Nature, Design, and Science: The Status of Design in Natural Science (Philosophy and Biology)

Ratzsch, Del

ISBN 10: 0791448940 / ISBN 13: 9780791448946

Published by State University of New York Pre, 2001

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Nature, Design, and Science: The Status of Design in Natural Science (Philosophy and Biology)
• Publisher: State University of New York Pre
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0791448940
• ISBN 13: 9780791448946
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Explores the question of whether or not concepts and principles involving supernatural intelligent design can occupy any legitimate place within science.

Although the scientific illegitimacy of supernatural design is typically asserted with enormous confidence and vigor, there has been surprisingly little actual work on such key foundational issues as even what design is and on specific criteria for assessing its legitimacy, or lack, as a scientific concept. However, intelligent supernatural design is again surfacing in discussions both of anthropic principles and of certain types of biological complexity. This book develops a definition of design, explicates the more specific concept of supernatural design, defends a general criterion for scientific legitimacy, and argues that in some cases the concept of intelligent supernatural design can meet the relevant requirements for scientific legitimacy.

About the Author

Del Ratzsch is Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College. He is the author of Philosophy of Science: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective; The Battle of Beginnings: Why Neither Side Is Winning the Creation-Evolution Debate; and Science & its Limits: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective.