Teleological Argument Flashcards
qua regularity
arguments based on regularity and patterns of order
qua purpose
arguments based on purpose
teleogical argument
we can see complex designs with a purpose , order , regualrity that suggest an intelligent designer .. God
Backward argument
starts from the results and tries to work out the causes of the results
inductive
conclusion is a statement about what is most probable rather than definite
Aquinas 5th way
when observing the natural world you see that everything follows natural laws .. if things follow natural laws they tend to do well and have some sort of goal / purpose and lead to certain results .
Archer example
the arrow goes nowhere without an archer to shoot it . eveything in the natural world needs to be directed by something intelligent
aquinas weaknesses
does not actually provide example of things in thenatural worlds purpose
Paley - watch analogy
you find a watch in the woods … you notice how well it works and its intricacies and conclude that the features of the watch suggest an intelligent designer .
the world shows evidence of a designer and is a result of an intelligent designer ( God)
anologous logic Hume
paleys argument is only as strong as his analogy ..mechanistic we need to use thing which are similar
e.g we can conclude from a study of human circulatory system that animals works similary but it would be weak to suggest this is similar to how sap circulates in a plant .
inductive logic
works on general evidence and not all possible evidence
“ all swans are white “
the epicurean hypothesis
there is a very high probability that a random system, over a very long/infinite period of time, will have periods of order and stability. This universe could currently be in that period of stability and appear to us as if it were designed. e.g monkey and typewriters
hume quote ,trainee God ?
” the world is faulty and imperfect … was only the first rude essay of some infant deity”
Ockam’s razor
if you have two competing ideas to explain the same phenomenon, you should prefer the simpler one.
Charles Darwin
Darwin proposed that species can change over time, that new species come from pre-existing species, and that all species share a common ancestor
Natural selection
Natural selection explains how genetic traits of a species may change over time. This may lead to speciation, the formation of a distinct new species
Galapagos island
Darwin observed that beak shape varies among finch species. He postulated that the beak of an ancestral species had adapted over time to equip the finches to acquire different food sources. nature can cause design .. not God
Has the teleogical argument criticisms overcomed belief in God?
no , thinkers like J .H Newham welcomed evolution as it suggests a larger idea of divine providence and skill
John stuart mill
argues that nature is guilty of serious crimes for which she goes unpunished. The various atrocities through which both humans and animals suffer would not go unpunished if they were the result of Human agency.Mill therefore concludes that the world cannot be ordered, and he rejects the idea that it is the result of intelligent design.
“if the maker of the world can do all he will , he wills misery “
