1.1 Design Argument

Question 1

What is another name for the design argument?

Answer 1

teleological argument

Question 2

What type of reasoning does the design argument use?

Answer 2

inductive reasoning

Question 3

Outline Paley’s analogical argument

Answer 3

• A watch is a machine designed for the purpose of telling time
• The features of design of a watch suggest an intelligent designer
• The natural world/universe show the features of design
• Therefore the universe must have an intelligent designer

Question 4

What is regularity of succession?

Answer 4

Things in nature follow certain ‘rules’ which lead to a result - which is often predicable, regular and unvarying (eg. dropping something will make it smash)

Question 5

Outline Aquinas 5th Way

Answer 5

There is beneficial order in the universe

Many objects don’t have the intelligence to work toward an end purpose

but they still attain the best results (eg. an arrow hitting a target)

This ‘order’ couldn’t happen by chance

It must explained by something that has intelligence

That something is God

Question 6

What is Aquinas archer/arrow analogy

Answer 6

An arrow flying through the air towards a target. It lacks a will of its own and therefore was moved by something else (an archer)

Similarly, the world couldn’t of designed or operated itself as it has no free will - therefore another force (God) must of designed it and given it purpose.

Question 7

Hume was responding to who when replying to the design argument?

Answer 7

Aquinas

Question 8

What did Hume argue about the characteristics of God

Answer 8

Even if a God did design the universe there is no evidence to suggest he is a Abrahamic God (ie benevolent, omnipotent etc)

Question 9

Describe a posterori argument & a priori argument?

Answer 9

Posterori = an argument that follows evidence
Priori = an argument that is independent of evidence and is true by logic (eg. 1+1=2)

Question 10

Outline the core/fundamental teleological argument

Answer 10

Due to the universe’s somewhat harmonious and beneficial order/intelligence there must be a designer as its too ‘perfect’ to be by chance

Question 11

What is the anthropic principle and who was the thinker

Answer 11

Swinburne

Argues that the planet has numerous co-existing factors (such as gravity, distance from the sun etc). that are all beneficial to having life on the benefit. The chances of this are so unprobeable that it suggests there is an intelligent creator

Question 12

What are some criticisms of the design argument

Answer 12

Hume

• Similar effects don’t mean similar cause (eg. two similar looking wooden chairs may not be built by the same designer)
• Fallacy of composition
  Just because a part of something is given a quality; it doesn’t mean this can be attributed to the whole thing itself (eg. objects within the world have a designer but just because parts of the world have a designer, doesn’t mean the world itself does)
• There have been numerous faults in the universe therefore it’s not perfect
• Even if there is a creator; it might not be a Abrahamic or anthropomorphic one

Question 13

What is the Aesthetic argument and who thought of it

Answer 13

F.R TENNET

There is a huge amount of ‘biologically superfluous’ beauty. Most likely this unnecessary beauty is the product of a craftsman that takes pride in his work, than an impersonal product of science.

Question 14

What are the criticisms of the Aesthetic argument

Answer 14

J.S Mill and Hume argued

• The presence of evil challenges the worlds ‘beauty’ and shows it to be poorly designed
• If a God was omnipotent and benevolent then they would’ve created a world without natural evil