Teleological Argumen Flashcards
How is a sunflower an example of design?
sunflower is the perfect example of the Fibonacci sequence and the corresponding “golden ratio” in nature
What is the watchmaker analogy?
The watchmaker analogy consists of the comparison of some natural phenomenon to a watch.
The complex inner workings of a watch necessitate an intelligent designer.
As with a watch, the complexity of X (a particular organ or organism, the structure of the solar system, life, the universe, anything complex) necessitates a designer.
What did Aristotle say about the teleological argument?
“the series must start with something, since nothing can come from nothing”
What is Aristotle implying through this statement?
all changes must come from an ultimate source (God)
if there was no first cause then there would be nothing
What is Aquinas’ first way of motion?
there cannot be an infinite chain of movers
there must be an unmoved mover that causes motion in all things
we call God the unmoved mover
What are the criticisms of the first way?
Aquinas’ argument rests on assumptions that are no longer widely held - that x can only be brough about by x
What is Aquinas’ second way?
nothing causes itself because it would be prior to itself
there cannot be an infinite chain of causes - there would not be a first cause
What are the criticisms of the second way?
why can there not be an infinite chain of causer - one carriage may move the next carriage but it only makes if there is a engine
why couldn’t there be a pluarity of independant causes
What is the third way?
matter is contingent - it is caused and comes into being
a being who is not contingent to anything else is necessary
contingent beings are the result of other contingent being therefore cannot bring itself into exist
What are the critcisims of the third way?
why can there not be contingent items that have lasted through all past time and will show their contingency by perishing some time in the future
energy of which objects are composed of is forever and exists necessarily
What was Hume’s argument?
the complexity of the machines that form life and the universe around
minute parts are adjusted to one another with an accuracy
created the watchmaker analogy
What was Paley’s argument?
even if you had never seen a watch before you would know it had an intelligent designer
complex purposeful design is found in nature
e.g. eye is made to see
