2010/12/01 by Maarten Boudry, Stefaan Blancke, Johan Braeckman · 3 citations
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Evolution and Science Education #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
paper · doi:10.1086/656904
openalex publication_date 2010/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
The concept of Irreducible Complexity (IC) has played a pivotal role in the resurgence of the creationist movement over the past two decades. Evolutionary biologists and philosophers have unambiguously rejected the purported demonstration of "intelligent design" in nature, but there have been several, apparently contradictory, lines of criticism. We argue that this is in fact due to Michael Behe's own incoherent definition and use of IC. This paper offers an analysis of several equivocations inherent in the concept of Irreducible Complexity and discusses the way in which advocates of the Intelligent Design Creationism (IDC) have conveniently turned IC into a moving target. An analysis of these rhetorical strategies helps us to understand why IC has gained such prominence in the IDC movement, and why, despite its complete lack of scientific merits, it has even convinced some knowledgeable persons of the impending demise of evolutionary theory.