teleological arguments Flashcards
define teleological arguments
-arguments from design
-aim to show certain features of the world are so complex that their existence can only be explained with a designer (god)
what is Paley’s design argument
watch analogy
what example does Paley use
a pebble on the beach
define the pebble on a beach example
if you found a pebble on a beach you might assume it has been there forever but if you found a watch on the beach you wouldn’t assume the same thing
what’s the difference between the pebble and the watch
-a watch is composed of many parts organised for purpose
-having many parts organised for a purpose is the hallmark of design
what does Paley say is similar to a watch
-the human eye
-it is composed of many parts and are organised for a purpose
what does the watch and the human eye show
nature and various aspects of nature have the hallmarks of design
what does the watch analogy conclude
-for something to be designed it must have a designer
-given how grand and wondrous nature is the designer is god
who responds to Paley’s watch analogy
Darwin
how does Darwin respond to Paley
evolution by natural selection
define Darwin’s evolution
parts organised for a purpose can emerge without a designer e.g. a giraffe
define the giraffe example
-competition for food it tough
-an animal that cannot acquire enough food will die before reproducing
-an animal with a neck 1cm longer can access 1cm more food
-this makes it more likely to survive
-offspring more likely to get long neck
-therefore long neck animals become more common
-repeat process over hundreds of millions of years until today
what does the giraffe example conclude
given enough time and genetic mutations, plants and animals with adapt to environment creating the appearance of design
how does the giraffe example apply to the Paley
shows that matter can arrange itself in ways that fit means to an ends or be organised for a purpose without a designer
who responds to Darwin
Swinburne
what does Swinburne argue
temporal order
define temporal order
the order of the laws of nature
define Swinburne’s temporal order argument
-we cant explain the laws of nature in the same way we do for gods existence
what example does Swinburne use
gravity
define the gravity example
-the law of gravity allows galaxies to form and planets to form within these galaxies and life to form on these planets
-if gravity had the opposite effect, it repelled matter, life would not be able to form
-how do we explain this
what does the gravity example conclude
we cant give scientific explanations of why laws of nature are as they are, it can predict by assuming but not explain why the laws of nature are the way they are
define personal explanations of things
to say ‘this sentence exists because i chose to write it’ invokes personal intentions of people rather then scientific laws
what does Swinburne argue about personal explanations
-we can explain the laws of nature in a similar way to writing sentences
-someone designed them (god)
-therefore god exists
what responds to Swinburne’s temporal order argument
multiple universes
who argues multiple universes
Hume
define the multiple universe response
if there are multiple universes, there are a trillion universes with varying physical laws so it’s inevitable that one exists with temporal order
what’s another analogy for multiple universes
dice
define the dice analogy
-if you roll a million sided dice enough times, you will eventually roll a 1 but there will be many instances where you roll other numbers
how does the dice analogy apply to multiple universes
if you create enough universes with randomly different scientific laws, some universes will support life and some wont
what does the dice analogy conclude
there could be just as much temporal order as there is spatial order
what argues against Hume and Kant
is the designer god
what does the designer being god? argue
teleological may prove there is a designer but is the designer god
define the is the designer god argument
-gods power if infinite, yet the universe is not infinite
-designers are not always creators and so the designer and creator of the universe can be different people
-the universe may be the result of many small improvements by multiple people
-designers can die and their creations can live on, how do we know the designer is eternal as god is supposed to be
does the order of the universe prove that god exists (25 mark plan)
p1-intro
-teleological arguments do not prove gods existence
-define key terms
p2-argumet 1
-watch analogy
p3-response 1
-evolution
p4-response 2
-temporal order
p5-response 3
-multiple universes
p6-argument 2
-the designer might not be god
p7-conclusion
-both temporal arguments from spatial and temporal order fail even if they succeed in showing nature is designed, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the designer is god
