Two Better Conservative Reactions to Kitzmiller

Many outspoken political conservatives have denounced the Kitzmiller decision, but many others have defended it, and deserve praise for their stand. James Q. Wilson had this very good article in the Wall Street Journal on Christmas Eve.

The theory of evolution has not been proved as fully as the theory of gravity. There are many gaps in what we know about prehistoric creatures. But all that we have learned is consistent with the view that the creatures we encounter today had ancestors from which they evolved. This view, which is literally the only scientific defensible theory of the origin of species, does not by any means rule out the idea that God exists.

Harry Jaffa of the Claremont Institute wrote this letter to the editor in response. I was particularly delighted by his statement that “intelligent design does not necessarily imply a designer. Aristotle says that whatever can come to be by art—i.e. by intelligent design—can come to be by chance—i.e. without a designer.”

Of course, I disagree with their view that evolution and religion are equally respectable intellectual positions, and with Jaffa’s contention that “goodness” must preexist any particular, good thing—but that gets into a very complicated debate for which I don’t have time. The important thing is to applaud conservatives who have the courage and integrity to defend science and see ID for the fraud that it is.