Observation Flashcards
What do teleological arguments point to
Order in the world (everything works properly)
• Beauty of nature
• Purpose (everything seems to have an ultimate purpose)
• Complexity (diversity, adaptability).
It is extremely unlikely all these features would occur by chance - therefore they produce strong evidence for the existence of God.
What two way did Aquinas think the existence of God could be demonstrated in
Aquinas was convinced that the existence of God could be demonstrated in two ways:
- Natural theology – his teleological argument
- Revelation - using what God has shown to humans through the Bible and direct revelations.
What way is Aquinas’s teleological argument and what are the first three ways
Fifth way - thing that lack knowledge need something with knowledge to guide them (like an arrow needs an archer) - to get to its target
Therefore, there is an intelligent being that guides and directs all natural things to their end
Cosmological argument
Aquinas’ Teleological argument
Many natural things that lack intelligence all have a purpose which they move towards - e.g, natural bodies
Anything that lacks knowledge needs something with knowledge to guide it – just like an arrow needs an archer
Therefore, there is an intelligent being that directs all natural things to their end, i.e. God
Paley”s teleological argument
The order of the universe seems to be the result of the work of a designer
Analogy of the watch
If he sees a rock on floor, thinks nothing of it
If he saw a watch he would due to intricate design - not natural
The watch has evidence of design and design means a designer
Conclusions from Paley’s teleological arguement
Paley concludes that the universe is like the watch:
• Both possess complex features and parts
• Each feature/part has a function,
• All the parts work together for a purpose.
This shows that the universe has been intentionally designed by a designer, with the purpose of sustaining life.
Give criticism to Paley’s watch analogy and respond to it
Watches can go wrong
This doesn’t take away from the fact there is a designer
Some parts of the watch appear to have no purpose
They may just not be discovered yet
We cannot use observation to definitively say god exists just that it’s likely based on what we see
Hume’s criticism to teleological argument
For two things to be compared their must be a degree to which they share similarities, there is none between a watch and a universe.
If we were to observe a cabbage, we would conclude that it came from a blind natural cabbage - you could say it’s dumb to compare cabbage to universe but this is exactly humes point
Ships and machines have team of builders so why assume one God
People who design ships and machine can often be foolish weak people! Maybe the God’s are the same
Humans reproduce so why wouldn’t these God’s
Even if there is designer of the world we do not know anything about the nature of the designer; we cannot assume an infinite, perfect God is behind creation. Our world is finite; why should God be considered infinite?
What can evolution not explain
Things like beauty in the world or humans ability to perceive it
Can we really believe something as complex as an eye developed naturally from basic light sensitive cells
Anthropic Principle
World is to perfectly designed for humans for their not to be a designer
If earth was a bit closer to sun it would burn
Precise balance in the constants that balance nature, e.g gravity is exactly right strength to allow expansion and formation of stars
This is all too unlikely to happen by chance so there must be a creator
How does anthropic principle answer problem of evolution
Places natural selection and Big Bang as part of God’s plan
Challenges to anthropic principle
Assumes universe revolves around humans
Most of universe is bleak and barren with so many different possibilities in an ever expanding universe, it is likely for one of these to inhabit life
Criticism of cosmological argument
Unreasonable to assume that just because everything in the universe has a cause that the universe itself does
It is beyond our understanding and could even be necessary itself
Why can’t there be an infinite regression, this is like how he believes there is an infinite God.
