Evaluations-Cosmological and Teleological

Question 1

What are 3 support arguments for the first way?

Answer 1

-We are able to observe motion
-BIG BANG,Modern cosmology generally accepts that there is a beginning
-HUBBLE, evident from the red shift of galaxies moving apart from one another

Question 2

What are weaknesses for the first way?

Answer 2

DAVID HUME
-its reasonable to assume that infinite regression takes place rather than a unmoved mover, just because Aquinas rejects it doesn’t mean its factually impossible
WILLIAM TEMPLE
Though it is impossible to imagine infinite regression we can still understand the concept.

Question 3

What arguments support the second way?

Answer 3

-ANSCOMBE,asking about the universe is a valid question it is natural to ask e.g magician
-Cause and effect can be observed
-Influence of Aristotle’s potentiality to actuality
(efficient cause)

Question 4

What are arguments against the second way?

Answer 4

DAVID HUME
-Confuse causation with correlation, they generally happen together but this doesn’t mean they must occur together

-Too much reliance on inductive reasoning links between cause and effects aren’t certain

-Fallacy of Composition, just because parts within the universe have cause doesn’t mean the universe was caused

BERTRAND RUSSELL
Quantum Physics-self causing atoms, atoms which spontaneously come into being

Question 5

What are strengths of the Third Way?

Answer 5

-LEIBNIEZ principle of sufficient reason, there must be a sufficient explanation for the existence of the universe
‘why is there something rather than nothing’
-Father Copleston, developed the Leibnitz principle of sufficient reason
>everything in existence requires a total explanation, God contains within himself.

Question 6

What are weaknesses of the Third Way?

Answer 6

DAVID HUME
-Aquinas uses God as a special case, why can’t the universe be the special case as there is nothing like it
-Why must there be a beginning

BERTRAND RUSSELL
-Fallacy of composition
e.g just because every human has a mother doesn’t mean the whole human race has a mother
-CHALLENGE LIEBNIEZ, not all things have reason, atoms come into being without a cause so why can’t the universe not have one its a ‘Brute fact’
-NO SUCH THINGS AS NECESSARY BEINGS ONLY NECESSARY STATEMENTS E.G triangle has 3 sides

Question 7

What are support points for Aquinas’s fifth way?

Answer 7

-There are examples of non-thinking beings acting to achieve a purpose e.g sunflowers turning towards the sunlight
-Analogies are the only way we can speak to god with ANTHROMPIMYING him (making him seem human),language in analogies shouldn’t be taken literally.

Question 8

What are weaknesses of the fifth way?

Answer 8

DAVID HUME
-Alternate theory, EPICUREAN HYPOTHESIS, given a infinite amount of time all the particles in the universe would have combined in every combination possible and this would eventually result in order

-Many natural things don’t have a purpose it could be human construct perhaps we project as we find it comforting

-EVOLUTION BY NATURAL MEANS all living being and organisms looks purposeful, but this is because they evolve to suit there environment.

Question 9

What are strengths of Paley?

Answer 9

-Purpose can be observed in living beings
-Even if the watch was broken we would still infer that there is a designer because of its design and purpose
-Paley doesn’t argue that there is a purpose before the world only things within it.

Question 10

What are Weaknesses of Paley

Answer 10

DAVID HUME
-LEAP of observing purpose in the world to assuming that it was intentionally designed by God. e.g Insect Larvae eat there prey alive from the inside
-COMPARING the world to a machine
enlightenment thinker PALEY
This is a unsound analogy as the world doesn’t resemble a machine it is more like a vegetable which have characteristics of intricacy
These thinkers have already determined there result
-There is only one universe and we have nothing to compare it to limited experience

Question 11

What are strengths of Charles Darwin?

Answer 11

-Natural selection is a wasteful process
>cruel to creature which aren’t adapted to an environment as they die out (MALEVOLANT)
-Richard Dawkins
evolution should lead to atheism
BLIND WATCHMAKER
evolution creates the illusion of design he rejects the idea that evolution is a tool used by God