Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe

by William A. Dembski; Michael J. Behe; Stephen C. Meyer

Publisher:

Ignatius

, 2000

Overview

As progress in science continues to reveal unimagined complexities, a mathematician, a biochemist, and a philosopher of science revisit the difficult and compelling question of the origin of our universe. They explore the possibility of developing a reliable method for detecting evidence, and an intelligent designer, for design at the origin of life. In the process, they present a strong case for a fruitful exchange between science and theology.

Mathematician William Dembski first argues that new developments in the information sciences make intelligent design objectively and scientifically detectable—he even identifies the signs of design. Next, philosopher of science Stephen Meyer and biochemist Michael Behe argue that these signs are now clearly evident in both the architecture of the universe and the features of living systems. Other essays by the authors defend intelligent design’s scientific status and show how that theory supports traditional religious belief without necessarily “proving” the existence of God. In a concluding essay, Michael Behe responds to critics of his best-selling, Darwin’s Black Box, bringing readers up to date on the contemporary design argument in biology.

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Key Features

• Analysis of intelligent design
• Examination of the “fine-tuning” of the laws of physics
• Discussion of the relationship between science and religion

Contents

• The Third Mode of Explanation: Detecting Evidence of Intelligent Design in the Sciences
• Evidence for Design in Physics and Biology: From the Origin of the Universe to the Origin of Life
• Evidence for Design at the Foundation of Life
• Answering Scientific Criticisms of Intelligent Design
• The Scientific Status of Intelligent Design: The Methodological Equivalence of Naturalistic and Non-Naturalistic Origins Theories
• Fruitful Interchange or Polite Chitchat? The Dialogue Between Science and Theology

Top Highlights

“What about this signal indicates design? Whenever we infer design, we must establish three things: contingency, complexity, and specification. Contingency, by which we mean that an event was one of several possibilities, ensures that the object is not the result of an automatic and hence unintelligent process. Complexity ensures that the object is not so simple that it can readily be explained by chance. Finally, specification ensures that the object exhibits the type of pattern characteristic of intelligence.” (Pages 25–26)

“This situation has begun to change. Over the last fifty years, discoveries, not only in biology, but also in physics, astronomy, and cosmology, suggest that life and the universe manifest signs of real, not just apparent, design.” (Page 11)

“He wrote in the Origin of Species that: ‘If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.’” (Page 119)

“Despite superficially impressive results, these ‘simulations’ conceal an obvious flaw: molecules in situ do not have a target sequence ‘in mind’.” (Page 81)

“three modes of explanation: necessity, chance, and design” (Page 17)

Product Details

• Title: Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe
• Authors: Michael Behe, William Dembski, and Stephen Meyer
• Publisher: Ignatius Press
• Publication Date: 2000
• Pages: 180

About the Authors

Michael Behe is a professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and a fellow of the Discovery Institute. He received his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of Darwin’s Black Box.

William Dembski is the director of the Michael Polanyi Center at Baylor University and is a fellow of Discovery Institute. He holds a PhD in mathematics from the University of Illinois in Chicago and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of The Design Inference and Intelligent Design.

Stephen Meyer is an associate professor of philosophy at Whitworth College and the director of Discovery Institute’s Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture. He received his PhD in history and philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge for a dissertation on origin-of-life biology and the methodology of the historical sciences.