The (Flawed) Logic of Intelligent Design

This is a response to an article on the Discovery Institute website:

https://evolutionnews.org/2023/11/fundamentals-friday-the-logic-of-intelligent-design/

The point of the article is the claim that ID is not simply a God-of-the-gaps argument. Instead:

In reality, the logic of ID theory is this:
  • Premise One: Despite a thorough search, no materialistic causes have been discovered with the power to produce the large amounts of specified information necessary to produce the first cell.
  • Premise Two: Intelligent causes have demonstrated the power to produce large amounts of specified information.
  • Conclusion: Intelligent design constitutes the best, most causally adequate explanation for the origin of the specified information in the cell.
Is that good logic?

I think not. Consider this argument:

  • Premise One: Despite a thorough search, no non-human causes have been discovered with the power to produce the large amounts of specified information necessary to produce the first cell. 
  • Premise Two: Humans have demonstrated the power to produce large amounts of specified information. 
  • Conclusion: Humans constitutes the best, most causally adequate explanation for the origin of the specified information in the cell.

If premise one of the D's argument is true, then premise one of my argument must also be true. The same can be said of premise two; if it is true for the DI, it is true here too, though this is far less controversial!

And if the logic of the DI argument is good, then it must also be good for my argument, as the logic is identical.

Therefore if the DI are right, then it must follow that not only a intelligent designer was the origin of he specified information in the cell, but that intelligent designer must have been human!

Personally, I think the DI's argument is wrong. I think premise one is wrong, and I think the logic is wrong. I reject both arguments.

Creationists want the DI's argument to be true, but my argument to be false, so have to reject the logic of one, but not the other, despite it being the same!

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