Teleological Argument Flashcards
What is Paley’s teleological argument?
- A watch has complex features
- We can infer that anything with complex features must have been designed
- Therefore the watch must have been designed
- The universe has complex features
- Therefore the universe must have been designed
How does Paley criticise his teleological argument?
We have no experience of watchmaking, we don’t know what skills were needed to create these products. However, we can still infer that it was created - as we can with ancient artefacts. Even though no one witnessed it being created we can still conclude that it was designed.
Explain Hume’s first criticism of Paley’s argument (no experience of world making).
We can only recognise that objects like machines have intelligent designers because we have experienced it.
However, if we didn’t have experience then we wouldn’t suppose it had been designed.
Explain Hume’s second criticism of Paley’s argument (arguments from analogy are weak).
We cannot compare our universe to a watch. Does a watch have enough relevant similarities to the universe to support the conclusion that they were both designed?
Likewise, if we were to compare the universe to a watch then machines have also had much trial and error, there could have been faulty worlds created before the right one was made, we could be the faulty world.
Explain Hume’s third criticism of Paley’s argument (design through random processes).
It is possible that the universe was created as a result of chance and not intelligence.
Epicurean hypothesis - finite atoms over infinite time, until they by chance create the right order.
Explain Hume’s fourth criticism of Paley’s argument (the argument doesn’t imply a perfect being)
Watches have several people designing, working with material etc. = multiple gods?
Does a faulty design = faulty designer?
What is Swinburne’s argument from design?
The world has spatial order/regularities of co-presence (the arrangement of objects in space) and temporal order/regularities of succession (the pattern of the way objects behave in time)
- Regularities of succession occur as the result of natural laws and as the result of free human action.
- Regularities of succession in the human world can be explained by the rational choices of free agents
- This is because free agents have the intelligence, power and freedom to do this.
- Regularities of succession in nature cannot be explained with reference to any other natural laws.
- But they can be explained by the choices of a free agent.
- Because the universe is immense and complex, the free agent who caused it must have the immense intelligence, power and freedom needed.
How does Swinburne counter Hume’s criticism of no experience of world-making?
Science proposes and tests theories for things they have not observed. Theoretical physicists and cosmologists propose respectable theories about the universe.
How does Swinburne counter Hume’s criticism of design through random processes
The Epicurean hypothesis does not apply to the fundamental laws of physics, so Hume cannot apply this hypothesis to his argument.
How does Swinburne counter Hume’s criticism of there being no demonstration of a perfect being?
Swinburne does admit that it doesn’t necessarily lead to God, but his argument shows that there is an immensely powerful and intelligent free and rational agent.
How does Swinburne counter Hume’s criticism of arguments from analogy being weak?
He doesn’t, he admits that arguments from analogy are not sound.
Essay plan for teleological argument.
P - Paley's teleological argument A - Hume, no experience of world making C - Swinburne, scientific theories E - Hume, Epicurean hypothesis A - Swinburne, not applicable to physics C - Hume, no demonstration of perfect being A - Swinburne's teleological argument C - Hume, analogy is weak E - Swinburne agrees and teleological argument is incoherent
