Proving Existence Of God Flashcards
Aristotelian ideas used by aquinas
Version of nature and reality
Causes is better foundation for own faith
Contain supreme good in reality on earth
5 ways/4 causes
How did aquinas try to prove existence of God
Causation
Eschatology- saved by Christ, Aristotle doesn’t fit into this as he thinks once dead so is soul
Cosmological argument
Unmoved mover-can’t prove it but closest proximation of god
Inductive
Premises will always support conclusion but don’t logically prove it
Analogical
Comparison between 2 things for the purpose of clarification
Teleological argument
P1) order, regularity, purpose and beauty
P2) look at object, may infer it was designed
P3)world is object containing properties of p1
P4) world designed, designer called god
Proto design
Idea together but not formally put into philosophical argument
Aquinas fifth way
P1) see things which lack intelligence
P2)act for an end, acting always in same way to obtain best result
P3)designed, do they achieve their end
P4)whatever lacks intelligence can’t move towards end unless directed by someone intelligent
P5) their end , God
Archer and arrow
Arrow no intelligence, needs someone behind it in order to hit target
World needs god
William paley
English philosopher
Opposed to Slave trade
Natural theology
Theology
Study of god
Natural theology - William paley
Process of deriving knowledge of God from the use of natural human reason.
Nah appeal to general advice the world and our understanding in theology in NT
Revealed theology
Process of deriving knowledge of God from contact with god himself.
Design argument - Hume
Argument by analogy
Purpose put their by intelligent creator
Watch design
Design Qua purpose
Argument claiming that everything is designed to fulfil some function of purpose
Something causes something to have a purpose
Design Qua regularity
Arguments claiming that regularity and order can be observed in the physical world
Features of regularity and order must be caused by something
Plato argued from this making ref to solar system
Aesthetic argument
Ability to appreciate beauty of surroundings not result of natural selection
David Hume criticism of teleological argument
Accept premises don’t have to accept conclusion
Analogies aren’t useful- watch and eye aren’t as close as thought to be
False analogy
Science criticism of teleological argument
Bug bang
Natural selection
Evolution offers adequate evidence
Js mill criticism of teleological argument
Evil and suffering
Anthropic principle
Claims that universe have been destined for ultimate purpose of producing intelligent life
Anthropic principle tennant
Argued it was possible to imagine chaotic universe with no rules or laws
Universe isn’t chaotic
Evidence suggests that universe is result of careful design, follow evolutionary process creating environment in which intelligent life could exist
Aesthetic argument
Argument for the existence of a realm of immaterial ideas or most commonly existence of God
Appreciation of beauty , not necessary for survival so not result of natural selection
Argument from probability
Swinburne
Put forward version of design argument based on probability
Observed that the order in the universe and the way it provides conditions necessary for life and concludes that an intelligent designer is the best explanation that we have
Swinburne argument key points
*All bodies in universe conform to same laws
*Provided conduction necessary for human life to develop
*Providential world, humans can contribute to its development and maintenance within limitations of natural laws
*World not chaotic meaning it was designed
Intelligent designed universe can’t be proved
*Natural laws designed that that they happen by chance
*God is simplest explanation for the design
