Teleological Argument Flashcards
1
Q
Paley focused on 3 features of the world
A
- Complexity –> seen in biological organisms and organs such as the eye, as well as the complexity of laws of nature which govern everything
- Regularity –> of the rotation and orbits of the planets, seasons of the year etc
- Purpose –> just as man made machines are complex and function with regularity to achieve a purpose, so too things in the natural world demonstrate purpose. Following this, the universe is complex and regular and must to have a purpose
2
Q
Analogy of the watch
A
- If a man stumbled upon the watch he would not come to the conclusion that it had been there forever, or was a random product of nature
- Instead, he would inevitably conclude that it had been designed, on the basis that it clearly marked time (purpose) and that everything in the mechanism had a particular place in order to fulfil this purpose (regularity)
- Paley then makes a comparison with the universe- if one must deduce that a watch must be designed and put together for a purpose, it would be illogical not to make this deduction about the universe, which is infinetly more complex than a watch
- Where a watch must have a watch maker, the universe must have God
3
Q
3 caveats
A
- if someone had never seen a watch before, he would still reach this conclusion. This overcomes the criticism that we know that watches are designed, in this way the uniqueness of the universe is not a problem
- if the watch did not work perfectly he would still reach this conclusion. This overcomes the criticism that problems such as natural disasters suggest a lack of design
- if not all parts of the watch can be explained or understood he would still reach this conclusion. This overcomes the criticism that there are things in nature which seems to lack purpose e.g. the existence of the appendix which would undermine Paleys argument
4
Q
The Anthropic Principle (FR Tennant)
A
- Accepts both Darwin’s evolutionary theory and the existence of a God
- Evolution is part of God’s design- the universe is not chaotic but is designed sp that evolutionary process creates an environment in which human life can exist
- This is often expressed in the metaphor of ‘fine tuning’ of the laws of the universe, that is, that chance alone is insufficient in explaining why the universe is so regular
- Indeed, the complexity of the universe means that any minute change would make life impossible- scholars sometimes refer to these conditions as ‘boundary conditions’- without just one of many factors that are set laws, intelligent life on planet earth would be impossible
5
Q
David Humes challenges to the teleological argument
A
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A designer need not be the God of classical theism- the designer need not be perfect or wholly good since the design seems flawed (evil and suffering)- Link to the Epicurean paradox
2.** There is no evidence for a unity of deity**- there could be more than one deity, this analogy allows for lesser/multiple Gods - Any universe is bound to have the appearance of design- Epicurean Hypothesis could be a more valid explanation which argues that the way the universe is is because of random changes which have led to order
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The analogy is unsound- There is no satisfactory thing to compare the universe with as it is entirely unique. The analogical nature of the teleological argument is therefore flawed from the outset
5.** Concept of a designer is mere anthropomorphism**- our idea of design is limited to man made objects, the things within the universe and the universe itself are different logical spheres
6
Q
Charles Darwins theory of natural selection
A
- against the teleological argument
- Richard Dawkins argues that Natural Selection gives the appearance of design and purpose- variations are caused by random mistakes in DNA
- Evolution is true and there is no need for God. Instead, science is outdating and replacing God as gaps in understanding are filled by scientific explanations
- Evolution is the ‘blind watchmaker’
7
Q
Immanent adaption (Teilhard de Chardin)
A
- counter argument to evolution being a challenge to design
- Argues that evolution is the vehicle through which God achieves his purpose
- Chance alone could not have produced the evolved beings that exist in the time span since the Big Bang
- The only logical conclusion then is that evolution has been used but also steered by God
8
Q
Strengths of Paley’s argument
A
- Swinburnes application of Occam’s razor- the simplest reason that the universe looks designed is that it is designed
- Evil may be part of God’s intended design- link theodicies
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Evolution is not a challenge to design- Swinburne points out that evolution depends on certain laws of physics, chemistry and biology which in turn need to be explained
* Paley’s designer is anthropomorphic only in the sense that the analogy of a human designer is used- it is clear that for Paley God is outside the confines of the universe and therefore this must be understood as analogical, with all its limitations rather than simplistically literal - Simple inductive argument- accessible to all and attractive to many- things in nature do seem to exhibit remarkable regularity e.g. Fibonacci numbers
9
Q
Status of Paley’s argument as a proof
A
- inductive argument- means it cannot establish absolute certainty in its conclusions. In science, inductive arguments that lead to very strong conclusions are taken as proofs
- Swinburne argues that Pale’s conclusion is the best explanation for order and design using Occam’s razor
- This argument certainly supports religious faith and is a commonly held view amongst believers
10
Q
The value of Paley’s argument for religious faith
A
- supports faith by reason
- Natural theology –> learning about God through nature
- Updated versions of the teleological argument include evolution and God together
- It is a simple and accessible argument –> based on empiricism
- Swinburnes cummulative argument could be said to overcome some weaker arguments
- Karl Barth argues that we should not be looking for rational proofs for faith
- HH Price- supports ‘belief that’ there is a God and can support ‘belief in’ God
