Teleological/design Argument Criticism Flashcards
David Hume: Why not many Gods? The argument does not prove the existence of the Christian God
Even if we grant that the universe was designed, there is no evidence that this was the God of Christian theism. The universe could have been designed by a lesser being or even by many gods working together. Furthermore, the existence of evil and imperfection in the world suggests a limited designer (such as a ‘trainee designer’ who has made a few mistakes in their design).
David Hume: The analogy is flawed - the world is more like a vegetable than a machine
“The world plainly resembles more an animal or vegetable than it does a watch” -
The world is more like a vast floating vegetable than a machine. Vegetables grow themselves, without the need for a designer.
To make an analogy between the designers of human machines and a designer of the universe is anthropomorphism.
There are similarities with evolution, which is also not directed by any external agent, such as God.
John Stuart Mill: The natural world is filled with evil and suffering - the creator of this would not be omnibenevolent
Quote
“Nearly all the things which men are hanged or imprisoned for doing to one another are nature’s everyday performances”
John Stuart Mill: The natural world is filled with evil and suffering - the creator of this would not be omnibenevolent
JS Mill observes that the natural world is filled with pain and suffering. It therefore does not suggest the existence of an omnibenevolent creator (one of the key beliefs in Christian theism). This undermines the idea that our observation of the natural world leads us to belief in Christian theism. The amount of evil and suffering caused by nature is irreconcible with the idea of an all-loving designer.
Richard Dawkins: Evolution and Natural Selection explains the illusion of design. There is no intelligent designer.
The world was not designed for us; we adapted to it, which is why our species has survived. He writes: ‘Natural selection is the blind watchmaker, blind because it does not see ahead, does not plan consequences, has no purpose in view…’
Bertrand Russell: The existence of the universe is a brute fact.
‘I should say that the universe is just there, and that’s all’
