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Title: Darwinism, Design, and Public Education (Rhetoric and Public Affairs Series) by John Angus Campbell, Stephen C. Meyer ISBN: 0-87013-675-5 Publisher: Michigan State University Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $28.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (10 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: The best work on intelligent design, ever
Comment: The latest book on intelligent design titled Darwinism, Design, and Public Education is edited by Professors John Angus Campbell and Stephen Myer (2003 Michigan State University Press. East Lansing, MI.). This 634 page book is extremely well done, much better than that by Robert Pennock. First of all, it is more up to date, better written, usually avoids ad hominem attacks, and covers more biology. I found most all of the chapters were excellent, even those by persons who held the position that I disagree with. To be honest, this book has caused me to rethink the whole issue of intelligent design. Michael Ruse's chapter is fairly well done and has some very good points. On the other hand, Pigliucci has a chapter that is going to haunt him in the future! He argues that teaching only atheism in public school science classes will please him and many other leading scientists. He does not even want theistic evolution taught in the schools, only pure atheism will do, and he opposes all attempts to present theistic evolution in a favorable light! Extreme positions such as this will only play into the hands of creationists, making teaching science that more difficult.The important part is the large illustrated sections on biology that are must reading, to say the least. If you buy one book on intelligent design this should be it! It is not an introduction to the subject but should be easy to follow if you have some background in biology. Many of the chapters are very lively and entertaining. This book could also be used in a college class as a text (I am going to consider it in my evolution classes as a required reading source).
Rating: 5
Summary: An important, peer-reviewed book on teaching the controversy
Comment: To be fair I need to let readers know that I work for Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture, the nation's leading think tank challenging neo-Darwinism, and where both the editors and several contributors to "Darwinism, Design and Public Education" are research Fellows and staff members. I strongly recommend that readers interested in this book and this subject visit the Center's website at discovery.org/csc/ (not discovery.com).
"Darwinism, Design and Public Education" (DDPE) is a peer-reviewed book that presents a multi-faceted scientific case for the theory of intelligent design and also examines the legal and pedagogical arguments for teaching students about the scientific controversies that surround the issue of biological origins.
One of the most important aspects of the book is that it expands on existing scientific arguments for intelligent design -from the presence of information in DNA and the presence of irreducibly complex molecular machines in the cell- while developing new scientific arguments for design based on developments in paleontology, such as the Cambrian explosion and comparative anatomy. This is a long-awaited scientific advancement for the scientific theory of intelligent design, the emerging challenger to neo-Darwinism.
The publisher, Michigan State University, in accordance with academic policies for its Rhetoric and Public Affairs Series, submitted the book to an expert panel of reviewers including a professor of biochemistry at an Ivy-league school and professors in the philosophy of science and rhetoric of human inquiry fields. This will go a long ways in silencing critics of intelligent-design who constantly, and falsely, claim that the theory is not supported by peer-reviewed literature. There is no doubt that this volume has been peer-reviewed.
DDPE presents a strong case for the theory of intelligent design as well as a critique, in order to advance critical thinking and greater public understanding of science. In doing so, the editors enlisted contributors that include intelligent design's leading proponents, as well as its critics, with each side offering in-depth arguments from science and legal and education policy.
Additionally, Darwinism, Design and Public Education shows the importance of fully and completely presenting evolution, including both the weaknesses and the strengths of the theory. Current textbooks and science curricula need to address the growing skepticism with Darwinian evolution, as well as better explaining the emerging scientific theory of intelligent design, which is exactly what Darwinism, Design and Public Education does.
According to co-editor Professor John Angus Campbell of the University of Memphis, "Darwinism, Design and Public Education makes a case for the educational value of teaching science in a way that prepares lay people to understand it and approach it critically. Students in the humanities are encouraged to doubt, question, and think critically about the theories presented to them, and so should students in the sciences." In that regard DDPE takes its own advice and models the critical and open approach that its main contributors advocate as a matter of science education policy.
DDPE presents the controversy over teaching Darwinism and design, and presents a roadmap for how the debate can be conducted at any academic level in a way that advances science education and teaches critical thinking.
Rob Crowther, Discovery Institute
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent resource for "Teach the Controversy"
Comment: EDIT (6/13/04): My apologies for dual reviews; the first I submitted did not appear for a couple of days and I had not saved the text, so I wrote another.
- Should Darwinian Evolution be taught critically or dogmatically in public schools? Should students learn about the evidence against macroevolution as well as the evidence for it?
- Is it legal and indeed beneficial to teach Intelligent Design as a viable alternative? Is ID indeed scientific or only a relgious rehash of scientific creationism?
- Does life only have the "appearance" of design which can be accounted for by only natural causes? OR does Darwinian Evolution only have the "appearance" of explaining origins, while Intelligent Design is a logical and evidential inference?
These are only a few of the important and difficult questions that this volume attempts to address. Though the book is edited by ID authors, there are plenty of articles from various points of view - both regarding the theories themselves and the question of education.
Regardless of whether one believes in evolution or ID, a change in public education seems necessary. Most important, students have the right to know evidence for and against of theory - and indeed to know which parts of evolution are considered factual and which parts are theoretical (the authors clearly distinguish between the different meanings of evolution from "change over time", to "variation and adaption", "common decent" and even Dawnins' "Blind Watchmaker" philosophical position. Textbooks also need to be corrected to include evidence against the theory and to eliminate the metaphysical aspects (such as comments like "purposelessness" which attempts to teach that evolution necessary removes God and the possibiliy of the supernatural). Those implications need to be constrained to other courses, not science classes. Both evolution and ID have both scientific and philosophical aspects, but only the former are appropriate for science classes.
A previous reviewer has done a great job of summarizing the various parts of the book. At any rate, this book is a great resource for the "Teach the Controversy" issue and I highly recommend it.
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Title: The Design Revolution: Answering the Toughest Questions About Intelligent Design by William A. Dembski, Charles W. Colson ISBN: 0830823751 Publisher: Inter Varsity Press Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: What Darwin Didn't Know by Geoffrey Simmons, William Dembski ISBN: 0736913130 Publisher: Harvest House Publishers Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
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Title: Doubts About Darwin: A History of Intelligent Design by Thomas Woodward ISBN: 0801064430 Publisher: Baker Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
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Title: Uncommon Dissent: Intellectuals Who Find Darwinism Unconvincing by William A. Dembski, John. Wilson ISBN: 1932236317 Publisher: ISI Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2004 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: God, the Devil, and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory by Niall Shanks ISBN: 0195161998 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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