Kitcher, Against Creationism

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Kitcher, Against Creationism

• P1. Creationism is either an article of religious
  faith or a scientific theory.
• P2. If Creationism is an article of religious
  faith, then Creationism may not be taught in
  schools.
• P3. If Creationism is a scientific theory, then
  it is false and inferior to the theory of
  evolution currently held by modern biology.

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Kitcher, cont.

• P4. Only theories that are currently well
  accepted theories or approximations thereto
  should be taught as science.
• C. Therefore, Creationism should not be taught as
  science in public schools.

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Gish, Creationist Science and Education

• Theses
• I. Evolution and Creationism are epistemically on
  a par, and neither is scientific.
• II. Evolution theory is refuted by the facts.

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Creationism

• Creationism holds
• 1. Creation at once of all plants and animals
  that now exist or ever did exist by Creator.
• 2. There was a world-wide catastrophic flood.

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Evolution

• Evolution holds
• 1. All living things have arisen by naturalistic
  processes from inanimate life.
• 2. These natural processes of change have
  occurred over hundreds of millions of years and
  continue at present.

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Argument for Thesis I

• P1. Creation was not observed and is
  unrepeatable, hence unfalsifiable, therefore
  non-scientific.
• P2. Evolution has never been witnessed and is not
  subject to the scientific method, and hence is
  not falsifiable, therefore non-scientific.
• C. Evolution and creation are both religious
  hypotheses

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Argument for Thesis II

• P1. Random mutation and natural selection could
  not explain progressive change.
• P2. Evolution contradicts the Second Law of
  Thermodynamics
• C. Therefore, the fossil record and physical law
  refute evolution.