Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Miller’s “Evolutionary Design” – an oxymoron or Trojan horse?

Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

“Evolution” is defined so broadly as to prevent refutation. That requires that the whale of “macroevolution” (simple organism to human beings) must be swallowed along with the gnat of “microevolution” – any mutation or change = “evolution”.

Now Kenneth Miller is attempting to transform the Design vs Evolution argument, by claiming nature reveals “evolutionary design” – purely based on “nature” – without an intelligent cause.
Will the public recognize this as an oxymoron?
OR
Will it welcomed as the Trojan horse that undermines Intelligent Design?
————————
There Is ‘Design’ In Nature, Biologist Argues

“ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2008) — Brown University biologist Kenneth Miller has to hand one victory to the “intelligent design” crowd. They know how to frame an issue. “The idea that there is ‘design’ in nature is very appealing,” Miller said. “People want to believe that life isn’t purposeless and random. That’s why the intelligent design movement wins the emotional battle for adherents despite its utter lack of scientific support.”

“To fight back, scientists need to reclaim the language of ‘design’ and the sense of purpose and value inherent in a scientific understanding of nature,” he said.
In a Feb. 17, 2008 symposium at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Boston,* Miller will argue that science itself, including evolutionary biology, is predicated on the idea of “design” — the correlation of structure with function that lies at the heart of the molecular nature of life. . . “

“Miller will use arguments from his new book, Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America’s Soul to be published by Viking Press in May, for his AAAS talk. Miller will argue that the scientific community must address the attractiveness of the “design” concept and make the case that science itself is based on the idea of design — or the regularity of organization, function, and natural law that gives rise to the world in which we live.

“He points out that structural and molecular biologists routinely speak of the design of proteins, signaling pathways, and cellular structures. He also notes that the human body bears the hallmarks of design, from the ball sockets that allows hips and shoulders to rotate to the “s” curve of the spine that allows for upright walking.
“There is, indeed, a design to life — an evolutionary design,” Miller said. “The structures in our bodies have changed over time, as have its functions. Scientists should embrace this concept of ‘design,’ and in so doing, claim for science the sense of orderly rationality in nature to which the anti-evolution movement has long appealed.”

“In a Feb. 17, 2008 symposium at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Boston,* Miller will argue that science itself, including evolutionary biology, is predicated on the idea of “design” — the correlation of structure with function that lies at the heart of the molecular nature of life.”

See full article: Brown University (2008, February 18). There Is ‘Design’ In Nature, Biologist Argues. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/02/080217143838.htm

Comments
oops Ken Miller.PannenbergOmega
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
05:50 PM
5
05
50
PM
PDT
I thought Keith Miller was Catholic.PannenbergOmega
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
05:49 PM
5
05
49
PM
PDT
I didn't realize that Phil W had beaten me to the punch about Keith Miller. By the way Keith Miller thinks that the Cambrian Explosion supports Darwinian processes. He is a TE who contributes to the ASA site and has edited a long book on evolution. So he might be considered the topic of a thread in the future.jerry
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
04:48 PM
4
04
48
PM
PDT
DLH, You have Miller referred to as Keith Miller in the second paragraph. He is a geologist who has also written books on evolution. I believe everything here refers to Ken Miller, the biologist. {DH Thanks - Corrected. Dyslexic confusion with another author.}jerry
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
04:42 PM
4
04
42
PM
PDT
mike1962:
Show the public the evidence, and let the chips fall where they may.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. If the biological community can show me how life started; if they can show me how life migrated from soup to single-cell, especially how life adapted to protein development; if they can show me experimental proof that irreduceably complex things really can naturally occur (try producing a flagellum via stages of single mutation events); if they can show me real calculations demonstrating the Walter ReMine is incorrect; if they can make sense of the evidence that some conserved DNA seems to have no obvious function to organisms; if they can show that NDE can filter the multiple mutations per organism that the data requires, then I will happily agree with the scientific community that there is a strong case for the neo-Darwinian model.bFast
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
04:36 PM
4
04
36
PM
PDT
WHY do the scientists that are design friendly bases on the evidence ban together on guys like this and do something like sign a petition or something stating that this fellow "Miller" does NOT speak for us. Seems we don't make arguments or editorials as a group to get this lie exposed - lots of free press to take it out there.alan
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
04:31 PM
4
04
31
PM
PDT
Miller: That’s why the intelligent design movement wins the emotional battle for adherents despite its utter lack of scientific support. "Science", to them, is conveniently defined to rule out a design inference. I think the key to "winning the public" is to simply show people the evidence, particularly of the cell's inner workings. The internals of cells show many hallmarks of engineering foresight, a hallmark of the intelligent design inference. Modern engineering and information processing terms are well suited for these little guys. Not because they are merely like little factories and machines, but because they indeed are. Is it an argument from incredulity? You're d**n right it is. Time to start labeling fools what they are. Show the public the evidence, and let the chips fall where they may.mike1962
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
04:19 PM
4
04
19
PM
PDT
The more I study the innards of cells, the most I believe that those who deny the involvement of an intelligent agency in it's machinery and processes are just insane. Just show people the evidence and let the chips fall. The Emperor has no clothes.mike1962
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
04:10 PM
4
04
10
PM
PDT
DLH wrote: "Now Keith Miller is attempting ..." You meant "Kenneth Miller", right? {DH Thanks - Corrected. Dyslexic confusion with another author.}Phil W
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
03:46 PM
3
03
46
PM
PDT
Oxymoron or Trojan Horse? *tsk* No. Neither. A borrowing. Hitching a ride on a popular term for full effect to see how far you can ride said wave. A pre-emption of terminology.S Wakefield Tolbert
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
02:58 PM
2
02
58
PM
PDT
I think that there is something very relevant in the following study: "Identical Twins' DNA Varies" http://www.livescience.com/health/080221-twins-not.html There is discussion around the maximum number of mutations per generation that NDE can withstand. I contend that NDE cannot withstand more than one mutation in active DNA per generation. Other suggest that we can withstand about 3, but no more. This study would suggest that we have a lot more than 3 mutations per generation. As such, it is an NDE stopper.bFast
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
01:44 PM
1
01
44
PM
PDT
Miller's idea of design: " the correlation of structure with function that lies at the heart of the molecular nature of life" is a distortion. He is calling the effect "design", but design is the whole process of cause-and-effect, with emphasis on the cause. After all, there are design engineers, but not design manufacturers (manufacture implies there is a design already).Jaz
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
01:41 PM
1
01
41
PM
PDT
Miller: That’s why the intelligent design movement wins the emotional battle for adherents despite its utter lack of scientific support. Phrases like "utter lack of scietific support" are, of course, those of a demagogue. It immediately indicates dishonesty on the part of Miller. The very concept of design requires intention and intention requires anticipation. A blind non-intentional process like Darwinian evolution cannot possibly design anything because that would require the ability to be proactive. Miller comes across as a politician/con artist/liar.Mapou
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
12:42 PM
12
12
42
PM
PDT
Miller must not be very confident in the survivability of the existing paradigm.tribune7
February 21, 2008
February
02
Feb
21
21
2008
12:36 PM
12
12
36
PM
PDT
1 2 3

Leave a Reply