Tim's comments on What if Evolution is Compatible with Design After All?

[Tim]

@Rope

@Faizal_Ali

What is your evidence that “talk of things of this type is increasing” among biologists currently? The fact that none of the biologists engaged in this present discussion seem to even know what you are talking about would appear to argue against that.

I have not done some sort of statistical analysis of the literature on this. This is given as my own impression based on comparing the newer and older biology literature I’ve read, as well as listening to biologists and philosophers of biology at conferences.

I’d like to address two points on that.

1. Except to the extent that your entire book can be considered to be your “own impression”, you gave no indication in your book that this claim was merely your “own impression” rather than a demonstrable fact.

2. I think there is a large potential problem of Selection Bias in the “biology literature [you’]ve read”, the “biologists” you listen to, the “conferences” you attend, and the very fact that you base your “own impression” about what “biologists increasingly talk about” in part on “listening to philosophers”. I find it highly unlikely that this would be representative of what the vast majority of biologists, who are outside the ID and ‘Science and Religion’ echo chambers, talk about.