Origin of the specious
AC Grayling

It is sometimes hard to know whether books that strike one as silly and irresponsible, like Dissent over Descent, the latest book from Steve Fuller, are the product of a desire to strike a pose and appear outrageous (the John Gray syndrome), or really do represent that cancer of the contemporary intellect, post-modernism. I suppose putatively sincere extrusions of the post-modern sensibility might henceforth deserve to be known as “the Steve Fuller syndrome”. For this offering by the American-born sociologist is a classic case of the absurdity to which that sensibility leads.

There is an added thought. Fuller claims to be a “secular humanist”. But having been educated by the Jesuits, so he tellingingly informs us, he “knows how to reconcile the irreconcilable”. Indeed! For at the end of these nearly 300 pages of wasted forest he tells us what science needs in order to justify its continuation (oh dear, poor science, eh?) and what Intelligent Design, a theory he defended before a US Federal Court in the 2005 Dover Trial, needs to “realise its full potential in the public debate” – that is: how a theory trying to bend the facts to prove its antecedent conviction that Fred (or any arbitrary and itself unexplained conscious agency) designed and created the world and all in it, can attain its full potential in the public debate. This, note, from a professor at a proper British university. Well: if this is not proof of the efficacy of Jesuit educational methods, nothing is.

Marvelously more at: http://newhumanist.org.uk:80/1856

About A. C. Grayling

Anthony Grayling MA, DPhil (Oxon) FRSL, FRSA is Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He has written and edited many books on philosophy and other subjects; among his most recent are a biography of William Hazlitt and a collection of essays. For several years he wrote the "Last Word" column for the Guardian newspaper and is a regular reviewer for the Literary Review and the Financial Times. He also often writes for the Observer, Economist, Times Literary Supplement, Independent on Sunday and New Statesman, and is a frequent broadcaster on BBC Radios 4, 3 and the World Service. He is the Editor of Online Review London, Contributing Editor of Prospect magazine. In addition he sits on the editorial boards of several academic journals, and for nearly ten years was the Honorary Secretary of the principal British Philosophical Association, the Aristotelian Society. He is a past chairman of June Fourth, a human rights group concerned with China, and has been involved in UN human rights initiative. Anthony Grayling is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum, and a member of its C-100 group on relations between the West and the Islamic world. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and in 2003 was a Booker Prize judge.

IMHO so called "intelligent design" is just a lot of silly hooey.

I watched a film about it one day in Sunday school class a few years ago. It is so far from science its not even funny.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I rread that earlier today. While I usually like Grayling's writing, I didn't think his critique was all that strong.

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look into who's backing intelligent design.....yes born again christians. just another end-run designed to ultimately get the bible and prayer into schools

read creationism's trojan horse

"cults don't play fair, ever, ...because the ends always justifiy the means"

(who said that? maybe...me??)

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Want intelligent design taught in schools ? Fine. I'm all for it. It's not to be taught in a science class or a history class. Make the class available on the curriculum. If any parents want their kids to take the class, sign that parental consent form and have your kids in it.....

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Do I miss being a service advisor ???

why not just send them to sunday school, on your own time (and dime)?

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

That's right.

Its not right. Intelligent Design = Christian Creationism. Plain and simple, it has no place in school. If you want your kids to be taught religion there are PLENTY of religious schools that will happily take your money...and your kids.

School is a place to teach kids the skills they need to survive in the world, religion is not something people need.

If you read what AdvisorGuy suggested, it was NOT to allow "Intelligent Design" be taught as a valid alternative hypothesis to organic evolution within the context of a science course. he specifically proposed it be studied outside of science, which it plainly is.

Would you suggest it is wrong to allow students to critically examine all ideas but instead, have them concentrate on on correct ideas? How is that different from the Taliban?

B

It's different because all curriculum has to be decided upon somehow. The Taliban chose their curriculum on the basis of religious authority. One would hope that science curriculum would be chosen on the basis of investigation, experiment, criticism, and consensus of scientists.
Should students be wasting time considering whether the earth is the center of the universe for example?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

ID is not an idea, its an agenda to get bibles/prayer/religion/etc "back" into schools where it doesn't belong. There is no science in ID, the whole concept behind ID is "Life is too complicated to have occurred on its own, therefore God made it."

Also, "critically examine" and religion, they don't mix.

If public school is to cater to the public then fine, offer the class because religious and non-religious people make up the "public". I don't think it should be a mandatory part of the curriculum but as an option for those that want their children to attend it. The only problem I foresee with it is that it opens up a whole other can of worms. The "public" in our society is also made up of muslim,christian,hindus,buddhists,etc, that have beliefs as well. Does that mean the public school must cater to all those beliefs as well ? Is it public domain to teach/preach to religious beliefs or is that better handled in "Sunday School" ?

I'm the son of non-practicing muslims (Soviet Georgian) and I went to a catholic high school. "Religion" was a mandatory class all 4 years therefore I had to take it. My mother and my brother (who paid the tuition), knew I'd be taking those "religion" classes as did I, but since it was the best high school in the area, I attended the school and those classes. Granted we weren't religious to begin with but if taking classes about another religion were at issue, there was a choice of other schools in the area....

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Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
-
Do I miss being a service advisor ???

How about: "Life is too complicated to have occurred on its own, therefore there must have been a plan."

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How about no.
"Life is too complicated to have occurred on its own, therefore God made it."=Creationism
"Life is too complicated to have occurred on its own, therefore there must have been a plan."="Intelligent design"

Substitute "Creator" in the place of "God" and somehow its a new/different idea? Nope.

I spent twelve years in a Catholic scool. And I turned out an athiest. Being subjected to this crap doesn't mean you'll turn out that way. But realistically should a public education institution have to cater to the supertitions of any particular group? If so thn you're right in that there is no reason why every other superstition should not be accommodted as well.

That's ridiculous. If you want your kids learning superstitious crap teach it yourself of send them to a superstitious institution. It has no place in an public educational institution in a secular country.

- Peter.

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