Among the many arguments for intelligent design, Behe’s argument of irreduciblecomplexityisbyfaroneofthemostfascinatingones. Whilemany may consider Darwin’s theory of evolution to be the catch-all argument that irrefutably demolishes any and all argument for intelligent design, Behe manages not only to propose a design theory compatible with it, but also to use it to further empower his argument. Ultimately, Behe’s irreducible complexity argument lacks the support needed to differentiate itself from the many design arguments that came before it.
Behe’s most infamous argument comes from his book Darwin’s Black
Box. In his book Behe argues for the theory of intelligent design, with his base argument coming from an idea that intelligent design is evident when looking at an …show more content…
The fossil record argument made by Behe, has itself been a target of many rebuttals. In his review, Kenneth R. Miller, states that the fossil record can indeed prove the evolutionary steps behind the biological components, that would be irreducibly complex by Behe’s definition. The example Miller uses is the inner ear. An inner ear consists of five small components: the bones malleus, incus and stapes, the eardrum and the oval window. If any one of those parts were to be taken away the whole system would not work, making it irreducibly complex. However, the exact moment when that system was formed can be traced back to the evolutionary transition from the reptilian to mammalian jaw. This is, in Miller’s view “unfortunate for intelligent design. ”[6]
Another argument commonly used by the creationism opposed philoso- phers, is that there could exist natural, non-intelligent processes that are re- sponsible for the supposedly “irreducibly complex” systems. One such the- orythatiscommonlyusedisStuarKaufmann’stheoryofself-organization.[ 5 ]
Behe himself has responded to that criticism by saying that complexity is a quantiative feature (that is, it can be measured), and that the
Behe’s most infamous argument comes from his book Darwin’s Black
Box. In his book Behe argues for the theory of intelligent design, with his base argument coming from an idea that intelligent design is evident when looking at an …show more content…
The fossil record argument made by Behe, has itself been a target of many rebuttals. In his review, Kenneth R. Miller, states that the fossil record can indeed prove the evolutionary steps behind the biological components, that would be irreducibly complex by Behe’s definition. The example Miller uses is the inner ear. An inner ear consists of five small components: the bones malleus, incus and stapes, the eardrum and the oval window. If any one of those parts were to be taken away the whole system would not work, making it irreducibly complex. However, the exact moment when that system was formed can be traced back to the evolutionary transition from the reptilian to mammalian jaw. This is, in Miller’s view “unfortunate for intelligent design. ”[6]
Another argument commonly used by the creationism opposed philoso- phers, is that there could exist natural, non-intelligent processes that are re- sponsible for the supposedly “irreducibly complex” systems. One such the- orythatiscommonlyusedisStuarKaufmann’stheoryofself-organization.[ 5 ]
Behe himself has responded to that criticism by saying that complexity is a quantiative feature (that is, it can be measured), and that the