“Dances with Popper”: An Examination of Dembski's Claims on Testability Cover Image

„Tańczący z Popperem”. Dembski o sprawdzalności
“Dances with Popper”: An Examination of Dembski's Claims on Testability

Author(s): Wesley R. Elsberry
Subject(s): Philosophy
Published by: Instytut Filozofii, Uniwersytet Zielonogórski
Keywords: William A. Dembski; falsifiability; testability; refutability; intelligent design theory; Darwinism; Karl R. Popper

Summary/Abstract: Referring to the controversy over scientific status of Darwinian theory of evolution and intelligent design theory, author reviews the key notions in the philosophy of Karl Popper, such as falsifiability, testability or refutability of a theory. His aim is to check the accuracy of the use of these notion in the argumentation of William Dembski who is a proponent of intelligent design theory. Dembski invokes Popper in his argumentation regarding refutability of this theory, but author shows that Dembski distorts Popperian concept of falsifiability. He indicates also that Dembski’s objection that Darwinism is unrefutable is mistaken and proofs that even in the light of Dembski’s own criterions the theory of intelligent design turns out to be unfalsifiable.

  • Issue Year: 2011
  • Issue No: 08
  • Page Range: 179-188
  • Page Count: 1
  • Language: Polish