Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:32:50 +0000

First it is useful to consider how these arguments fare.

A. Meyer's inference to best explanation is founded on an absence of evidence for a mechanism for the origin of life, explicitly an absence of evidence for the origin of self-replicating evolvable molecules or cells. One can reach a tentative conclusion that design is the best explanation. But this conclusion must be held with an open hand. It is a classic gap argument. There is no guarantee that there will not be a reasonable mechanism proposed in 10 years, 50 years, or a century or two. There are promising directions for research into the origin of life and no sense yet of a dead end or insurmountable obstacles.

B. Dembski's proposal is an attempt to build a scientific defense of the proposition that undirected chemical and physical processes cannot result in the complexity of life we observe, particularly the complex information system of the cell - storage, replication, transcription, translation, and function. These ideas have not been demonstrated in any conclusive fashion - and I don't think that they will succeed for a variety of reasons, but it is a scientific approach to the idea of demonstrating design.

C. The arguments by analogy are poor across the board. While Meyer asserts that the arguments are strong because they rely on an identity rather than a similarity this is not demonstrated in any conclusive or convincing fashion. The analogies and illustrations presented in Meyer's book give the impression of much stronger arguments than actually exist. I tried to give a feeling for this in earlier posts - but we can discuss more here if there is disagreement.

D. The hypothesis of irreducible complexity is interesting - but is inherently a gap argument. The apparent examples of irreducible complexity may reflect a lack of understanding of mechanisms of evolution, ignorance of the functions served by building blocks along the path, and/or the removal of an underlying functional structure leaving the equivalent of a biological "natural arch". Any conclusions here must be held with an open hand.

Empirical evidence for design is as yet provisional and open to refutation in the future. The only direction capable of positive demonstration (B) has shown no real progress.

Does this mean that there is no design, or that design is a poor hypothesis? 

Here it is interesting to consider Mark Noll's white paper from the BioLogos workshop (direct link). In his white paper Noll outlines 15 of the attitudes, assumptions and convictions considered the most influential the science faith discussion and their historical context.  A few of these are particularly relevant to the discussion here. On p. 2 Noll sketches the thinking of Duns Scotus (1266-1308) and William of Ockham (1288-1348) which led to an idea at the root of much western thinking today:

Applied to science, this principle came to mean that if a natural event is explained adequately by a natural cause, there is no need to think about supernatural causes or even about the transcendent being of God. The combination of these philosophical positions is responsible for the very widely shared assumption that (1) once something is explained clearly and completely as a natural occurrence, there is no other realm of being that can allow it to be described in any other way.

For a very long time, this assumption was not regarded as anti-Christian, since God was considered the creator of nature and the laws of nature as well as also the active providential force that kept nature running as he had created it to run. (p. 2)

With the development of a scientific framework this root idea became troubling, led to Christian thought in the realm of natural theology - and to William Paley (1743-1805) among others. According to Noll:

The very important assumption behind the natural theology promoted by Paley was that (3) not only did God create and providentially order the natural world, but humans could figure out exactly how and why God ordered creation as he did. This assumption became critically important when later investigators of nature concluded that there was no obvious intention of God that explained what they discovered, and so belief in God was wrong-headed. Such views naturally antagonized those who did continue to believe in God and therefore insisted either that new discoveries did in fact reveal a providential design or that the new discoveries had to be false. (p. 3)

Both the intelligent design movement and the secularist movement incorporate these ideas and bring them into the 21st century:

Likewise, the Intelligent Design movement, with more sophistication, demonstrates an especially strong commitment to metaphysical univocity, harmonization, and natural theology (1, 2, 3), ... Moreover, this modern situation is complicated by the fact that many of the critics of Creation Science and Intelligent Design, both believers and unbelievers, also share some of these attitudes, especially those derived from metaphysical univocity, harmonization, and natural theology. (p. 11)

This is, I think, the root of the observation by NT Wright that we need to remove the spectacles of worldview and examine them as we consider the issues under discussion at the interface of science and faith (see our earlier discussion here). Perhaps the problem isn't with science or design, but with a commitment to a theological and philosophical misapprehension.

There is design, it is apparent in observation and experience, but it may or may not be empirically discernible distinct from "natural" processes - capable of unequivocal verification or disproof by experiment or logical argument. We have been misled by the development in western thought that forces a wedge between natural mechanism and work of God. Science from a Christian view merely seeks to understand creation and elucidate the history, mechanisms, and laws of God's creation. This includes the laws of chemistry and physics, evolutionary biology, and research into the origin of life. The first 13 centuries of the Christian era have much to teach us - as we understand and interpret scripture and as we approach and seek to understand God.

The idea that science elucidates the history, mechanisms, and laws of God's creation does not negate either the possibility or the reality of supernatural interaction of God with his creation - today, in the first century, or potentially in the origin of life - it simply means we come with an open mind and take what is set before us. We do not require a natural mechanism for Jesus to walk on water and the search for one is unnecessary. On the other hand a "natural" means (as in the all night wind of Exodus 14:21) may exist, but presence or absence is secondary to the act of God and the story.

As I see it the evidence suggests that evolution is God's means of creation of the diversity of life, the evidence suggests no natural means for resurrection, and the origin of life is an open question. But we have no horse in the race, "natural" or not - God did it, intentionally, intelligently, and with design.

What do you think? Is the search for empirical evidence of design a necessary endeavor as we confront the secular naturalism of the 21st century? Or does it miss the point?

If you wish to contact me, you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net

One question we are often asked by contemporaries and journalists alike is, “Where do you see design going in the coming year?” Here’s what we tell them:

Pineapple House clients are very aware and focused on “Green” design. This new consciousness about Ecology is combining with the realities of the Great Recession to bring into focus the importance of the reasonable, sustainable use of resources. In ‘the old days’, one referred to this concept as simply ‘not being wasteful’, but the concept has taken on societal and political undertones that have thrust it into the forefront of many decisions we designers make.

What is challenging is how to take the concepts of luxury and art and mesh them with conservation.  On the whole, we see this playing out in smaller, more detailed homes. Gone forever is the idea of bigger is better–now it is all about details, quality and giving meaning to your interior.

Here are a few examples of some of our work in which the tiniest details reign supreme.