Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design

by Barbara Forrest, Paul R. Gross

Overview

Forrest and Gross expose the scientific failure, the religious essence, and the political ambitions of "intelligent design" creationism. They examine the movement's "Wedge Strategy," which has advanced and is succeeding through public relations rather than through scientific research. Analyzing the content and character of "intelligent design theory," they highlight its threat to public education and to the separation of church and state.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199882694
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/08/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Barbara Forrest is Professor of Philosophy in the Department of History and Political Science at Southeastern Louisiana University. She was a key witness for the prosecution in the recent highly publicized trial in Pennsylvania, where the judge banned the teaching of Intelligent Design in science classrooms. Paul R. Gross is University Professor of Life Sciences Emeritus at the University of Virginia.

Table of Contents

Foreword   Barry Lynn     vii
Introduction     3
How the Wedge Began     15
The Wedge Document: A Design for Design     25
Searching for the Science     35
Paleontology Lite and Copernican Discoveries     49
A Conspiracy Hunter and a Newton     85
Everything Except Science I     147
Everything Except Science II     179
Wedging into Power Politics     215
Religion First-and Last     257
Afterword: Update on the Wedge     317
Notes     339
Index     411

Editorial Reviews

"Science educators can benefit greatly by understanding creationists' motivations and strategies. These are thoroughly documented in Creationism's Trojan Horse"—SCIENCE

"This is the definitive work on modern creationism, an exhaustively detailed and compelling exposure of the attempt—by the well-known process in nature called by biologists "aggressive mimicry"—to corrupt science in the service of sectarian religion. In the process, the book explores the larger and seemingly endless struggle between religion-based tribal values and science-based universal values."—Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor, Emeritus, Harvard University

"Creationism's Trojan Horse documents the disturbing movement to sneak religious dogma back into science education, driven by the vague fear that Americans can't handle the truth. Educators, scientists, and politicians would do well to understand this movement and its tactics, and this book is a superb and timely analysis."—Steven Pinker, Johnston Professor, Harvard University, and author of How the Mind Works and The Blank Slate

"Intelligent Design 'theory' (ID) has been well described as Creationism in a cheap Tuxedo. One if its luminaries, we are told, has 'angrily denied that ID is stealth creationism.' He is right. There's no stealth about it. It is Creationism. Unfortunately, ID 'theorists' have a streetwise political professionalism to outweigh the amateurishness of their science, and we therefore cannot ignore them. Barbara Forrest and Paul Gross meticulously document their pretensions, destroy their arguments, and expose their true motivation. An excellent and sadly necessary book."—Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene

From the Publisher