A paper on Judge Jones and Methodological Naturalism

A University of Kentucky philosopher of science challenges the reasoning in the dover decision.

IS INTELLIGENT DESIGN SCIENCE? DISSECTING THE DOVER DECISION



Abstract

In the case of Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al., Judge Jones

ruled that a pro-intelligent design disclaimer cannot be read to public school

students. In his decision, he gave demarcation criteria for what counts as science,

ruling that intelligent design fails these criteria. I argue that these criteria are

flawed, with most of my focus on the criterion of methodological naturalism. The

way to refute intelligent design is not by declaring it unscientific, but by showing

that the empirical evidence for design is not there.



http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00002583/01/Methodological_Naturalism_2.pdf