Teaching Of Intelligent Design Research Articles

Public Reason, Science and Faith: The Case of Intelligent Design

This article considers the justification of laws to religious citizens. It does via a consideration of the debate surround the teaching of Intelligent Design. It argues that one widely held view of political morality, public reason liberalism, requires that schools should allow teaching ID. This is contrary to the views of many defenders of this theory. I show that this argument reveals a deep problem with public reason liberalism, and that it undermines the judgement of the court in the high profile case of Kitzmiller vs Dover.

An exploratory examination of Islamic values in science education: Islamization of science teaching and learning via constructivism

This exploratory study outlines the perceptions of four Muslim graduate students regarding Islam and its influence on their approach to the teaching and learning of science. All of the four interviewees were enrolled in science related programmes at a Midwestern US university. The interview responses were evaluated both within the frame of the Islamization of science and Ian Barbour’s (When science meets religion: enemies, strangers, or partners?, Harper, San Francisco, 2000) classification, which is based on four categories; conflict, independence, dialogue, and integration. Interviews were semi-structured and the data analyzed using a framework of typological and interpretive approaches (Hatch in Doing qualitative research in education settings, State University of New York Press, New York, 2002). The interview findings show that Barbour’s classification is a useful tool for categorizing perceptions. However, these perceptions may fall into more than one category. A surprising side effect was the misinterpretation and misuse of constructivism as well as the notion of a scientific theory as ways to negate the theory of evolution, and promote the teaching of intelligent design. These misinterpretations and misuses occur because there is the belief that the interaction between science and religion in daily life is considered part of the cultural setting in Islamic countries, which is what students bring to the table, as well as the notion that reality can only be found in the Qur’an.

Evolution: Reducible Complexity — The Case for Bacterial Flagella

A recent paper, which will surely figure centrally in the debate between evolutionists and Intelligent Design creationists, proposes a (perhaps too simple) scheme for the evolution of bacterial flagella.

Evolution and Christian faith: reflections of an evolutionary biologist

I'm an evolutionary biologist and a Christian, states Stanford professor Joan Roughgarden at the outset of her groundbreaking new book, Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist. From that perspective, she offers an elegant, deeply satisfying reconciliation of the theory of evolution and the wisdom of the Bible. Perhaps only someone with Roughgarden's unique academic standing could examine so well controversial issues such as the teaching of intelligent design in public schools, or the potential flaws in Darwin's theory of evolution. Certainly Roughgarden is uniquely suited to reference both the minutiae of scientific processes and the implication of biblical verses. Whether the topic is mutation rates and lizards or the hidden meanings behind St. Paul's letters, Evolution and Christian Faith distils complex arguments into everyday understanding. Roughgarden has scoured the Bible and scanned the natural world, finding examples time and again, not of conflict, but of harmony. The result is an accessible and intelligent context for seeing a Christian vision of the world that embraces science. In the ongoing debates over creationism and evolution, Evolution and Christian Faith will be seen as a work of major significance, written for contemporary readers who wonder how - or if - they can embrace scientific advances while maintaining their traditional values.

Kansas Standards Evolve Again

Eighteen months after its state education board adopted science standards promoting the teaching of intelligent design (ID), Kansas is set to toss them out. Next month, a newly aligned board expects to adopt standards that emphasize evolution. The change follows elections that flipped the board's 6

Evolution Trumps Intelligent Design in Kansas Vote

Defenders of evolution are set to regain control of the Kansas Board of Education and overturn the state9s science standards, which are widely seen as favoring the teaching of intelligent design. (Read more.)

Bush Backs Teaching Intelligent Design

Echoing comments made about creationism when he was governor of Texas, U.S. President George W. Bush told a group of Texas reporters this week that he supports the teaching of intelligent design (ID) in schools. “Part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought,” said Bush, without elaborating. In February, John Marburger, the president's science adviser, stated that ID is “not a scientific theory.” But Marburger says that he and Bush are not at odds over whether ID should be discussed in schools. “To ignore [ID] in the classroom is a mistake,” said Marburger in an interview with Science , although he added that ID should not be taught “as an alternative” to evolution. Marburger wouldn't say whether he'd discussed the issue with Bush. If Bush wants ID “to be a substitute or alternative [to evolution], … that would be a terrible mistake,” says Leonard Krishtalka, director of the Biodiversity Research Center at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. However, he notes, it's reasonable for the president to support teaching ID as part of the history of biology. ID proponent William Dembski of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, welcomed the support but said that he hoped Bush would support teaching ID in biology classes.

MORE THAN YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT INTELLIGENT DESIGN1

The so-called evolution wars (Futuyma 1995; Pigliucci 2002) between the scientific understanding of the history of life on earth and various religiously inspired forms of creationism are more than ever at the forefront of the broader ‘‘science wars,’’ themselves a part of the even more encompassing ‘‘cultural wars.’’ With all these conflicts going on, and at a time when a potentially historical case on the teaching of Intelligent Design (ID) in public schools is being debated in Pennsylvania, it may be useful to consider a number of books that have come out recently to help scientists and the public at large to understand what all the fuss is about. Let me make clear at the outset that creationism is not going to go away just because it will be defeated on intellectual grounds. If that were the case, we would not have this problem at the onset of the 21st century, long after Copernicus and Galileo ought to have paved the way. This is a problem deeply rooted in psychological fears, religious ideology, political opportunism and widespread anti-intellectualism, the latter itself with complex and profound roots (Hofstadter 1963). However, it is important to understand what the intellectual issues are, if one is to honestly make a case for science to the general public. Moreover, it is important for scientists to come to terms with the fact that most of the discussion is inextricably connected with issues about the very nature of science; that is, with philosophy. That is why the first book to be considered in this review is about philosophy of science, though it was written by a biologist. We will then examine what an actual philosopher has to say about the issue, and conclude with two edited volumes, one of which attempts to give a ‘‘balanced’’ view, the other unapologetically proscience.