Institute Senior Fellow William Dembski's concept of Complex Specified Information. Geochronologist G. Brent Dalrymple's extensive essay on the ages of the universe and the Earth is the most succinct examination of this issue that I've come across, and one I recommend highly to all. Kevin Padian and Kenneth D. Angielczyk's "'Transitional Forms' versus Transitional Features" is an extensive overview of "missing links" in paleontology and their significance in constructing testable hypotheses about degrees of relationship between different species (or higher taxonomic units) as depicted in cladograms. Marine biologist Wesley Elsberry's extensive refutation of Dembski's Explanatory Filter/Design Inference demonstrates how and why this peculiar abuse of flow-chart diagrams and mathematical logic is quite nonsensical; here Elsberrry has demolished effectively the elaborate - if poorly "designed" - "mathematical" argument that Dembski has offered as "proof" of Intelligent Design.

Ending on a powerful note, the final section of "Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism" contains exceptional essays from philosopher Robert Pennock and evolutionary geneticist Norm Johnson. Pennock - whose superb "Tower of Babel" ranks foremost on my required reading list of books on creationism - tears apart the creationist canard of arguing from ignorance - the so-called "God of the Gaps", by asserting that absence of evidence does not automatically imply support of creationism, especially its Intelligent Design variety. Johnson follows with an insightful overview from his perspective of Drosophila genetics research, demonstrating how pioneering work, early in the last century, showed that evolution was indeed a valid scientific theory. The book's editors offer an intriguing, persuasive, closing essay explaining why it is necessary to explain the "controversial" aspects of contemporary evolutionary theory as part of the standard curricula of biology science classrooms. Read more ›