Intelligent Design: an emerging threat and the challenges for science

Intelligent Design (ID), often presented as an alternative to evolutionary theory, has been increasingly introduced into educational settings under the pretense of promoting critical thinking. However, it is a perspective that lacks essential criteria of the scientific method, such as testability and falsifiability, and is widely regarded as a contemporary form of creationism. This qualitative and theoretical-conceptual study conducts an epistemological and pedagogical analysis of ID in light of the Philosophy of Science, examining its inclusion in school curricula and its implications for scientific literacy. The analysis revealed that ID does not hold up as a scientific theory, and its spread is strongly linked to sociocultural factors such as religiosity, misinformation, and scientific denialism - all of which were intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kitzmiller v. Dover case, along with international guidelines, reinforces the understanding that teaching ID violates the principles of a secular state and compromises the quality of science education. It is concluded that combating the advance of ID in educational contexts requires not only scientific arguments but also the strengthening of teachers’ epistemological training, the development of critical thinking in students, and the appreciation of evidence-based knowledge.