Accountability Quote by David Klinghoffer
““The problem with ID, of course, is that it leaves open the possibility that the intelligence behind nature may have a moral interest in us, having communicated already with humanity in the past, and might try to boss you around in your private affairs. With hypothetical advanced aliens residing at a safely distant address in the hypothetical multiverse, that is - to the relief of folks like Gribbin, Dawkins and the New Scientist - manifestly not the case.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Scientist, 2005
The quote suggests that assuming an intelligent design behind nature risks attributing moral intentions to an unknown force, which may not actually intervene in human affairs.
In simple terms: Assuming nature has a moral agenda may be misleading.
Key Takeaway
Question the premise of moral agency in natural design.
Themes
philosophy
theology
science
skepticism
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- Scientific discourse
- public policy
- education
- religious debate
Key Concepts
Intelligent design
moral agency
anthropic principle
Questions to Reflect On
- Is there empirical support for moral intent in nature?
- How does this view affect scientific inquiry?
A Different Perspective
It may overstate the evidence for intentional design and ignore naturalistic explanations.
![“The new advocates of ID [Intelligent Design] ask that their ideas be judged by scientific, not religious, criteria. OK, let's see how well ID stacks up as a scientific alternative to Darwinism. To gauge how well ID is doing as a platform for scientific research, I logged into the best database of…” quote by Chet Raymo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f5c/chet-raymo-34749_alternatives_the-new-advocates-of-id-intelligent-desi_3232484.jpg)
