Book Description
An accessible, multifaceted critique of the latest incarnation of creationism-"intelligent design"-from a team of legal, education, religion, and science experts More than eighty years after the Scopes trial, creationism is alive and well. Through local school boards, politicians, strategic court cases, and well-funded organizations, a strong movement has developed to encourage the teaching of "intelligent design" as a viable theory alongside evolution in science classes. Now, in Not in Our Classrooms, parents and teachers, as well as other concerned citizens, have a much-needed tool to argue against teaching intelligent design as science. In clear and lively essays, a team of experts describe not only the history of the intelligent design movement and the lack of scientific support for its claims, but also the religious, legal, and pedagogical problems that proposals to teach this idea in the public schools bring in their wake. Not in Our Classrooms is essential reading for anyone concerned about the teaching of this religious theory as science in the classrooms of our public schools.
Customer Reviews:
Answers to the I.D. arguments.......2007-10-21
This book is a useful tool for anyone with a child in school who wants to make sure they are being taught science rather than religion. It explores the history of the creationism/evolution debate, shows the legal cases relevant, and explains what issues the creationists/ID folks keep bringing up. Most of them are laughable, but I'm glad to know about them before I get sprung with them at a PTA meeting. It's sad how well-informed we have to be to beat the ill- and misinformed. I majored in biology as an undergrad and took a class in evolution. Despite that, many of the arguments brought up by the I.D. camp were new to me, so I was glad to read about them in full before hearing about them in a debate.
Praise for the book..........2007-06-11
...and a rebuttal to "The Professor"
This book nails the debate on the head of the nail. Ms. Scott and Mr. Branch have done a wonderful job of laying out the factual reasons why I.D. is false as science. But even better, in an attempt to counter-point the books contents, we actually are allowed to see another reviewer lay out the very arguments that have no merit. Normally, I ignore such attempts at blatant falsehoods, but I think in this case it is worthwhile in order to better underscore why - and why the book he attempts to slander causes him to engage in this rather blatant exercise.
The "professor" starts his argument by claiming the book contains misleading and flat-out wrong information by claiming "the oft cited claim that ID has not produced any science or has not published in the peer reviewed literature ". The truth is there is no peer reviewed material available to be found, except wherein it is pointed out that ID has no merit. Further, ID has contributed NOTHING to science. The Discovery Institute itself has publicly admitted it has produced nothing.
The Professor goes on to show how transparent his false argument is by adding: "In my work in the area of cell biology research, we in fact proceed on the assumption that the cell was designed and asked the question "how was it designed, i.e. how does it work" often assuming that the mechanisms we are researching are ingeniously designed." This is a blatant falsehood...no \where in biology will you find any self-respecting scientist who will make this claim - it is counter to the basic premise of the scientific method, where EVERYTHING is in question. Such an assumption as the Professor claims would never happen, because it demands that you make a conclusion before you examine the phenomena!
I could go on, but the point is "the professor" makes a number of unsubstantiated claims that anyone with a passing understanding of science regarding how scientists behave is false. He offers nothing actual, cites to nothing published (because, as I pointed out above, there has been NOTHING of a peer reviewed nature published) and essentially engages in a hand wave to support his claims.
He finishes with the claim that ID advocates are in the closet. This is the most transparent of falsehoods - scientists love nothing better than proving other scientists wrong. If there were any merit to ID, you would see many scientists out there showing why.
To close, I apologize to any who find my response outside of the norm for an [...] review, but I feel very strongly about letter people such as "the professor" spread these falsehoods without some objection. The real bottom line: educate yourself. Learn why science works as it does. Once you do, it becomes rather easy to understand why these people are selling you snake oil.
