Intelligent design

The theory of evolution by natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace to account for the diversity of species on Earth, has been refined and expanded during nearly a century and half of research into genetics and other biological sciences.

In recent years, some opponents of Darwinism have championed “Intelligent Design” as an alternative scientific theory. According to the Discovery Institute, Center for Science and Culture and creator of this concept, intelligent design corresponds to the idea that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection”. For the mathematician William A. Dembski, it is “the study of patterns in nature that are best explained as the result of intelligence”.

The adepts of that theory explain that nature is too complex to have been created by chance, or an unguided process such an evolution. Even if this theory seems really recent, it was popularized by William Paley's famous Watchmaker Analogy in his 1802 book Natural Theology. It differs from a strict creationist theory in as musch as Intelligent Design never clearly mentions who or what is the creator of Life( whereas Creationism specifies that it's a God). ( See Fisrt Part to learn more on Intelligent Design)

The scientific community is contrasted on Intelligent Design : shoul science be opened to Intelligent Design theories? We give here ( see Second Part) the main arguments of both proponents and opponents of ID.

Finally, the teaching of evolution remains a source of contention in the United States, where it conflicts with certain religious views. New stakes are put in question with Intelligent design and the push of its exponents to introduce it into school curricula. ( See Third Part)