Modern design argument Flashcards
who are the MDA thinkers
Tennant and Swinburne
who is associated with AP
Tennant
Anthropic principle
what is the anthropic principle
explored conditions needed for mankind
the purpose of evolution allows the design argument to work
directed by intelligence which allows conditions for humanity
precise features, physical, astronomical, thermal
too many coincidences for it to be chance, must have been a guiding hand
what is the fine tuning argument 2p
p1 universe is finely tuned for the creation of life and demonstrates regularity in its laws of physics which life wouldn’t be possible without
p2 can’t be the result of chance, too many coincidences for chance to explain it
C
therefore, there must be a designer of the universe: God
weakness of the fine tuning argument about probabilities and premises
one probability vs another
gap in premises, why can’t it be chance: gaps in knowledge
weakness of the fine tuning argument about God
strong anthropic principle doesn’t assign itself to a god
could be accused of deism
god fine-tuned the universe and then didn’t interfere since
weakness of the fine tuning argument about humans
human existence has been a small part of the universe’s history
universe is not fine tuned for humans
what is Swinburne’s stance concerning the design argument
a probability based stance
Swinburne’s mda
the design and order we see in the universe increases God’s probability
science explains majority of universe’s regularities, but still logical to believe God created the universe
what argument does Swinburne rework and call what
Paley’s arguement
spatial order
what is Swinburne’s spatial order
nature is a machine making machine, it produces us and we learn to make machines
all parts of the world have to work well together to survive, animals, plants, humans
in the same way God created machines, God is creator of nature
weakness of Swinburne’s spatial order from Swinburne
only has certain probability, circumstances where nature acts as a machine-making machine are rare
what is good about Swinburne’s temporal order
stronger
more probable than not that God exists
what is Swinburne’s temporal order
laws of nature are so absolute, one thing always succeeds another in a predictable order, the regularities of succession
temporal order of the world is overwhelmingly obvious, we can use it to predict the future, e.g. sun will rise
high degree of order in the universe, for S, evidence of a personal conscious God
what is a weakness of Swinburne’s temporal order
no wonder we have order, it exists because we have nothing else to find
we shouldn’t be surprised by it and conclude God’s existence from it
what is the best explanation of Tennant and Swinburne
both hypothesises that there’s a designer relies on the idea God is the best explanation for the universe
abductive, most likely and simplest explanation
MDA in 4 premises and conclusion
P1: we see the universe in special features
P2: these features can’t be explained by natural science
P3: the presence of these features can be made sense of by God’s existence
P4: where an explanation makes sense of certain features that can’t be explained otherwise, it’s probably right
C: therefore, God exists
What is an argument against intelligent design DE
Darwinist explanation
simplicity to complexity, can be traced back to simpler replicating molecules
what are the three arguments against the anthropic principle and best explanation
the fallacy
depends on observer
depends on belief
what is the fallacy against the anthropic principle and best explanation
any successful species will interpret the world as specifically adapted to them because, if it wasn’t, they wouldn’t be here
what is ‘depends on observer’ against the anthropic principle and best explanation
what seems ordered in one respect can appear chaotic in another
e.g. a rugby game
we could look at it as meaningless in the way everything moves
took billions of years of experimentation for humans, was this necessary?
what is ‘depends on belief’ against the anthropic principle and best explanation
background belief or pre-set views
you will try to prove your pre-existing belief
What are the alternative solutions
Darwin (1), Dawkins (4)
The theory of evolution
The blind watch maker
Illusion of design
Memes
Survival machines
what is the theory of evolution as an alternative solution
Charles Darwin
All organisms are adapting all the time to a changing environment
humans become dominant through intelligent design, not special act of God’s design
Paley: organisms are designed to suit their environments, e.g. birds have wings
what is ‘the blind watch maker’ as an alternative solution
Dawkins
against Paley’s analogy
“gloriously an utterly wrong”
a watchmaker designs with foresight
the only watchmaker in nature is natural selection which is unable to have foresight
Physics is the blind watch maker, an unconscious and automatic process
what is ‘the illusion of design’ as an alternative solution
natural selection is so impressive, creates an illusion of design
genes alone are responsible for intelligent life
genes are selfish, there’s a struggle for survival
what are ‘memes’ as an alternative solution
ideas that have also been operated on natural selection
we inherit some of the cultural values of those who came on before us from those strong enough to pass it on
appreciation of beauty is nothing more than a part of the survival mechanism
‘survival machines’ as an alternative solution
purely mechanical univers, biologists impulses drive life
humans are survival machines
development of life on earth is because of the genetic foundations for that life, it’s inevitable