An Important Primer On Explaining Why "Intelligent Design" Shouldn't Be Taught In Our Schools.......2007-05-15
Eugenie Scott and her colleague Glenn Branch - who are both from the National Center for Science Education - deserve ample praise for editing this terse, yet quite insightful, primer that explains what "Intelligent Design" is, and why it shouldn't be taught in our schools. Scott, Branch and several other writers ranging from other scientists to educators and lawyers, not only review the history of the so-called "Intelligent Design" movement from both a legal and educational perspective, but also demonstrate that this "scientific" idea is not scientific, but rather, a cleverly designed revision of "scientific creationism" which thinly disguises its religious origins. In short, "Intelligent Design" is nothing more than a Fundamentalist Protestant Christian religious idea masquerading as science, and one that is still receiving ample financial and intellectual support from the Seattle, Washington-based Discovery Institute. This terse book remains timely and important, inspite of the harsh verdict rendered against Intelligent Design by Republican Federal Judge John Jones in the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Board of Education trial (He ruled that "Intelligent Design" was a religious doctrine masquerading as science.), because staunch advocates like fellow Amazon.com customer reviewer "The Professor", Michael Behe and William Dembski refuse to acknowledge the intellectual bankruptcy of their pseudoscientific idea (Moreover, distinguished conservative pundits like Charles Krauthammer and George Will echoed Judge Jones' ruling, by concurring with him in published newspaper columns, noting that "Intelligent Design" wasn't scientific.). Eugenie Scott begins this book with a fine overview of the history of the Intelligent Design movement, and explains in clear, concise English why Intelligent Design isn't scientific, using much of the same logic which I have used in my own Amazon.com customer review of the "Intelligent Design" textbook "Of Pandas and People" (It was originally a textbook which purportedly offered a scientific rationale for "scientific creationism"; later editions have shifted emphasis to support instead "Intelligent Design". The history of this book's origins was noted during the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Board of Education trial, and was an acute source of embarassment for "Intelligent Design" advocates.). Glenn Branch's essay which closes this volume is a well-reasoned, passionate plea explaining how the average citizen can help defeat ongoing efforts to introduce the teaching of "Intelligent Design" in American primary, intermediate and secondary school classrooms. If you don't think that "Intelligent Design" is a serious threat to ensuring first-rate scientific education in American schools, then you must buy this terse book.
Science vs. Pseudoscience.......2007-04-05
Despite the Kitzmiller (2005) decision where expert witnesses for Intelligent Design were clearly shown to have lied on the witness stand and stated that astrology is science, the Discovery Institute continues to try to push religion into public schools.
Eugenie Scott and the National Center for Science Education clearly state that "belief" compared to "evidence" is not science and that science, as taught and modeled in K-12 and university classrooms must be robust, reproducible, falsifiable, testable, peer-reviewed and based on evidence, not belief. The Discovery Institute that promotes Intelligent Design is producing textbooks, DVDs and other media in an effort to push religious belief into public schools -often these books and DVDs are poorly written or produced imitations of existing robust and credible science materials.
A Good Primer For Any Concerned Citizen.......2007-02-28
"Not In Our Classrooms" is a concise (152 pages) and thorough collection of essays explaining why pseudoscience based on religious beliefs has no place in public science education. Eugenie Scott begins by showing the ironic evolution of creationism to "intelligent design" within the fundamentalist community, but the book does not concern itself merely with court defeats incurred by the religious right in the U.S. Including writings from theologians like Ted Peters and noted science writers Nick Matzke, Glenn Branch and Dr. Paul Gross, "Not In Our Classrooms" ends on a positive note, showing how citizens can become involved in protecting the integrity of science education in public schools.
Customer Reviews:
Very useful "theoretical" perspective..........2002-08-14
Jonathan Cohen, the editor of this book, believes that social-emotional learning (SEL) is the heart of good education. The reason? Human beings grow in their social environments. When children care about each other, and feel cared for, they learn--a lot more than in environments where they feel anxious, frightented, or "out." Unlike "self-esteem" advocates, however, Cohen believes that positive school environments can "challenge" students to grow, so he is not simply dispensing bromides to children.
Cohen believes there are about 300 SEL curricula available in the marketplace. This book gives teachers and administrators a perspective from which to choose. The contributors also point to implementation of SEL curricula. The belief is that it takes 3 years, with consistent support to teachers and administrators, before SEL really "takes hold" in a school, although the results are faster in smaller schools and in younger children. Cohen believes that thoughtful teachers can implement SEL in their classroom, even if the school administration is not implementing in other classrooms.
