Intelligent Design and Irreducible Complexity Flashcards
What does intelligent design suggest?
Certain features of the universe and all living things are best explain by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process like natural selection
What does ID avoid?
Saying that the intelligent cause is God
What does William Dembski use?
Specified Complexity, complex information that is highly specified indicates the fingerprints of intelligence.
Who came up with Irreducible Complexity?
Dr Michael Behe
What was Behe’s book called?
Opening Darwin’s black box
What is the definition of irreducible complexity?
a single system composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning
Why does irreducible complexity not suit natural selection?
An irreducibly complex system cannot be produced directly by numerous, successive, slight modifications of a previous system, because any precursor would have not functioned.
Since natural selection can only choose systems that are already working, a biological system cannot be produced gradually it would have to arise as an integrated unit.
What are the examples Behe uses?
The bacterial flagellum, the cilliim and the mousetrap
What are the strengths of intelligent design?
Reasonable scientific conclusion with evidence, stays strictly within the bounds of science and does not mention God
What are the weaknesses of Intelligent Design?
A mousetrap has been made that has less parts so simples biochemical machines could work as well, leads to God of the Gaps, some people fear that god is the elephant in the room
