Episode 156. Darwin then offers another argument for God's existence in his autobiography. This is his second design argument. And it could be called a rational intelligent design argument. In quote 33, Darwin writes. Another source of conviction in the existence of God. Connected with the reason and not the feelings impresses me as having much more weight. This follows from the extreme difficulty. And then, he corrects himself or rather impossibility of conceiving this immense and wondrous universe. Including men with his capacity of looking backwards and far into futurity as a result of blind chancer necessity. When thus reflecting I feel compelled to look to a First Cause having an intelligent mind. In some degree analogous to that of men. And I deserve to be called a Theist. It's very clear from this passage that Darwin rejects dysteleology. He is firm in believing that the universe is not the result of blind chance or necessity. In fact, that's an impossibility according to Darwin. Also note, the present tense of the last sentence, where Darwin states, when thus reflecting, I feel compelled and I deserve to be called a theist. Therefore, in 1876, when this sentence was written, Darwin at times believed in God. Darwin's beliefs in Qoute 33, can be viewed through a biblical design categories. The revolution in Nature is Active. The impact of the wondrous universe compelled Darwin to look for a creative mind behind the World. This revelation is also intelligible because it is connected with the reason. And finally, the natural world is revelatory. Nature points to a first cause having an intelligent mind. Of course Darwin has a rebuttal to his second design argument. Immediately following Qoute 33, Darwin offers this counter argument. This conclusion that is belief in design and God. Was strong in my mind about the time as far as I can remember when I wrote the origin of species. And it is since that time that it has very gradually with many fluctuations become weaker. But then arises the horrid doubt. Can the mind of man which has, as I fully believe, been developed from a mind as low as that possessed by the lowest animal, be trusted when it draws such grand conclusions? This, indeed, is a remarkable passage. Darwin was a theist & believed in design when he wrote the Origin of Species. How often do we hear anyone saying this today? Clearly, Darwin was not a so-called Darwinist when he wrote his most famous book. We also see in the rebuttal in Quote 34, Darwin's Epistemological Dilemma or, as he terms it, "The Horrid Doubt". Darwin states that he can't trust his mind on subjects of intelligent design in God. Nor can he trust his mind to make grand conclusions. But do you see the problem with this rebuttal? What did Darwin just do? He trusted his mind to make a grand conclusion about not being able to trust his mind. In other words, he blatantly contradicts himself. You can't say you don't trust your mind because your need mind to make that very statement. To use the technical term, Darwin's rebuttal to a second design argument suffers from Self-Referential Incoherence. We can offer an assessment of Darwin's rebuttal in Quote 34. And ask the question, did Darwin rebut or offer a good counter-argument to his rational argument for God's existence? In my opinion, no. Therefore, intelligent design remains a powerful rational argument for belief in a first cause having an intelligent mind in some degree analogous to that of man. End of episode.