1C Inductive - Challenges

Question 1

What is Hume’s first challenge to the cosmological argument? (composition)

Answer 1

• Fallacy of composition: what is true of the parts is not necessarily true of the whole. Just ∵ we observe cause/effect in the universe does not mean the rule applies to the universe itself
• Russel: “Just because every human has a mother does not mean the whole of humanity has a mother”

Question 2

What is Hume’s second challenge to the cosmological argument? (experience)

Answer 2

• We have no experience of creating a universe

Question 3

What is Hume’s third challenge to the cosmological argument? (evidence)

Answer 3

• Not enough evi. to say whether the universe had a cause; definitely not enough to make any conclusion as to what the cause may have been

Question 4

What is Hume’s fourth challenge to the cosmological argument? (determining)

Answer 4

• Even if ‘God’ was the cause, there is no way of determining what sort of God it was, nor that it was the God of Classical Theism

Question 5

What is Hume’s fifth challenge to the cosmological argument? (like causes)

Answer 5

• Like causes produce like effects (e.g. parent rabbits produce baby rabbits) - why should we assume that there is one male ‘parent’ of the universe?

Question 6

What is Hume’s sixth challenge to the cosmological argument? (psychology)

Answer 6

• Causation = nothing more than a psychological effect
• His example: if a billiard ball hits another, we observe this motion but link the two in our minds, saying that one causes the other to move - no evidence of a link; “habit of mind”

Question 7

What is Hume’s first challenge to the teleological argument? (analogy)

Answer 7

• No human analogy is sufficient to explain the origins of the universe ∵ it is unique
• Just ∵ we know how a house is designed or built does not mean that we can infer from this how the universe was designed
• The universe demonstrates greater similarities to living organisms than an artificial construct

Question 8

What is Hume’s second challenge to the teleological argument? (designed?)

Answer 8

• It is a fallacy in assuming the universe = designed simply ∵ it seems so
• Distinction btwn authentic design and apparent design:
- Authentic design: G = responsible for design of whole universe
- Apparent design: Appearance of design where none actually exists
• The universe = apparent design

Question 9

What is Hume’s third challenge to the teleological argument? (poor design)

Answer 9

• How do we know the universe is designed well?
• Used a shipwright analogy: a ship = built out of a process of trial and error; no evidence that the boatbuilder is a paragon of design skill or intelligence
• There may be better universes
• A ship has many builders - could the universe has many designers
• When a builder completes a task, they move on. Could G have moved on?

Question 10

What is Epicurus’ challenge to the teleological argument?

Answer 10

• The current universe = no more than a random association of atoms that had previously been in a chaotic state
• Through the principle nature of the universe (that it changes), these atoms = re-organised to resemble order

Question 11

How does the Big Bang theory provide a challenge?

Answer 11

• Nearly 14 billion yrs ago, a singularity caused the universe
• It was a random action

Question 12

How does the theory of Natural Selection provide a challenge?

Answer 12

• Random chance organises life in the universe
• ‘Survival of the fittest’ eliminates the weak characteristics
• Species are suited to their environment ∵ of ability to adapt to surroundings, not ∵ of a designer

Question 13

Explain Russel’s challenge to the principle of sufficient reason from the 1947 radio debate between him and Copleston.

Answer 13

• Copleston: cause/effect = sufficient reason to conclude that G exists. As everything in the universe = contingent, G must be necessary
• Russel: “If everything has a cause, then why does the necessary being not have a cause?”; “the universe is just there, and thats all.”