The Watchmaker: my fav argument

[polymath257]

The default perspective is the one that sticks closest to the evidence.

Hmm again if you look into underdetermination, you'll see why this sentence is problematic—for any given set of observations more than one theory can be logically compatible with the evidence.

In which case, we always take the easiest. The one with the fewest additional assumptions.

Occasionally, having more than one thoery is useful *if* the calculations are easier in one description than another. For example, classical physics can use Newton's formulation involving forces or Lagrange's formulation using a principle of least action. The latter often leads to easier calculations, but ultimately the same observational results.

But in the case of design, even that isn't an advantage. it is *solely* the addition of assumptions that have no observational consequences. As such, it is reasonable to discard it.