Teleology

"the supposition that there is design, purpose, directive principle, or finality in the works and processes of nature, and the philosophical study of that purpose."

Call me open-minded, but I can't help but think there may be a be rational, or at least a psychological reason, for people embracing intelligent design. I mean they're not all young earth creationists. I'm willing to bet they're not all liars from Discovery Insitute. The idea makes enough sense for people to argue it; they're not trying to explain the fossil record with Noah's flood. And they're pushing hard, so something must be at stake. So what is it?

A lack of purpose, literal and figurative. Most (all?) people are afraid of directionlessness, pointlessness. Intelligent design, taken at face value, attempts to refute this, attempts to prove purposefulness. Given the Sartrean challenge of the 21st century, five years after the end of the American century, ID hopes to establish a foundation, a plan, a manifest destiny, the progress of which can guide us through the lack of direction in a global society.