"Intelligent Design"

[Fred Shapiro]

Today's New York Times discusses that most unintelligent of catchphrases,
"intelligent design," tracing it back to 1880.  Here's an earlier
evolution-related usage (the collocation of the words is, of course,
older):

1874 _Medical & Surgical Reporter_ 13 June 550 (American Periodical
Series)  Now DARWIN arises, and attacks the minor premise of this
syllogism, by setting up the blind struggle for existence, the spontaneity
of nature, and the doctrine of unconscious evolution, as all-sufficient to
explain any appearance of intelligent design in organic beings.

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
   Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
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