I particularly liked Stuart Twemlow's chapter on the bully-victim-bystander "drama" in school, and various approaches to intermittent power struggles in schools. Another very interesting approach is Myrna Shure's I Can Problem Solve (ICPS), which is a cognitive-behavioral approach to early high-risk behaviors.
There are other books that are more "exercise" and "unit" oriented that can help teachers more directly. Look on Amazon's book search for any writings by Ruth Charney (Northeast Foundation for Children), Roxann Kriete, Maurice Elias, and others that Amazon will pop up for you.
Great book! Intended mostly for educators, this book is useful for all the "special disciplines" in school (psychologists, social workers, guidance counselors, administrators) as well as teachers interested in SEL.
Safe Classrooms/Intelligent Schools.......2001-04-20
Practical, concrete suggestions for teachers (and to a lesser extent, parents) who want to understand how to promote children's social and emotional skills and knowledge. There are so many programs and perspectives 'out there' - this book helps to make sense of it - As a practicing teacher, I loved it and found it actually helpful in my classroom work.
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Emotionally Intelligent School Counseling
Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
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ASIN: 080585035X |
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The concept of emotional intelligence (EI), which has steadily gained acceptance in psychology, seems particularly well suited to the work of school counselors and school psychologists who must constantly deal with troubled and underperforming students. To date, however, no book has systematically explained the theoretical and scientific foundations of emotional intelligence and integrated this information into the roles and functions of school counselors and other school personnel. In addition to illustrating how social emotional learning is important to both individual students and to school climate, the book also shows school counselors how to expand their own emotional awareness and resiliency. Key features of this outstanding new book include: *ASCA Guidelines. The book integrates the latest findings from the field of social emotional learning with the new ASCA guidelines for school counselors. *Real-life Cases. The book moves quickly from an overview of basic definitions, theories, and guidelines to stories of real counselors, administrators, teachers, and parents. *Author Expertise. John Pellitteri is Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in School Counseling Queens College (CUNY). A former school counselor, he is a leading researcher in the area of emotional intelligence. Barbara Ackerman is a K-5 school counselor and retiring Vice President of the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Elementary School Division. Claudia Shelton has been a school counselor in grades 6-12 and currently heads a firm specializing in professional development for schools. Robin Stern is an adjunct associate professor and researcher at Columbia Teachers College and a specialist in social emotional learning for the New York City Board of Education. This book is appropriate as a supplementary text in school counseling courses and as a professional reference work for practicing school counselors, counselor educators, counseling psychologists, school psychologists, and school administrators.
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- Religious liars
- A highly compelling and intelligent book
- Easy Access to Deep Stuff
- from the personal to the metaphysical
- A Wonderful & Important Book
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The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything: Evolution, Intelligent Design, and a School Board in Dover, PA
Gordy Slack
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
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ASIN: 0787987867 |
Book Description
A compelling eyewitness account of the recent courtroom drama in Dover, Pennsylvania that put evolution on trial.
Journalist Gordy Slack offers a riveting, personal, and often amusing first-hand account that details six weeks of some of the most widely ranging, fascinating, and just plain surreal testimony in U.S. legal history—a battle between hard science and religious conservatives wishing to promote a new version of creationism in schools.
During the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Areas School Board trial, the members of the local school board defended their decision to require teachers to present intelligent design alongside evolution as an explanation for the origins and diversity of life on earth. The trial revealed much more than a disagreement about how to approach science education. It showed two essentially different and conflicting views of the world and the lengths some people will go to promote their own. The ruling by George W. Bush-appointed Judge John Jones III was unexpected in its stridency: Not only did he conclude that intelligent design was religion and not science and therefore had no place in a science classroom, he scolded the school board for wasting public time and money.
