9 September 2007
PZ Myers supports academic freedom for Marks
DLH
PZ Myers of Pharyngula has stood up on the side of academic freedom at Baylor University for Robert Marks, II.
Baylor episode is getting wider circulation Posted on: September 4, 2007 3:07 PM, by PZ Myer
“The story of the Robert Marks debacle has now made the pages of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
If the account is accurate, I’m going to do something you’ll only
rarely see: I’ll take the side of the creationist. . . . The problem is
that Baylor was more than a little ham-fisted in intruding on Marks’
academic freedom. I categorically reject Marks’ whole philosophy and
I’d probably call him delusional, but … it is the professor’s job to
talk freely about wacky ideas if he wants. A web page that can be
shared (and laughed at) is a reasonable part of the commitment to
public communication, and I don’t think Baylor should restrict it. Even
if the professor is a bit of an embarrassment, and the subject is a
sore spot for the university. . . .”
See full post
PZ Myers has previously demanded: “The IDists love to quote me, because I am rather militant in my opposition to their lies. . . .The only appropriate response should involve some form of righteous fury, much butt-kicking, and the public firing of some teachers, many school board members, and vast numbers of sleazy, far-right politicians … I say, screw the polite words and careful rhetoric. It’s time for scientists to break out the steel-toed boots and brass knuckles, and get out there and hammer on the lunatics and idiots.”
Were Myers to fully support objective science, would he not insist on the most rigorous examination of Evolution to ensure that it is the most robust parsimenous theory possible, without even the perception of a flaw? Would he not welcome the strongest critique Marks could make? Who knows, Myers may yet affirm our full unalienable rights of speech, religion and academic freedom as preserved by the First Amendment, with equality for all - even for theories diametrically opposed to his.
Gentlemen, Start your engines - and lets make level the playing field so that the best theory wins.
Email This Post
Print This Post
1
magnan
09/09/2007
5:52 pm
e“Gentlemen, Start your engines - and lets make level the playing field so that the best theory wins.”
DLH, you must be quite an optimist.
2
j
09/09/2007
8:35 pm
eMeyers: “I’d probably call him [Marks] delusional… A web page that can be shared (and laughed at)… …the professor is a bit of an embarrassment, and the subject is a sore spot for the university. . . .”
What a devastating critique of Dr. Marks’ (and Dr. Dembski’s) work on evolutionary informatics.
3
DLH
09/09/2007
9:37 pm
emagnan
Why not? If we expect the worst in people, we might be disappointed.
However, if we hold the highest standard of excellence in science before people, there is the potential that they will begin to move towards that standard.
True science is an application of:
* “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Pvbs 27:17;
* “. . . to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” Pvbs 25:2; and
* “. . . rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” Pvbs 9:8b.
A true scientist would welcome Marks’ research as an excellent opportunity to test theories and as a challenge to do better. Other responses but reflect on that person’s character. (Thus it is also prudent to temper optimism. Some examples are described in Pvbs 9:7-9.)
4
GilDodgen
09/09/2007
9:46 pm
eI’d be interested to see the source code of some of PZ’s software engineering efforts, in order to adjudicate his expertise in this area.
And please don’t tell me that one needs to be an expert in evolutionary biology in order to adjudicate the claims made in defense of the creative powers of Darwinian mechanisms. Engineering is hard science. Darwinism is mostly storytelling and speculation about the unobservable and unrepeatable past, based on hopelessly outdated 19th century conjecture about how stuff works.
5
SCheesman
09/09/2007
9:56 pm
e“it is the professor’s job to talk freely about wacky ideas if he wants.”
No doubt referring to the wacky ideas quoted on the opening page of the web site by such delusional characters as John Maynard Smith, Leon Brillouin, Michael Polanyi, Wolpert and Macready and George Gaylord Simpson!
I’d like to echo GilDodgen’s call for a good examination of PZ’s software. Maybe that’s what he should be worried about.