Teleological argument Flashcards
why is it inductive?
if the premise of there argument is true then so must the conclusion. based on empirical data and evidence.
Aquinas’s 5th way
things that lack intelligence have an end goal but need something with intelligence to guide it
what analogy does aquinas use to describe his 5th way?
the archer and the arrow- the arrow (an unintelligent object) cannot fly by itself and so needs an archer (intelligent being) to guide it and let it loose.
what does the archer analogy represent?
god directing nature
what was paleys watch analogy?
complex objects have makers such as watches with all the moving parts and also describes the human eye, the universe is also complex and much also have a designer. god is the watchmaker of the universe.
Tennant’s anthropic principle
the universe perfectly fits the development of life and is in the perfect condition for life to flourish and grow. it is also designed to develop intelligent human life
these precise conditions are too complex to be an accident and must be planned by God
Tennant’s aesthetic argument
human beings can appreciate and enjoy music, literature and art which are not crucial to survival, but to develop qualities of beauty and love
why did Hume challenge analogies
Hume attacks the use of analogies as you can’t compare the universe to a man made machine
Hume’s rejection of traditional theistic claims
traditional theism sees god as omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient. hume objects that the designer is not the god of classical theism, as the designer can only have characteristics in proportion to the world he created. so god must be malevolent as the world is imperfect such as evil. a house needs many people to design it so why would a world be any different. and a watch designer is unlikely to admire their creation forever.
what is the challenge of natural selection?
that those over time who were not well adapted for survival died out which gradually led to diverse range of species who were well adapt to their environment.
what does teleological mean?
from the greek work telos meaning purpose or end
why is this a posteriori
the judgment is obtained based on knowledge through experience and observation
what challenges does Hume put forward against inductive arguments?
- is/ought- just because it is observed like that doesn’t mean it should be like that
- there is not enough evidence to say the universe had a cause
- there is no way of telling that the god of classical theism created the universe