A sophisticated examination of the deep cultural, religious, and political tensions that continue to divide America, The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything is also journalist Gordy Slack’s personal and engaging story of the high drama and unforgettable characters on both sides of the courtroom controversy.
Gordy Slack (Oakland, CA) has been writing about science and evolutionary biology for 15 years. He is a regular commentator on KQED, an affiliate of NPR, and his articles have appeared in Mother Jones, Salon.com, Wired, California Wild, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other publications.
Customer Reviews:
Religious liars.......2007-10-01
This was simply stunning. I had known how devious creation scientists are but the details of their mendacity described in this book on so-called intelligent design was astonishing. Great.
A highly compelling and intelligent book.......2007-09-08
In The Battle over the Meaning of Everything, Gordy Slack skillfully illuminates the complexities of the Intelligent Design/ Evolution debate, bringing to light the many social, political, scientific, and moral ramifications. As well, Slack personalizes the debate through frank examination of his own belief system, in contrast to that of his father, a born-again Christian. The result of these many strands of inquiry is a multi-layered, probing, and engaging book. Slack guides us through each step of the Dover trial, deftly describing and providing insight into many of the participants. He elucidates the debate from a variety of angles, from the legal to the historical, the biological to the religious, and never loses sight of the underlying issues at stake. Slack's intelligence, curiosity, and compassion pervade these pages. It is a captivating book - either an excellent introduction to those who may have hesitated to enter the seeming morass of the ID debate, or a means of deepening one's already existing knowledge. I heartily recommend this book as a thought-provoking exploration into one of the most important trials, and issues, of our times.
Easy Access to Deep Stuff.......2007-08-24
Gordy Slack, a science writer with a gift for narrative flow, clarity, and a nifty mix of the personal and the general, observed and thoroughly grasped the subject matter, the issues, and the implications of the Dover, PA trial on evolution vs. intelligent design. He announces his bias (evolution) right away and does a fine job of being as objective as he can in laying out the opposing arguments, the views and commitments of the people on both sides, the nature of the evidence, and what the parties believed was at stake in this trial. This is one of those books one can wish there were more of, where a smart guy and fine writer takes on an issue that concerns us all and the principles that, no pun intended, have evolved from the Enlightenment forward.
from the personal to the metaphysical.......2007-06-02
An intellectually honest and unpedantic look at what is still/again a major faultline in American culture. The Battle over the Meaning of Everything doesn't bridge this gap, but it strives to map out some of its features in detail. Gordy Slack does a good job in taking in the vast scope of the issues (hence the title) and also a magnifier's view of the court case and the cast of individuals around which it turns. A great read.
A Wonderful & Important Book.......2007-05-23
I loved this book, and didn't want to put it down. I stayed up too late & neglected my responsibilities in order to finish it. Mr. Slack's book is written with great clarity and with respect - respect for all the characters involved as well as for the complexity of the issues. There is a lovely and powerful balance in the writing - between broad, big-picture implications and personal, individual details that ground the story in it's specific place & time. The author's reflection on aspects of his own family history adds another dimension & enriches his analysis.
Customer Reviews:
Covers most facets of educating about religion in schools........1999-06-09
Noddings discusses ways that teachers can help students learn why what they believe is important, and often can do this effectively while teaching math or science or other subjects. She sees religion as dealing with critical issues of life and reality. Much of the book then discusses a broad range of what people believe. And she closes by discussing how her suggested approach can actually work in public schools. I think she makes a good case, and that her summary of beliefs is knowledgeable and carefully thought out.
Book Description
Francis J. Beckwith asks whether teaching Intelligent Design in public schools would be constitutional, in light of the Supreme Court's decision in Edwards v. Aguillard.
Customer Reviews:
A Noted Scholar Explains Why Intelligent Design is Constitutional.......2006-06-22
Legal scholar Francis J. Beckwith recounts the legal history of court battles over the teaching of biological origins. Though many thought that the landmark Supreme Court case Edwards v. Aguillard would permanently settle these questions by ruling creationism unconstitutional, Beckwith observes that intelligent design poses a new challenge to legal scholars. Beckwith, who has published about teaching intelligent design in law journals such as Harvard Law Review, provides a thorough treatment of the subject.
