Wednesday, February 8, 2012

A Philosophical/Theological Argument against Darwinian Evolution

I first posted this in a discussion in the combox here. As an ID proponent, I've been fond of saying that I don't have philosophical or theological objections to Darwinian evolution, merely empirical ones. But while trying to figure out what's going on in Plantinga's usually very reasonable mind, I think I've stumbled upon a theological objection to Darwinian evolution. Here's a first draft:

1) If Darwinian evolution is true, then our cognitive faculties were produced by an unguided process. (If my argument against Plantinga's view is correct*).
2) Therefore, our cognitive faculties are very probably unreliable. (from Plantinga's Evolutionary Argument against Naturalism).
3) But it is very probable that we have reliable cognitive faculties (given the goodness of God).
4) Therefore, it is very probable that Darwinian evolution is not true.

Still mulling it over, but I think there might be something to it.

We could make it a philosophical objection, also:

4) Our belief that Darwinian evolution is true is based upon our cognitive faculties.
5) But if Darwinian evolution is true, then our cognitive faculties are very probably unreliable (from (1) and (2) above).
6) Therefore our basis for belief that Darwinian evolution is true is unreliable.


*Plantinga maintains that Darwinian evolution is compatible with divinely guided evolution.  I have argued that the two are not compatible.

2 comments:

Jon Garvey said...

Bilbo, how is that argument against Plantinga's view?

It is Plantinga's argument, which he first made a number of years ago.

Bilbo said...

I argue against Plantinga's view that Darwinian evolution is compatible with (divinely) guided evolution.