10.18.08
Can Christians (monotheists) handle the design argument?
Critique of Intelligent Design: Materialism versus Creationism from Antiquity to the Present (Paperback)
I have finished reading this, but will delay a review for the nonce.
As I predicted in my first post on this book (having not read it), if it indulges in ‘naive selectionism’ citing the natural selection argument the book will fail.
Sure enough. This book from Monthly Review is bad Marxism, bad Darwinism, and bad on religion. And may convince the gonzos at Scienceblogs, but won’t help the debate here.
It has one redeeming feature, an interesting historical expansion, the story told beginning with the birth of the evolution/design debate in the era of the Greeks. Socrates vs Epicurus.
Socrates??
Socrates was one of the first challengers to the legacy of early Pre-Socratic pro-evolution, and spawned a spontaneous ‘design’ argument.
Although I don’t buy the current design argument, it is telling to consider Socrates espousing it, centuries before its exploitation by religious dogmatists.
It arose when people were still able to think, and hence the ‘endorsement’ is almost convincing.
My point is not to endorse the design argument, but to consider that its ancient and honorable legacy has been perveted by theologians.
Let’s face it. Christians are unconvincing on the design question.