Teleological Argument - The Existence Of God Book

Question 1

What is the definition of a teleological argument

Answer 1

The word teleological comes from the Greek word telos which means end of goal, but it later came to mean the view that everything has a purpose

Question 2

Who created this argument

Answer 2

William Paley

Question 3

Tell me about William Paley

Answer 3

He created this argument
Lived from 1743-1805
He believed his argument proved there was a god

Question 4

What does this argument mean

Answer 4

It’s a theory that has came from looking at the world in a certain way, aka its a theory that maintains our world has been designed

Question 5

What was his argument

Answer 5

That if you came across a watch in the countryside you’d be impressed by its complexity. You’d notice the technology that that enables the watch to work perfectly in order to tell the time. No one would conclude it came from random chance

Question 6

What did Paley state

Answer 6

It is inevitable the watch must have had a watch maker, in the same way he claimed the world is too intricate and complex to believe it cam through random chance

Question 7

What some people believe

Answer 7

The world’s too complicated to have started by random chance or the Big Bang and believe it was created

Question 8

Where does is argument come from

Answer 8

From an analogy which allows people to compare one thing to another

Question 9

What theists believe about this argument

Answer 9

Theists would naturally draw the link with the watch and world to god. Theists think this argument is logical because we have experience in our world of designers making useful products

Question 10

What atheists believe

Answer 10

Atheists aren’t convinced by this theory. Some argue you can’t link things in the world which we know have a designer with other things that aren’t known, e.g. We haven’t had direct contact with god to know there’s a designer behind our world therefore we can’t link the watch analogy as we can meet watchmakers

Question 11

William Paley believed that his teleological argument from design proved what

Answer 11

There is a god

Question 12

Summarise Paley’s theory

Answer 12

1. A watch has certain complex features, it consists of parts, each of which have a function and they work together for a specific purpose
2. Anything which exhibits these features must have been designed
3. Therefore the watch has been designed by a designer
4. The universe is like the watch in that it possesses the same features, except on a far more wondrous scale
5. Therefore the universe, like the watch, has been designed, except by a wondrous universe maker god