01 Arguements For Gods Existence - B Teleological Flashcards
What is the teleological arguement based on?
The idea that there are signs of order and purpose in the universe that this suggests a design.
What is the premise of the teleological arguement?
Premise 1: things that are designed have a designer.
Premise 2: the universe shows signs of design.
Conclusion: the designer is God.
What does Thomas Aquinas’ fifth way include?
The concept of governance.
What did Thomas Aquinas include as the fifth of his 5 ways?
A form of the teleological arguement.
Explain design qua regularity.
Aquinas was arguing from design in relation to the order and regularity in the universe.
Explain Aquinas’ example of an acorn.
Many objects don’t have the intelligence to work towards an end purpose themselves.
-Aquinas used the example of an acorn whose end is an oak tree.
-therefore they must be directed by something that does have intelligence.
-that intelligent being must be God.
Explain the archer and the arrow analogy.
We know that nothing that has purpose does so without the aid of a ‘guiding hand’ (eg: an archer shooting an arrow at at target) thus everything in nature is directed to its goal by God.
What design arguement did William Paley put forward?
‘Design qua purpose’
Explain William Paley’s Example for the design arguement. (Watch)
Imagine crossing a heath. If you come across a stone, you might consider it an accident but if you come across a watch then this provides clear evidence of design even if the purpose of the watch is not obvious.
Explain William Paleys’s design arguement.
A watch has certain complex features.
Anything, which exhibits these features must have been designed.
Therefore, the watch must have been designed.
The universe is like the watch in that it possesses the same features, except on a far more wondrous scale.
Therefore, the universe, like the watch, has been designed, except by a wondrous universe maker i.e. God.
What does Paley go on in his argument to show the intricacy of?
Animals and humans
What does paley conclude when he shows the intricacy of animals and humans?
That God must be their maker.
What example does William paley use in his design argument? (Not the watch)
An eye that appears to have design and clearly has a purpose.
Who came up with the Aesthetic and Anthropic arguments?
F.R. Tennant.
Explain Tennants aesthetic argument?
•humans posses the ability to appreciate beauty found in music, art, literature and the natural world.
•since this is not necessary for survival it is evidence of a design creator and cannot be a result of natural selection.
Explain Tennants anthropic arguement?
•the universe is not chaotic, it contains the conditions necessary to exist.
•we have warth from the sun, air, water and an environment where food can grow.
•he argued that evolution is part of design.
What is Tennants anthropic arguement also known as?
The goldilocks principle.
What idea is Thomas Aquinas’ fifth way based on? (CROP)
-Complexity
-Regularity
-Order
-Purpose