After recounting the history of cases which involved the "Creator in the courtroom,' Beckwith turns to analyzing intelligent design. Under various legal definitions of religion, Beckwith contends that design is not religion as conventionally understood because it derives its support from empirical data and philosophical arguments. Intelligent design, Beckwith explains, is distinct from creationism, for it derives its support from the scientific argument rather than religious texts such as the book of Genesis. Design also fails other legal tests for "religion," such as the "parallel position test" because it does not function as a religion in the lives of its proponents. While design may come to conclusions shared by some religions, this does not necessarily make it "religion" for legal purposes. After all, Beckwith observes, courts have acknowledged that "a decision respecting the subject matter to be taught in public schools does not violate the Establishment Clause simply because the material to be taught `happens to harmonize with the tenets of some or all religions.'"
Finally, Beckwith argues that intelligent design does not fit under the Edwards test for religion because it lacks a historical connection with the Scopes Trial and other Genesis-inspired anti-evolution endeavors. Teaching about intelligent design could be justified on the basis that it improves the religious "neutrality" of a curriculum.
Beckwith provides a deep and thorough treatment of the legal arguments raised by critics of teaching design in public schools. Those interested in studying the relevant technical legal arguments surrounding the teaching of intelligent design will require an understanding of Beckwith's well-reasoned position explained in this book.
A well-informed, even-handed assessment.......2004-11-11
Francis Beckwith's LAW, DARWINISM, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION does an excellent job of sorting through and analyzing the relevant court cases and legal arguments concerning the teaching of creation/evolution in public schools. With the emergence of the Intelligent Design (ID) movement, a much stronger and more sophisticated case can be made, both empirically and philosophically, for the plausibility of a Creator and Designer. The strength of these arguments cannot justifiably be barred from public education curricula.
Beckwith suggests a point I would like to underscore: the "creation vs. evolution" debate is often a red herring, masking the more fundamental metaphysical issues at stake. First, there are theistic evolutionists (Howard Van Till calls this view "fully gifted creation"), who believe that God has been working through the evolutionary process in the unfolding of His purposes. Darwin himself started out believing this. In the early editions of *The Origin of Species*, Darwin himself spoke of "laws impressed on matter by the Creator" and "life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one" (Ch. 15, "Recapitulation and Conclusion"). Later, Darwin apparently gave up on his faith based, not on any scientific evidence, but due to theological and philosophical assumptions (which turn out to be deeply problematic: see Cornelius Hunter, DARWIN'S GOD [Brazos Press]). So the ultimate issue is not "creation vs. evolution" but "naturalism vs. supernaturalism." Whether we should prefer naturalistic explanations over supernaturalistic ones is a philosophical matter, not a scientific one.
Second, biological evolution presupposes (a) the emergence of the universe a finite time ago and (b) its delicately-balanced conditions for life. Without these, the process of evolution could not even get started. One could add that (c) simply because conditions are conducive to the emergence of life, this by no means guarantees that non-living matter will produce living organisms. The emergence of first life itself is a huge difficulty for the naturalist (see Bradley, Olson, and Thaxton, THE MYSTERY OF LIFE'S ORIGIN* [Philosophical Press])..
To underscore the constitutional legitimacy of ID in public education, one could make the minimalist case for bracketing the issue of biological evolution itself and first focusing specifically on a Creator and Designer as the best explanation for (a) the emergence of the universe from nothing a finite time ago and (b) the "Goldilocks effect"--that the many interlocking conditions for biological life are "just right." Even if evolution has taken place, the explanatory context of a powerful and intelligent Being makes much better sense of (a) and (b) than its naturalistic alternatives. Once these are in place, only then could evolution get going.
I heartily recommend Beckwith's refreshing, insightful book and wish it all the success it deserves.
