Does Origins of Life Research Rest on a Mistake?

The article discusses the philosophical foundations of research into the origins of life. The author queries why if appeals to intelligent agency are not viable theories, then why are researchers so reluctant to attribute the origins of life to chance. The author proposes to investigate the abstract...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Nous (0029-4624) Vol. 41; no. 3; pp. 453 - 478
Main Author:	White, Roger
Format:	Article
Published:	Wiley-Blackwell Sep2007
Subjects:	Origin of life Theory of knowledge Intelligent design (Teleology) Agent (Philosophy) Research methodology
Online Access:	View this record in EBSCOhost

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Summary:	The article discusses the philosophical foundations of research into the origins of life. The author queries why if appeals to intelligent agency are not viable theories, then why are researchers so reluctant to attribute the origins of life to chance. The author proposes to investigate the abstract epistemology that underlies scientific research about the origins of life.