Design argument Flashcards
what does “teleological” mean?
Greek
telos = “end” or “goal”
logos = “an account of” or “study of “
Natural theology
knowledge of God can be gained by the power of the human mind. This can happen through reasoning about the natural world, or through sensing God.
Revealed theology
knowledge of God can be gained from God´s revelation to us (Jesus and the Bible). These results are revealed knowledge which is based in faith that what is received is from God.
Spatial order
Spatial order is order within nature, such as how the eye is perfectly adapted to see things.
Temporal order
Temporal order is order of the universe
itself, such as how forces, such as gravity, are perfectly suited to sustaining life.
probabilistic reasoning
calculating the probability of something to be
Outline Hume´s design argument
The nature is designed in the same way a machine is. All parts are adjusted to each other with extreme accuracy.
These designs clearly show thought, wisdom and intelligence, like machines created by humans.
Therefore, the creator of the world has to have similarities to the human mind and intelligence.
Outline Paley´s argument from spatial order and purpose
P1. A watch has certain complex features of spatial order and purpose
P2. Anything which exhibits these features of spatial order and purpose must have been designed
P3. The Universe possesses features of spatial order and purpose, except on a far more wondrous scale
Con. The Universe has to have a designer, which we call God
Evaluate William Paley´s design argument
Charles Darwin - argument from evolution and natural selection
Even if we acknowledge the regularity and order of the universe, there could still be the possibility of chance
The universe is too complex to compare it to a human design (a watch)
Outline Swinburne´s argument from temporal order/regularity
P1. The universe has order, regularity, and beauty that cannot be explained by chance or natural laws.
P2. This order and regularity suggest the presence of a purposeful design, as opposed to a random or haphazard arrangement of things.
P3. A purposeful design requires a designer, just as a watch requires a watchmaker.
P4. The designer of the universe must be God, who is an intelligent and powerful being capable of creating and sustaining the universe.
Con. Therefore, the existence of a purposeful design in the universe provides evidence for the existence of God.
Evaluate Richard Swinburne´s design argument
- It is impossible to compare the universe to a watch because of the few similarities
- The world is not as good as we might think (it is all adaption and natural selection)
What type of reasoning does the design argument use?
a posteriori - it is based on our experience of the world around us
Inductive - the premises support but do not entail the conclusion (probabilistic)
Synthetic - the argument is not true or false by the definition of its premises (it has to be tested)
Explain Hume´s objection to the design argument from analogy
The design argument is based on a weak analogy. Hume asserts there are too many differences between the universe and a machine for an effective logical argument to be made.
Explain the problem of spatial disorder (as posed by Hume and Paley)
- When we imagine a universe made by an intelligent, powerful and wise God we imagine a very different one to the one we experience daily
- The design argument ignores all the spatial disorders, faults and flaws in the universe
These spatial disorders are:
- large areas of the universe are empty
- natural disasters occur
- animals have been given bodies that become ill, suffer and feel pain
- the bodies of animals could function better
Explain why the design argument fails as it is an argument from a unique case
The design argument fails as it is an argument from a unique case (Hume). If you experience two events as conjoined, this does not give us grounds for believing one event caused the other. It is only when two events are constantly conjoined that we can infer one from the other.
