The Ivory Tower

This is a place for me to think out loud (or 'on paper') all things that are interesting me, and to comment on things I want to remember. Naming my blog the Ivory Tower is a joke on the popular notion that philosophy and intelligence are something beyond the common man, somehow above the 'mean' act of living as a human. Rand's refutation of this is what immediately drew me to her. Feel free to introduce yourself.

12.27.2005

Judge Rules Against Intelligent Design

In a surprisingly vociferous statement Pennsylvania Judge John Jones ruled against teaching intelligent design in public classrooms. What's unfortunate about this victory is that Judge Jones passed his decision on the case without considering that the United States Government has no business interfering at all in either education or research, in favour or against.

The purpose of our government is not to tell us what is and is not science. Such a policy is horribly dangerous to our liberty because the government holds the ultimate legal authority to use force. To make the philosophical issue here very concrete; a person who has the legal right to hold a gun to your head should not also have the legal right to tell you what is/is not proper to believe/learn/research. Consider the ramifications when such an action on the part of government officials is tolerated.


Articles/Resources:
Judge Rules Against Pa. Biology Curriculum (Excite News) Update [2.10.2006]: Link Defunct
Judge Rejects Teaching Intelligent Design (New York Times)
Kitzmiller, et. al. v. Dover Area School District, et. al. (Filed by Judge Jones on 12/20/05)