JOURNAL OF PHYSICS TEACHER EDUCATION ONLINE

Intelligent design is once more appearing in the guise of science. I say “once more ” because the concept of intelligent design- that the universe by its very nature implies an intelligent designer- is not new. It’s an old idea dressed up in new clothing. That this is the case can be seen from a review of the writings of 18th century natural philosophers and theologians. Over the past year I have been reviewing the writings of renowned philosophers from this time period. Among the most interesting writers of this era from a scientific perspective is English philosopher David Hume (1711-1776). Late in his life, Hume wrote Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. The work was published posthumously in 1779. Reading this work today will make one feel that it was written only recently, and in direct response to the claims of intelligent design proponents. Consider some of the following ideas that stem from this monumental work