Teleological argument Flashcards
Who presented the Design argument ? Dates?
William Paley (1743-1805)
What does CORP stand for?
Complexity, Order, Regularity and Purpose
Why is the universe evidence of a designer ?
evidence of design in the brain, peacocks feathers..
What does telos means ?
end/purpose
What does DIP stand for?
detail, intricacy and planning
What is an example of regularity in the universe?
seasons (orbit and tilt of earth)
What do TA’s conclude about the world’s purpose ?
Could not have come about by chance because of the evident DOC’s and DIP’s
What does DOCS stand for?
Design, Order, Complexity and Structure
What is irreducible complexity? by who?
If you take any single component it no longer works, Michael Behe
What are 2 examples of irreducible complexity?
a mousetrap and a Bombadier beetle
What was the text Aquinas wrote his ideas in?
Summa Theologica
What does ‘a posteriori’ mean?
an argument based on observable, empirical evidence (5 senses)
What is Aquinas’ 5th way?
the world around us is the evidence needed to prove God’s existence
How is God the’guiding hand’ according to Aquinas?
God is the one who created and controls all inanimate objects so they can fulfil their purposes
Briefly explain the archer analogy with reference to the ‘guiding hand’?
An arrow does not direct itself towards its target it needs the archer to direct it (the guiding hand)
What is a counter- argument to the ‘guiding hand’ directing a river
Rivers can flood causing destruction so what role does the ‘guiding hand’ play there?
finish the quote: “ Some intelligent Being exists, endowed with knowledge and intelligence…
…by whom all natural thing are directed to their ends; and this Being we call God”
What theory contradicts Aquinas’ view of an Intelligent Hand?
Darwin’s theory of Evolution-not all things were created perfect for survival
What is an inductive argument?
the premises support but do not lead to 1 absolute conclusion
What is a synthetic argument?
an argument is not true or false by the definition of its premises (it must be tested)
What does Paley say about Order?
order implies regularity which was thought out methodically, this must be the conscious work of a designer being
What does Paley say about Regularity?
Things in the universe appear created to fit a particular role and this complexity and intricacy gives Paley a sense of awe
What does John Wisdom’s Parable of the Gardener suggest?
people look at evidence subjectively ( flowers in order suggest a gardener however weeds suggested the absence of a gardener to another)
What is an example of an inductive argument?
Margate is by the sea, I am by the sea, therefore I am in Margate
What is an example of a deductive argument?
I am at Big Ben, Big Ben is in London, therefore I am in London
What are the 4 omni- attributes of God?
omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent and omnipresent
What is Tennants anthropic argument?
stating how the natural world provides every essential thing we need for life to be sustained (e.g. oxygen)
What is Tennants aesthetic argument?
the natural appreciation humans have for things considered beautiful in nature show evidence of a benevolent God who revealed his love in nature (e.g. fractals in nature)
What are the 4 other attributes of God ?
fair, just, holy and eternal
what is the probability of the Earth being the way it is by design to chance
1 : 1x10(^6)
- design is more probable
What did David Hume mean by ‘ unsound analogy’ as a criticism?
the world is not a machine
What is a criticism by Hume with reference to experience?
we have no experience of ‘world making’
How did Hume criticise Paley’s watch analogy?
he said it creates a human view of God (anthropomorphism)
How did Hume criticise TA with reference to cause and effect? + example
‘like effects do not always have like causes’ (e.g. you get wet because of a shower/rain/fall in a river
What is the ‘Goldilocks Enigma’?
created by Paul Davies- the universe is just right for human life
How does ‘ fine tuning’ link with TA according to Dr William Lane Craig?
the world’s makeup is extremely intricate and if any components needed were out of place , life would cease to exist
How did Dr David Belinksi challenge evolution ?
there is no evidence in nature of animals going from one species to another
What does Ockham’s Razor state?
the simplest explantion is best
What is Richard Swinburnes design argument based on? + briefly explain it
probability- order in the universe provides necessary conditions for life and God is the most probable explanation for this design
