Reflection on the Christian Philosophy of Science Education: Case Study of the Creation-Evolution Controversy and Intelligent Design in the Classroom

The debate between creation and evolution has extended from books and journals to school boards or even the court. Should we teach the controversy or even give equal time to both creationism and evolution in the classroom? Should we introduce intelligent design (ID) as an alternative to mainstream neo-Darwinism? These issues have not only been fiercely debated, but have also led to some court cases in USA, and a similar debate in Hong Kong. In the court, the scientific establishment, which is firmly on the side of naturalistic evolution, has decisively won the legal battle, but the debates in scientific, philosophical, or religious circles have not subsided.

This chapter explains and critically evaluates the arguments for the claim that creation science and ID are not science because they violate some necessary conditions of science. Methodological naturalism is often invoked against the scientific status of creation science and ID. This chapter critically examines some arguments for this view and suggests that the case for them is far from decisive (although creation science is not accepted). In the end, Christians should do both Duhemian and Augustinian sciences, in accordance with Plantinga's suggestion, according to the nature of the question under consideration. Concerning evolution, ID or creation science, the “teaching the controversy approach” is explored. Students should be informed of the data and arguments for and against different positions, and their own critical judgment should be encouraged.