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'''Irreducible complexity''' is a property of any system which requires all its parts to be in place for it to work properly: the removal or alteration of any part would prevent the system from functioning. For example, an ordinary [[internal combustion]] engine will not function without spark plugs.

'''Irreducible complexity''' describes any system which requires all of its parts in order to perform any function, even not its main or intended one, and where the removal or alteration of any part would prevent the system from performing any function whatsoever.

In the [[origins debate]], the assertion that various organisms are irreducible complex is an argument used to support the theory of [[Intelligent Design]] (ID). Proponents of ID argue that irreducible complexity is evidence that some organisms were designed by an intelligent agent.

For example, a car will not go without an engine. Indeed, the engine will not run without fuel and a starter motor. The designer must ensure that all parts work together to produce the intended function. A car could not just evolve. Implicit in the argument is the assumption that things cannot evolve unless they serve their ultimate purpose in every step of the evolution process. For example, here, the reason why the car couldn't evolve is because it wouldn't be a car without an engine. Of course, there is no such requirement in the theory of evolution that a car would have to remain a car throughout its entire evolutionary history. The irreducible complexity argument is nonetheless a major flaw in the theory of evolution and serves to make it seem very unlikely. In short, a car could 'evolve,' but it would be many other things before it finally became a car; it is easy to see that the probability of a car evolving (by chance) is extremely close to 0.

In the [[origins debate]], the assertion that various organs of cells or animals are irreducibly complex is used to support the theory of [[Intelligent Design]] or [[Creationism]]. Proponents of Inteligent Design or Creationism argue that irreducible complexity is evidence of an intelligent agent.

[[Image:Wm Dembski.jpg|right|150px|thumb|[[William Dembski]]]]

[[Image:Wm Dembski.jpg|right|150px|thumb|[[William Dembski]]]]