The Design Argument Flashcards
A posteriori
Arguments which depend on sense experience
Inductive
They are probabilistic
Arguments which use reasoning to supply strong evidence for the truth of a conclusion
Premise
A proposition that supports or helps to support a conclusion
Natural theology
Theology/knowledge of God based on observed facts and experience apart from divine revelation
Teleological
Telos meaning end or purpose
So the teleological argument for the existence of God seeks to show that we can see evidence of deliberate design in the natural world
Anthropomorphism
Attributing human form or ideas to beings other than humans (God, or animals)
Anthropic principle
Related to humans
The idea there is a direct link between our observation of the universe and the boundary conditions/cosmological constants that brought it into existence. Without these being fine tuned (by God) intelligent life would never have developed - it’s no accident that we are here
Cicero quote on creation
‘What could be more clear or obvious when we look up to the sky and contemplate the heavens - there is some divinity or intelligence’
Analogy of the watch
A watch has complex parts put together for a purpose so it must have been designed by a watchmaker
3 observations about the world
Complexity (laws of nature)
Regularity (orbits, seasons)
Purpose of a designer
How is the universe like a watch
It is intricate in its design
It could not have come about by accident
The universe itself is proof of an intelligent designer
Design qua purpose
The argument that the universe appears to have been designed for some purpose eg. The human eye
Design qua regularity
The argument that the universe appears to behave according to order and rule eg. Newton’s laws of motion
Paley quote on creation
‘The watch must have had a maker.. an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose’
Strengths of DA
Supports other arguments for the existence of God, can play a role in the cumulative argument
There is evidence of order and purpose - so it is logical that God is the explanation
The analogical form is simple, logical, easy to understand
It has stood the test of time
Weaknesses of DA
It’s based on the human notion of design
The universe wasn’t created by humans so we can’t claim to know it was created
The universe is very flawed - is the creator flawed?
Hume quote about the designer
‘The world is very faulty and imperfect… it is the world only of some inferior deity’
Hume criticism of analogy
We can’t draw analogy between human creation and God
Analogy only works for part of not the whole universe
Comparing human design to God’s design emphasises his fallibility and limitedness
The analogy of the watchmaker would suggest many Gods making different parts of the universe
Epicurean Hypothesis
Given an infinite amount of rolls, a finite amount of dice (or particles) will eventually form equilibrium
The dice are still rolling
Hume quote about God’s performance
‘Some infant deity who afterward abandoned it, ashamed of his lame performance’
Existence of evil and DA
Evil happens on a cosmic scale
It is difficult to reconcile the sheer amount of evil with the existence of a good designer God
