Intelligent design is the idea that, because of the complexity of certain features of nature, an “intelligent designer” must have played a role in the development of life. Supporters of this idea claim that the designer may be the Biblical God or some other superior being. Intelligent design contradicts the scientific theory of evolution, which states that all living things developed naturally from simple organisms over millions of years. Nearly all scientists consider evolution to be a scientific fact. However, supporters of intelligent design argue that living beings are too complex to have developed purely naturally.
The central ideas of intelligent design date back thousands of years. Some ancient thinkers, such as Marcus Tullius Cicero of Rome, argued that nature reflected the design of an intelligent creator. In the early 1800’s, the British theologian William Paley advanced similar ideas. He used the example of a person who finds a watch while walking in the countryside. Because of the complicated workings of the watch, the person would conclude that somebody had designed the watch. Paley argued that there is similar evidence of design in living beings.
Since the late 1850’s, the theory of evolution, popularized by the British naturalist Charles R. Darwin, has become the leading scientific theory on the development of life. Over the years, however, many individuals and groups have opposed the teaching of evolution for religious or philosophical (dealing with the study of truth, reality, and knowledge) reasons. The idea of intelligent design gained widespread attention following the publication of Of Pandas and People (1989). This book sought to introduce the concept of intelligent design to students. Since the mid-1990’s, the Discovery Institute in Seattle has been a leading force in promoting the idea.
Many supporters of intelligent design believe that it should be taught to students as another possibility besides evolution. Opponents of intelligent design, however, have argued that the theory is a religious doctrine (teaching). Some critics claim that the focus on intelligent design is an effort to promote the word-for-word interpretation of the Bible’s account of the Creation. In 2005, a United States district court judge ruled that intelligent design “is a religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism.” He ruled that it should therefore not be taught in public school science classes.
See also Creationism ; Evolution .
