by Michael J. Behe
Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution Overview
Michael J. Behe, a biochemist at Lehigh University, presents here a scientific argument for the existence of God. Examining the evolutionary theory of the origins of life, he can go part of the way with Darwin--he accepts the idea that species have been differentiated by the mechanism of natural selection from a common ancestor. But he thinks that the essential randomness of this process can explain evolutionary development only at the macro level, not at the micro level of his expertise. Within the biochemistry of living cells, he argues, life is "irreducibly complex." This is the last black box to be opened, the end of the road for science. Faced with complexity at this level, Behe suggests that it can only be the product of "intelligent design."
Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution Review
Interesting how polarizing this book is.
The book itself is interesting enough. It does a good job of explaining the massively complicated world of molecular biochemistry to people like me who are not biologists, chemists, or biochemists. And even though it relies heavily on analogy to get its point across, it does indeed make its point effectively. More effective still is the realization that, for every process explained, there are thousands of others not explained, and there is no reason to believe that any of them are any simpler or more straightforward.
From a philosophical pragmatist perspective, ideas that are true lead to all sorts of different discoveries, and to reliable predictions of the future. Ideas that are false lead to dead ends all around. Darwinian evolution seems to occupy an odd middle ground; it certainly has led to all kinds of discoveries, but resists being modeled mathematically, and I am not aware of any predictions for the future made on the basis of it that have come true.
What about the intelligent design proposal? What will it lead to? What will it explain? Can it be successfully modeled mathematically?
I think the funniest thing about this book (or rather its reception) is the apparent belief on the part of some people (both fans and opponents) that, if they accept Behe's argument, they automatically have to start obeying the Pope, or join the Westboro Baptist Church or something. Behe proposes no such thing.
The book itself is interesting enough. It does a good job of explaining the massively complicated world of molecular biochemistry to people like me who are not biologists, chemists, or biochemists. And even though it relies heavily on analogy to get its point across, it does indeed make its point effectively. More effective still is the realization that, for every process explained, there are thousands of others not explained, and there is no reason to believe that any of them are any simpler or more straightforward.
From a philosophical pragmatist perspective, ideas that are true lead to all sorts of different discoveries, and to reliable predictions of the future. Ideas that are false lead to dead ends all around. Darwinian evolution seems to occupy an odd middle ground; it certainly has led to all kinds of discoveries, but resists being modeled mathematically, and I am not aware of any predictions for the future made on the basis of it that have come true.
What about the intelligent design proposal? What will it lead to? What will it explain? Can it be successfully modeled mathematically?
I think the funniest thing about this book (or rather its reception) is the apparent belief on the part of some people (both fans and opponents) that, if they accept Behe's argument, they automatically have to start obeying the Pope, or join the Westboro Baptist Church or something. Behe proposes no such thing.
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Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution
*** Product Information and Review : Oct 4, 2011
Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution
*** Product Information and Review : Oct 4, 2011