I'm currently reading Why I Am Not A Christian by Bertrand Russell and From the first chapter I have learned that the " creation by design" idea has been around at least since the late 1940s. It was easily argued down during that period, but I would like to know just how far back it goes?
2007-01-11 09:48:46 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Read Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion by David Hume. It is a devastating put down of the Argument from Design which is what creationism and Intelligent Design used to be called. It was very fashionable in the 18th century and Bishop Berkely was one of its main proponents.
It is one of the classics of Western philosophy written before Darwin but anticipating many of his arguments, it still reads as though it could have been published yesterday (unfortunately). Hume was Russell's hero.
And as usual the Creationists who will post here will be completely ignorant of it. And really some of the comments in this very thread were dealt with to devastating effect 3 centuries ago.
2007-01-11 09:54:38 · answer #1 · answered by fourmorebeers 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Since before 1925 (Scopes trial). This question has been a recurring one each generation for a very, very long time. Historically, the arguments were necessarily religious in nature and bible verses were used as "proof." However, because using this method would be introducing too much religion into the public education system (and thus government), these arguments were thrown out during court cases in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
So, those who believe that EVERYONE should learn that there is a god and that god created the universe and everything in it had to become creative. Therefore, they reformulated the argument to one that an "intelligent designer" *must* have had a hand in the creation of the universe because some things are too complex to leave to chance. They try to crouch this argument more in pseudo-scientific speak hoping that schools could not refuse to teach it.
Still, this method has only enjoyed a limited success as well.
2007-01-11 17:56:27 · answer #2 · answered by jenn_smithson 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "Inteligent Design Myth" as you call it has been around much longer that the 1940's. All one has to do is look around at the trees, birds, sky and inside yourself and check out the first two chapters of the Bible which begin with the words " In the beginning, GOD". Darwin bases science has yet to prove that any complex organism started with one cell that evolved into something else. The physical scienses do not support the theory of evolution. Physics says that everything looses energy because of resistance or inertia.There is always resistance to any kind of change unless that change is for the worse.Physics says that all will eventually devolve to chaos.
2007-01-11 18:06:21 · answer #3 · answered by Duesenburg M 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
LOL @ the "myth of evolution".....hahahahahhaha
anyways.....Idiots far and wide believe we were plopped down here by God for centuries...
Only til Darwin, among others, pointed out the obvious with his keen observations about nature did we start to realize this is the better explanation to the origin of man, and scientific study after study has never refuted it, but only has enriched it and confirmed it's truth.
The 'intelligent design' ilk is very recent......they are the biggest conspiracy theorists in all of America....
2007-01-11 17:58:19 · answer #4 · answered by janesweetjane 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
ID as a pseudo-scientific hypothesis is actually relatively new. The design theories that came before made absolutely no attempt to root their beliefs in scientific hypothesis (AFAIK). Only recently, have creationists adapted their theories in reaction to the overwhelming scientific evidence against a literal interpretation of the bible.
EDIT
Earl D. go get about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 boxes and shake them repeatedly over the course of a billion years, then come talk to me. But before you do that, please learn the difference between abiogenesis and evolution. It is an important distinction.
2007-01-11 17:55:36 · answer #5 · answered by mullah robertson 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I don't know about that, but the term 'intelligent design' as it is now meant came about around 1987, when the courts ruled that it was unconstitutional to teach creationism in schools. So they changed the name and started pushing it back in.
2007-01-11 17:53:31 · answer #6 · answered by eri 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would say that some sort of creation myth has been aroung since man first evolved.
It's nothing more than primitive man's attempt to explain the world since science wasn't evolved enough to explain.
Today's creationists are simply following old myths.
2007-01-11 17:53:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Probably as long as the Evolution Theory!
2007-01-11 17:54:39 · answer #8 · answered by Lives7 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Since man Intellegently Designed the Wheel.
Go get a box, fill it with some chemicals, shake them up and see if you can produce life that way.
That's how science says the Universe did it!
2007-01-11 17:55:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
Probably as long as the myth of evolution.
2007-01-11 17:53:09 · answer #10 · answered by Jerry 3 · 2⤊ 4⤋