It is "Your Daddy's Fundamentalism".......2004-06-29
Next to sex education, evolution is the most controversial school subject. This book makes the modest argument that an idea called "Intelligent Design" should be taught in public schools alongside evolution. The author sets out a framework for analysis which unfortunately leads to the opposite conclusion, failing to achieve its modest goal. I read it because it received a glowing review in the Harvard Law Review, entitled, "Not Your Daddy's Fundamanetalism."
The author's argument is that various court cases rejected creationism in public schools because it violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. The author argues that Intelligent Design should be treated differently. First it is not the "New Earth" creationism, which was rejected by the courts. Furthermore, attempts by various courts to define "science" fail on philosophical grounds, so there is no philosophical preference between evolution and Intelligent Design. Methodological Naturalism, the basis for evolution is not a scientific theory but a philosophical outlook no more or no less valid than Intelligent Design's outlook. The author does not conceal the fact that he objects to evolution because it "cannot account for the existence of the universe, morality rationality," and therefore it should be rejected on philosophical grounds as the overarching scientific theory of biology.
According to the author, the 1987 U.S. Supreme Court Case, Edwards v Aguillard, struck down the creationist law based on (1) the historical continuity with the famous Scopes trial and other well publicized creationist-evolutionist debates throughout the twentieth century; (2) How closely the curriculum content parallels the Genesis story or that curriculum is proscribed because it departs from Genesis; (3) the motives of the statute's supporters; and (4) Whether the statute was a legitimate means to achieve an appropriate state ends. The author attempts to argue that the analysis of these points applied to "Intelligent Design" leads to a different result.
The author's suggested framework is plausible, but when applied to the facts as recognized by the author, himself, it fails. As a general proposition, how do we determine whether any idea is to be presented to students in an elementary school science class? A list of candidates could include atomic theory, Newtonian physics, evolution, relativity, quantum mechanics, yeti, astrology, ES, geocentricism, creationism and Intelligent design. The Author makes the incorrect and novel idea that a discipline, such as science or medicine, cannot define itself. Only philosophy, not coincidentally the author's area of expertise, is qualified to sort out which of the above ideas qualify as true "science."
In McLean v Arkansas, the trial judge determined that "science" had several characteristics. Application of the McLean criteria would quickly eliminate yeti, ESP creationism and Intelligent Design from the above list, so the author suggests that "demarcation issues' prevent a trial judge from reliably distinguishing between "real science" and imposters. Beckwith especially relies on the methodology of Larry Laudan, who suggests that the demarcation is unsolvable, i.e., it is not possible or desirable to distinguish between science and non-science. Laudan however, completes the argument that Beckwith does not-Laudan holds that some ideas are demonstrably scientifically wrong. Laudan holds that it is possible to determine what those ideas are, and Intelligent Design is one of them. I don't know why the author did not refer to Laudan's specific rejection of Intelligent Design.
Amazingly, at the time he wrote the book (2002), the author conceded that there was insufficient scholarly support for Intelligent Design. (p. 43, fn. 125). Since 2002, that situation has become worse, not better, according to the author, who, as of March 2004, holds that he does not favor teaching intelligent design in public schools because of a lack of scientific documentation for the theory (http://www.moteworthy.com/archives/000242.html). This is an amazing admission in light of the myriad of footnotes citing nearly all the Intelligent Design literature as of 2002, including the collected works of Michael Behe, Philip Johnson and William Demski. At this point, Beckwith's argument has to be re-phrased to, "Is it unconstitutional to teach incorrect ideas as established science?" After all, a law may be stupid without being unconstitutional.
Although Beckwith (and Scalia) may disagree, a court is entitled to ask why on earth anyone would want to teach a subject such as intelligent design (or ESP) with no scientific evidence in support and vast amounts contradicting it. (Beckwith's analysis of evolution is cursory, incorrect and irrelevant to his argument). It is reasonable to suggest that the idea is a sham in an effort to inject religious creationism into science class. If so, then the four Edwards criteria make sense. Reference to the history of evolution /creationism debates, the religious motivations of Intelligent Design proponents, their extra-scientific comments, their refusal to address the evolution's scientific evidence and predictive powers and legislative history would all be relevant under the Edwards analysis. Applying the Edwards criteria to Intelligent Design leads to the conclusion that it is a sham and should be treated the same as all other forms of creationism.
