Teleological Argument

Question 1

Teleological arguments

Answer 1

‘Design’ arguments.
Greek word for end- the goal or purpose, the end result, sed to draw a conclusion.
Inductive, a posteriori.
Statements of probability, rather than conclusive.

Basic premise- evidence of design, must be designer.

Question 2

Basis of Teleological arguments

Answer 2

• Order that is observable in the universe, shows evidence that it has been designed, and is not the result of chance.
• If it has been designed, that means there must be a designer- said to be God.
• PROBLEM: Some ‘designs’ are wrong and immoral/ evil- why would a perfect being design these despite being omniscient?

Question 3

Two parts of teleological arguments

Answer 3

1) Design Qua Regularity (Aquinas’ Fifth way)
“TO” / Providential

2) Design Qua Purpose (Watch Analogy)
“FROM”

Question 4

Design Qua Regularity- Aquinas’ Fifth Way

Answer 4

• Identified the way ‘natural bodies’ act in regular fashion to accomplish a goal provides evidence of an intelligent creator. (natural order and purpose of nature)
• The inanimate cannot be purposeful without the aid of a ‘guiding hand’. Arrow and archer- arrow has no awareness of goal, reached by guidance of archer.
• Therefore, everything in nature which is moving but which has no intelligence must be directed to it’s goal by God.
• Planets are inanimate, and so could not have ordered themselves without intelligence, must have been given order by intelligent being.

Question 5

Design Qua Purpose

Answer 5

Design in relation to the ways in which the universe appears to fit together for a purpose.

Question 6

William Paley’s watchmaker analogy

Answer 6

In the same way that a person could look at a watch and assume there is a watchmaker, we could observe the human body and infer we must also have a designer, or maker.
Paley believed perceiving natural order and intricacies in the world, fitting together for a purpose, leads to a logical inference that someone must have designed this function for the universe.

Question 7

Basis of watchmaker analogy

Answer 7

Watch is designed with purpose by an intelligent designer = universe has a designer.

Question 8

Further examples from Paley

Answer 8

“The hinges in the wings of earwig…as if the creator had nothing else to finish”-omnibenevolent God.

Used example of human eye- something designed so specifically for purpose it fulfills.

Question 9

FR Tennant - The Anthropic Principle

Answer 9

Philosophical theologian- priest (bias)
- argument claims that the cosmos is constructed for development of intelligent life.
- denies any claim that there is a chain of coincidences that led to the evolution of human life.
- leads supporters to claim the best explanation is the existence of a designer- God.

Question 10

Tennant Anthropic Principle quote

Answer 10

‘The multitude of interwoven adaptations by which the world is constituted a theatre of life…cannot reasonably be regarded as an outcome…of blind formative power”

Question 11

Tennant and evolution

Answer 11

Creatures do not just randomly evolve, they make progress towards a purpose.
Believed if something is moving towards some kind of goal, there must be a guiding hand behind it (evolution as movement- like Aquinas)

Question 12

Three types of natural evidence

Answer 12

1. The fact the world can be analysed in a rational manner.
2. The way in which the inorganic world has provided the basic necessities required to sustain life.
3. The progress of evolution towards the emergence of intelligent human life.

Human life as part of (or current stage of) God’s plan.

Question 13

Aesthetic argument

Answer 13

Tennant argued that humans possess the ability to appreciate the beauty in their surroundings (music and art).
This is not necessary for the survival of the species, and is therefore evidence of a divine creator.
(not just intelligent creator, but personal, omnibenevolent God)
* Links to William Lane Craig (personal creator)

Question 14

Similarities between A, P and T

Answer 14

• T and P both believe that there is an intelligent designer on the basis of purpose- Tennant states that evolution had a purpose or end.
• T and P both argue for design on the basis of regularity, Tennant references the fact that evolution needed a guiding hand, much like Aquinas discussed the Archer and the arrow.

Question 15

Differences between A, P and T.

Answer 15

• Tennant focuses on evolution in a response to Darwin and blends both Aquinas and Paley’s arguments to fit Anthropic Principle.
• Presented the Aesthetic Principle which argued for an omnibenevolent God who created these things for humans to enjoy. This is more similar to WLC’s idea of a personal creator.