Arguments for the existence of God based on OBSERVATION

Question 1

What is the Cosmological argument?

Answer 1

Aims to prove God’s existence by saying God is the explanation for the origin of the universe.

Question 2

Which philosopher presented the five ways?

Answer 2

Aquinas

Question 3

Which book contains Aquinas’s five ways?

Answer 3

-Summa Theologica
-Attempted to harmonise the ideas from Aristotle with Christianity.

Question 4

Name the first 3 ways.

Answer 4

-motion
-causation
-contingency

Question 5

What is Aquinas’s first way?

Answer 5

-things being acted on and being changed
-things change because of this
-Infinite Regress is rejected
(‘but this cannot go on for infinity’)

Question 6

Which way concludes:
There must be a unmoved mover which started the process of motus, God.

Answer 6

First Way

Question 7

Which Part of Aristotle’s Theory did Aquinas take influence from for his first way?

Answer 7

Everything is in a state from potentiality to actuality.
e.g Kettle

Question 8

What is a difference between Aquinas and Aristotle (first way)?

Answer 8

AQUINAS=God’s deliberate act of will
ARISTOTLE=PM unknowingly acts by attraction

Question 9

What is Aquinas’s second way about?

Answer 9

-Things acting and bringing about change
-Structured in a similar manner to the first way
-suggests all effects come from cause this cannot be infinite

Question 10

Which way concludes:
Therefore there must be a uncaused causer,God.

Answer 10

The second way.

Question 11

What is Aquinas’s third way about?

Answer 11

-if all things are contingent then that means at some point nothing would have existed
-Something necessary must have existed
(‘There must exist something who’s is necessary’)

Question 12

Which way concludes:
Must be a being which itself is necessary.

Answer 12

The third way.

Question 13

What is the Teleological Argument?

Answer 13

Using observations of certain features in the universe such as its ordered and purposefulness nature.

Question 14

What is Aquinas’s Fifth way about?

Answer 14

-Things which lack knowledge act for a purpose
-All natural things have telos and this comes from god
-God guides all these things to achieve it’s purpose

Question 15

What does Aquinas propose for his Fifth way?

Answer 15

The analogy of the Archer

Question 16

What is the Analogy of the Archer?

Answer 16

-Nature is like a arrow shot from it’s archer’s bow.
-Has direction and purpose and moves towards it goal
-Everything has a purposefulness nature

Question 17

What example can be used to help Aquinas for ‘everything has a purposefulness nature?

Answer 17

ACORN has the goal of being a oak tree
It will behave in a certain way to fulfil it purpose

Question 18

How did Aristotle influence Aquinas’s Fifth way?

Answer 18

-Teleological nature
-Take us of final cause
HOWEVER, he rejects that purpose comes naturally and argues there must be a intelligent designer.

Question 19

Aside from Aquinas who also proposed a Teleological Argument?

Answer 19

Paley

Question 20

Why did Paley Write his own?

Answer 20

-During the time Paley was writing teleological arguments were at the height of there popularity due to scientific advancements
-mechanical analogies were also being made due to the industrial revolution

Question 21

What analogy did Paley put forwards to show complexity in the universe?

Answer 21

The analogy of the watchmaker

Question 22

Explain Paley’s Watchmaker analogy.-

Answer 22

-There are things which do not seek purpose,
-however sometimes we create explanation in terms of design we don’t imagine they come naturally.
-He uses the watch’s complexity to suggests there is purpose.
-for example we are aware that it has been constructed intentionally to carry out purpose.

Question 23

What does Paley propose for the nature of God?

Answer 23

Analogy of the eye.

Question 24

Explain the analogy of the eye?

Answer 24

-The eye is safely tucked away in the sockets of a skull
-He uses this to show that not only god makes intricate thins but also cares for them
-He made this to conclude that it is a theistic God,ombnibenevolance

Question 25

What goes against his eye analogy?

Answer 25

The Disteleological argument.
Eye Problems

Question 26

What is Design Qua Purpose

Answer 26

-The watch is complex and ordered
-without the features it wouldn’t be able to function
-The watch didnt come from chance e.g stone
-Assume that it has a designer which is a watchmaker

Question 27

What is Design Qua Regularity?

Answer 27

-Was inspired by Newtons law of motion and Gravity
-Universe is like clockwork it is in a predictable pattern
-Orbit of planets is so regular
-Therefore there must be a higher power GOD

Question 28

Who studies Paley’s work and challenges using chance?

Answer 28

Charles Darwin

Question 29

What did Charles Darwin say?

Answer 29

-Evolution creates a illusion of design
-Natural selection of Finches on Galapagos Islands
-beaks were all shaped differently depending on food course on island
-Those finches with less successful beaks would die out to leave the successful ones to adapt

Question 30

Why does Charles Darwin’s use of natural selection challenge the teleological Argument?

Answer 30

It is nature against nature so therefore survival is creating the change.