Teaching about Intelligent Design in a philosophy, religion or history course would be a different matter entirely.
Well-written book with a modest conclusion.......2004-05-10
I've read virtually all of the law reviews written on the constitutional status of presenting alternative theories to evolution in the publics school classroom. Francis Beckwith's modest conclusion falls just slightly to the right of assessments made by other respected legal scholars like Kent Greenawalt and Jay Wexler. It is his contention that an alternative theory like Intelligent Design could probably survive an Establishment Clause challenge whereas the Genesis-based creation science presentation has not. Greenawalt and Wexler aren't sure and tend to think ID might not survive an Establishment Challenge.
As far as quality goes, the book is well-written and researched. It also display's Beckwith's strength as a philosopher as he parses arguments. The bottom line is that Beckwith offers a very modest conclusion. Intelligent Design may someday be offered as an alternative theory of origins in public school and may survive an Establishment Clause challenge largely due to its lack of allegiance to any theological tradition. The theory makes no attempt to offer an explanation of who or what provides the agency of design
Beckwith's book is a valuable contribution to the literature estimating the constitutional status of intelligent design. If a court case does arise, his book will certainly be part of the material considered.
"Don't Criticize What You Can't Understand".......2004-05-09
Too many people reviewing this book don't get it. The Daubert case flap is an illustration. Beckwith does not say whether he agrees or disagrees with Daubert. All that he is saying is that Daubert, as precedent, helps the cause of ID if a judge were to require a high level of scrutiny as to what counts as "science." However, he does point out that ID folks will likely not have to rely on Daubert because the issues they raise are found throughout the peer-review science literature (though mostly NOT raised by ID advocates) and have been published in peer-reviewed monographs, anthologies, and academic journals that deal with the philosophy of science.
Beckwith's book is a brief for the permissibility of teaching ID in public schools. As any good law student knows, a brief is not meant to critique the plausibility of the opinions it cites in support of its case. So, if Beckwith had not consulted or employed Daubert, then it would have been a bad brief.
The negative reviewers, whose motives are impure, will not tell you what I just told you. Their concern is "spin" and not accuracy.
They have been helpful, however: they have provided yet another piece of evidence of the wicked vitriol that goes on in this controversy by the Darwinian Bull Dogs.
Book Description
"Intelligent and Effective Direction" examines the Fisk University Race Relations Institute from 1944 to 1969. Conceptualized and organized by African American sociologist Charles S. Johnson, this Institute brought together an interracial group of scholars, social, civic, and religious leaders, activists, and others to battle for civil rights. Scholarship and dialogue were the primary methods of protest and activism. "Intelligent and Effective Direction" bridges what we know about the efforts of those moving away from a Jim Crow segregated South with the efforts of those moving toward the famed civil rights movement.
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The Intelligent School
Barbara MacGilchrist ,
Jane Reed , and
Kate Myers
Manufacturer: Sage Publications Ltd
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ASIN: 0761947752 |
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In writing
The Intelligent School, the authors offer a practical resource to schools to help them maximize their improvement efforts. The aim is to help schools to be intelligent organizations; to be the type of school that can synthesize different kinds of knowledge, experience and ideas in order to be confident about current achievements, and be able to decide what to do next.
The
second edition has been fully revised in the light of New Labour's term of office, global social and economic changes, and new research evidence. It brings fresh thinking about the nine intelligences and new ideas about school improvement including the exploration of spiritual, ethical and emotional intelligence. It also includes examples of Intelligent Schools in action written by practitioners.
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This digital document is an article from Church & State, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2006. The length of the article is 939 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Class dismissed!: How the AU team tackled ID in California.(Americans United for Separation of Church and State, intelligent design)
Author: Barry W. Lynn
Publication:
Church & State (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 59
Issue: 2
Page: 23(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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