- #1
bostonnew
- 42
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Why do biologists talk about "appearence of design"?
Hi all,
It's really puzzling to me that various biologists say that nature appear to be designed. I'm not sure if you guys have seen the same quotes, but here's one:
"Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” (Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker, p. 1)
To my eyes, the natural world looks obviously non-designed. When I look at a tree, it doesn't look like anything someone would design. I think of design as something more static, but a tree is growing every day. The things that we humans design generally don't keep on growing. Same goes for animals etc.
Why does Dawkins and others use this phrase? Does he really think that nature looks designed? Or is it just a rhetorical trick to appeal to people who do?
Hi all,
It's really puzzling to me that various biologists say that nature appear to be designed. I'm not sure if you guys have seen the same quotes, but here's one:
"Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” (Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker, p. 1)
To my eyes, the natural world looks obviously non-designed. When I look at a tree, it doesn't look like anything someone would design. I think of design as something more static, but a tree is growing every day. The things that we humans design generally don't keep on growing. Same goes for animals etc.
Why does Dawkins and others use this phrase? Does he really think that nature looks designed? Or is it just a rhetorical trick to appeal to people who do?