Teleological argument

Question 1

Who presented the Design argument ? Dates?

Answer 1

William Paley (1743-1805)

Question 2

What does CORP stand for?

Answer 2

Complexity, Order, Regularity and Purpose

Question 3

Why is the universe evidence of a designer ?

Answer 3

evidence of design in the brain, peacocks feathers..

Question 4

What does telos means ?

Answer 4

end/purpose

Question 5

What does DIP stand for?

Answer 5

detail, intricacy and planning

Question 6

What is an example of regularity in the universe?

Answer 6

seasons (orbit and tilt of earth)

Question 7

What do TA’s conclude about the world’s purpose ?

Answer 7

Could not have come about by chance because of the evident DOC’s and DIP’s

Question 8

What does DOCS stand for?

Answer 8

Design, Order, Complexity and Structure

Question 9

What is irreducible complexity? by who?

Answer 9

If you take any single component it no longer works, Michael Behe

Question 10

What are 2 examples of irreducible complexity?

Answer 10

a mousetrap and a Bombadier beetle

Question 11

What was the text Aquinas wrote his ideas in?

Answer 11

Summa Theologica

Question 12

What does ‘a posteriori’ mean?

Answer 12

an argument based on observable, empirical evidence (5 senses)

Question 13

What is Aquinas’ 5th way?

Answer 13

the world around us is the evidence needed to prove God’s existence

Question 14

How is God the’guiding hand’ according to Aquinas?

Answer 14

God is the one who created and controls all inanimate objects so they can fulfil their purposes

Question 15

Briefly explain the archer analogy with reference to the ‘guiding hand’?

Answer 15

An arrow does not direct itself towards its target it needs the archer to direct it (the guiding hand)

Question 16

What is a counter- argument to the ‘guiding hand’ directing a river

Answer 16

Rivers can flood causing destruction so what role does the ‘guiding hand’ play there?

Question 17

finish the quote: “ Some intelligent Being exists, endowed with knowledge and intelligence…

Answer 17

…by whom all natural thing are directed to their ends; and this Being we call God”

Question 18

What theory contradicts Aquinas’ view of an Intelligent Hand?

Answer 18

Darwin’s theory of Evolution-not all things were created perfect for survival

Question 19

What is an inductive argument?

Answer 19

the premises support but do not lead to 1 absolute conclusion

Question 20

What is a synthetic argument?

Answer 20

an argument is not true or false by the definition of its premises (it must be tested)

Question 21

What does Paley say about Order?

Answer 21

order implies regularity which was thought out methodically, this must be the conscious work of a designer being

Question 22

What does Paley say about Regularity?

Answer 22

Things in the universe appear created to fit a particular role and this complexity and intricacy gives Paley a sense of awe

Question 23

What does John Wisdom’s Parable of the Gardener suggest?

Answer 23

people look at evidence subjectively ( flowers in order suggest a gardener however weeds suggested the absence of a gardener to another)

Question 24

What is an example of an inductive argument?

Answer 24

Margate is by the sea, I am by the sea, therefore I am in Margate

Question 25

What is an example of a deductive argument?

Answer 25

I am at Big Ben, Big Ben is in London, therefore I am in London

Question 26

What are the 4 omni- attributes of God?

Answer 26

omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent and omnipresent

Question 27

What is Tennants anthropic argument?

Answer 27

stating how the natural world provides every essential thing we need for life to be sustained (e.g. oxygen)

Question 28

What is Tennants aesthetic argument?

Answer 28

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)

Question 29

What are the 4 other attributes of God ?

Answer 29

fair, just, holy and eternal

Question 30

what is the probability of the Earth being the way it is by design to chance

Answer 30

1 : 1x10(^6)

- design is more probable

Question 31

What did David Hume mean by ‘ unsound analogy’ as a criticism?

Answer 31

the world is not a machine

Question 32

What is a criticism by Hume with reference to experience?

Answer 32

we have no experience of ‘world making’

Question 33

How did Hume criticise Paley’s watch analogy?

Answer 33

he said it creates a human view of God (anthropomorphism)

Question 34

How did Hume criticise TA with reference to cause and effect? + example

Answer 34

‘like effects do not always have like causes’ (e.g. you get wet because of a shower/rain/fall in a river

Question 35

What is the ‘Goldilocks Enigma’?

Answer 35

created by Paul Davies- the universe is just right for human life

Question 36

How does ‘ fine tuning’ link with TA according to Dr William Lane Craig?

Answer 36

the world’s makeup is extremely intricate and if any components needed were out of place , life would cease to exist

Question 37

How did Dr David Belinksi challenge evolution ?

Answer 37

there is no evidence in nature of animals going from one species to another

Question 38

What does Ockham’s Razor state?

Answer 38

the simplest explantion is best

Question 39

What is Richard Swinburnes design argument based on? + briefly explain it

Answer 39

probability- order in the universe provides necessary conditions for life and God is the most probable explanation for this design