|
Intelligent Design in the Public Schools As a Biology teacher, the question of whether or not public school students should learn about "intelligent design" (ID) in their science classes is one I have encountered frequently in my home state of Kansas. My position is that ID should not be taught in public schools. Although there are several reasons why ID is not acceptable, my position is based primarily on the tactics used by ID advocates to promote their cause. Rather than formally submit their ideas to the scientific community for review and criticism, promoters of ID have taken their case directly to local school boards and other governmental agencies. This strategy represents an attempt to make an "end run" around the scientific community. One can only speculate on the motives of ID advocates, but these tactics certainly suggest that they are concerned that their ideas might not stand up to the scrutiny of the scientific community. To be fair, some ID proponents have attempted to set forth the theoretical basis for ID in the form of popular books. For example, biochemist Michael Behe has written "Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution." This very well-written book attempts to establish and define the concept of "irreducible complexity." However, significant flaws in Behe's arguments have been pointed out by scientific critics, and these flaws have not yet been adequately addressed by Behe. Despite the flaws, ID advocates continue to tout Behe's ideas as the "downfall of Darwinian evolution." It is clear that the essential practice of scientific self-correction does not take place within the ID movement. The place to advance new scientific explanations is in the scientific community where qualified scientists can examine the claims and test their validity and usefulness. To completely ignore this requirement of the scientific endeavor not only undermines the self-correcting nature of modern science, it puts teachers and students at risk. Because its supporters have not yet formally submitted their ideas for scientific scrutiny, ID has not had the chance to gain the kind of widespread recognition that other accepted scientific ideas have. Consequently, ID is not currently being taught at the college level. Yet many ID advocates seem to think that science teachers, who may have no previous knowledge of ID, are qualified to teach it in public school classrooms. This reckless strategy leads one to question the motives behind the recent push to insert ID into public school curricula. |
|
