1. Denying Evolution: Creationism, Sciencism, and the Nature of Science
Creationism (Read Ch. 22!)
Book:
Denying Evolution: Creationism, Sciencism, and the Nature of Science
By: Massimo Piggliucci, PhD.
Websites:
Scopes Trial Homepage
ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm
National Center for Science Education

2. Five Important Cases in the 20th Century
Creationist Tactic: The majority opinion is the correct opinion (Let’s send those evolution-thinking teachers packin’).
Scopes Monkey Trial: Populist William Jennings Bryan battled Claence Darrow in Dayton, Tenn.
Local school teacher (Scopes) teaches human descent from lower animals, which was against state law.

4. From Hunter’s “Civic Biology”, 1914.

5. Five Important Cases in the 20th Century
Creationist Tactic: Creationism is science too. What about academic freedom?
McLean vs Arkansas Board of Education (1982): Judge Overton defined what constitutes Science.
Louisiana Creationism Act (1987): Argument for equal time. Supreme court didn’t buy the idea that creationism is science.

6. Five Important Cases in the 20th Century (cont.)
Webster v. New Lenox School District (1990):
A school district can prohibit a school teacher from presenting creation science in the classroom.
Creationist Tactic: Evolution is not science.
Peloza v. Capistrano Unified School District (1993): A school district can require a teacher to teach evolution because it is a scientific theory.

7. Five Important Cases in the 20th Century (cont.)
US District Court in Louisiana (1997): Teachers are not required
to read aloud a disclaimer about evolution. Also, ruled that
intelligent design is the same as creation science.
Case against Independent School District 656, Minnesota (2001):
A teachers right to free speech does not supercede curriculum .

8. Special Creation
Flat earthism
Geocentrism
Young-earth creationism
Gap
Day-age
Progressive
Intelligent Design
Theistic evolution
Materialist evolution
Young Earth
Old Earth
Evolution

9. What is intelligent design theory?
‘Theory’ that some things in nature are the result of intelligent design (ID).
Doesn’t meet the most basic scientific criteria for being
a scientific theory
2. Presumably makes no claims as to the identity of the designer, does not claim the designer is supernatural, and seeks no link between religion and science.
Not true. ID is defended only by people subscribing to a particular ideological view: creationism.

10. Anti-Intellectualism
“The more learned and witty you bee, the more
fit to act for Satan you bee.” John Cotton, 1642
Anti-rationalism, anti-elitism, and immediate practicality

11. Anti-Intellectualism (cont)
Creationist view:Anti-rationalism. Rationality is not a positive good but something to be mistrusted.
Two fears concerning rationality:
Fear that rationality is emotionally sterile
Fear of moral relativism

12. Academic Freedom and Concept of Democracy
From Bertrand Russell
Creationist view: Democracy should determine what
is taught in public schools?
“The essence of academic freedom is that
teachers should be chosen for their expertness
in the subject they are to teach and that the judges
of this expertness should be other experts.”

13. Anti-Elitism
Creationist view: Any claim to superior knowledge within a
democratic society amounts to elitism.
Knowledge is unequally distributed among
Americans, but not political and civil rights
2) Why do Americans respect expertise in areas
other than education?
3) Why are Americans elitist with respect to sports,
entertainment, and finance?

14. Creationist view: (If it ain’t practical, it ain’t good)
Education and inquiry are not good unless it has
immediate practical value.
Why should the
government fund
research on
salamanders?