Darwin on Trial (ISBN 0830813241) is a controversial 1991 book by the University of California, Berkeley law professor Phillip E. Johnson, in which he first uses the phrase intelligent design in its modern sense.

Overview

Johnson, an evangelical Christian, had come to believe that evolutionary theory was based on materialistic assumptions and empty rhetoric, such as that he thought was found in Richard Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker.

Johnson evaluates the evidence for Darwinism using legal principles for assessing its probative value, and examines the philosophical presuppositions of the scientific community.

The book was initially ignored by the scientific community, but then was reviewed by Stephen J. Gould in Scientific American. It became assigned reading in some origins classes at leading universities, including Cornell University. It is now considered a landmark book and the starting point of the current intelligent design movement, of which Johnson is considered "the father." Johnson has even earned the respect of physicist, and outspoken atheist, Steven Weinberg who, in his book Dreams of a Final Theory, calls him “the most respectable academic critic of evolution.” (1992, p. 247)

Johnson makes clear at the outset that he has no interest in discussing the Biblical account of creation in Genesis. Rather, the focus of the book is simply to examine whether evolutionists have proven their case using evidence evaluated with an open mind and impartially, that is, whether there is convincing evidence that the variety of life on earth came about through the purely material processes of natural selection and other unguided evolutionary mechanisms. He suggests that they have not, that there are serious evidentiary holes in the theory, and that their conclusions are driven mainly by their prior assumptions and "faith" that there must be a naturalistic explanation for everything.

Critics would suggest that Johnson is neither impartial nor has an open mind. Proponents suggest that he is more open minded than evolutionary scientists since his reputation and career are not riding on the success of the theory, and because he does not start with a naturalistic a priori philosophy.

External links

Reviews

• Review of book by Stephen J. Gould in Scientific American:

http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/gould_darwin-on-trial.html

• Johnson's reply to Gould:

http://www.arn.org/docs/orpages/or151/151johngould.htm

Pro-intelligent design

• Johnson at Access Research Network

Anti-intelligent design

• Critiques of Anti-Evolutionist Phillip Johnson's Views by Jim Lippard and Bill Hamilton - part of the talk.origins archive.
• Darwin on Trial: A Review by Eugenie C. Scott of the National Center for Science Education
• The Mistrial of Evolution: A review of Phillip E. Johnson's Darwin on Trial by Terry M. Gray