What could have been
by KrauzeWhile Professor Mirecki's "slap in the face" course on intelligent design has been canceled, another more promising course is being offered by Knox College. The course, which Professor Martin Roth will teach in philosophy, is going to "look at intelligent design on three levels: as an argument for the existence of God, as an alternative to evolution in science, and in the context of the current debate over evolution and religion."
Whereas Professor Mirecki's course gave every appearance of being a "debunking" course on intelligent design, Professor Roth's course promises to be discussion-oriented, and will feature lectures by people who come down on different sides of the issue. It's also refreshing to note that instead of treating intelligent design as a modern creationist reaction to evolution, Professor Roth will engage in the long history of the concept, which dates back to at least Plato in ancient Greece.
(HT: Evolution News & Views)
December 4th, 2005 at 11:36 pm
This sounds cool. In fact, I suggested something like this months ago.
Consider this:
Did you get that? Such historical illiteracy was found among seniors at 50 of the best colleges and universities in the country.
It's this type of historical illiteracy which allows the propagandists to cherrypick and then sell the notion that the concept of Design was invented 20 years ago by a lawyer looking to get creationism taught in the schools. It looks like Dr. Roth's class should help swat down at least this bit of misinformation.
Comment by MikeGene — December 4, 2005 @ 11:36 pm
December 5th, 2005 at 1:17 am
Even historians of science often don't act particularly literate when it comes to ID. A few weeks ago the history of science, medicine and technology listserv on H-NET was having an ID discussion, and you would think most of them were (historically ignorant) science cheerleaders; quite a different stance than they often take with other science/society issues.
I posted some excerpts with comments, which you folks might find interesting:
http://ragesossscholar.blogspo...
Comment by ragesoss — December 5, 2005 @ 1:17 am
December 5th, 2005 at 8:31 am
Ragesoss,
Thank you for the link, as your essay was truly outstanding. And your story about cosmos shows an unusally keen insight into all of this.
Comment by MikeGene — December 5, 2005 @ 8:31 am
December 5th, 2005 at 11:51 am
I very much applaud this new course in Knox College. It is being offered in a venue that allows healthy discussion and by an instructor who would not cause the course to be tainted by controversy.
If someone like Mirecki or even someone like myself were involved, it would tarnish the course's reputation.
I point again to this prophetic post by Mike Gene:
Mike's advice to Salvador
Comment by Salvador T. Cordova — December 5, 2005 @ 11:51 am
December 5th, 2005 at 1:13 pm
Ah well, I was sorry to see Mirecki's class go, because it was pretty clearly going to be an utter farce, and a good, obvious farce is always fun to watch from the outside.
Roth's class, on the other hand, looks to be a good thing for all the right reasons (those being service to balance, clarity, and truth).
Comment by Deuce — December 5, 2005 @ 1:13 pm
January 18th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
**
Actually, monist Intelligent Design dates prior to both Plato [dualist] and the materialists/atomists. In western thought, it dates at least as far back as Heraklitus.
**
mturner
Comment by mturner — January 18, 2006 @ 11:32 pm