Teleological argument AO2 Flashcards
Challenges from Hume
- weak analogy: watch and world are completely different therefore we cannot draw the same conclusions
- No reason to suggest that this ‘design’ was the Christian God
- Universe is unique, nobody witnessed it and can fully understand it
Challenges from Charles Darwin
Theory of evolution- the different species we see in the world today have not always existed in present form. Natural selection took place leading to current world not design
Challenges from Richard Dawkins
-discovery of DnA provides explanation for the existence of humanity, no need to assure the existence of God to account for human life
Support from J.H Newman
welcomed evolution as ‘suggesting a larger idea of divine province or skill’
Support from Alistair Mc Grath
view of Paley was 200 years ago and does not reflect Christian views today, just like science 200 years ago would not reflect science today
Challenge from Mill
“nearly all things which men are hanged and imprisoned for doing to one another are nature’s everyday performances”
nature allows the innocent to be killed by wild animals, freeze to death, be poisoned
Challenge from J.L Mackie
‘a wholly good being eliminates evil as far as it can’
Support from Augustine
natural evil created by ‘privatio boni’
Challenge from Flew
‘death by 1000 qualifications’
religious believers don’t accept any negative statements towards their religion causing their views to be meaningless
Challenge from AJ Ayer
cannot be verified, therefore meaningless
Support from Tennant
Aesthetic principle since we interpret the world as beautiful- this feeling highlights it was not just created by change
Support from Penrose
argues there is a 1 in 123 billion chance the world was created by chance
