The Existence Of God: Arguments Based On Observation Flashcards
Teleological:
Any argument which ideas cast in terms of the end or purpose of something
Final cause:
Aristotles idea of the ultimate purpose of a thing
Cosmological:
arguments which base themselves on a perceived general quality of the universe eg cause and effect
Design argument:
Patterns found in nature are explicable only by a creator eg Paleys watch
Infinite regress:
An endless sequence going backwards through time, without beginning
Aquinas 5th way
Aquinas takes over Aristotles four causes, particularly the final cause, and states that ‘just as an arrow is directed by an archer’ the world is directed by God - Teleological argument (version of the design argument)
Paleys watch (AO1):
Paley describes finding a rock in the middle of nature, he can easily explain where it came from, such as through wind or water. However, if he found a watch in the middle of nature, he could not explain its existence in a natural way, instead he must refer to a creator as ‘such a design could not have come about by chance’
Paley adds three comments:
• Our inference would remain valid even if we’d never seen a watch before, as a watch is so obviously different to a rock
• Even if the watch (world) did not work perfectly, there is still enough evidence of its design occurring
• In the same way, our assumption would still be correct even if there were parts that’s function were unkown
Paleys watch (AO2):
Hume criticised Paley due to the Epicurean thesis, which states that the universe is made of a finite number of particles moving freely in infinite time, therefore all combinations are possible. For example, if given a room of typewriters and infinite time, the monkeys will eventually type every possible combination of letters, to the point where the write the works of Shakespeare
Criticisms of the design argument
John Stuart Mill: Referred to the evil in the world as a fundamental objection to the design argument, as if there was a designer, then they must have also designed natural evil - Which raises the question of if the design was meant to be flawed, or if the designer himself is morally flawed
Evolution: Another criticism of the design argument comes from the theory of evolution, as the survival of a species is dependent on its ability to adapt to the world - countless species have gone extinct due to this, making the design argument seem to be a wasteful process
Modern versions of the design argument
F.R Tennant: The anthropic principle: the view that the universe exists for the sake of humankind and is particularly adapted to that purpose
Ockhams razor: Refers to the idea that theories should not be multiplied beyond necessity. If we have to choose between two or more theories then the one with the smallest number of assumptions is likely to be correct - Supports the design argument (which relies on a posteriori knowledge eg daily life)
Aquinas’ cosmological arguments (AO1):
Aquinas claimed that we can only get to God from evidence that we find in this world - the five ways:
• The prime mover: the divine initiator of all changes or the ‘first mover, itself unmoved’
• First cause: The uncaused beginning of all other beings
• Necessity: Something has to be
• Contingency: if a things existence is dependent on another
• Necessary being: ‘the existence of some being whose necessity lies in itself, which is the source of necessity in others
Aquinas’ cosmological arguments (AO2):
• ‘Cause’ cannot be applied in the scientific sense - evidence is required in an experience eg biological cause, chemical cause
• If God has no known cause, then there is no known process in which to understand him
• The alleged impossibility of infinite regress - ‘It is impossible to imagine infinite regress, but it is not impossible to conceive of it’. Infinite regress is logically plausible, however it is difficult to conceive of
Leibniz and the principle of sufficient reason (AO1):
Sufficient reason: an explanation which itself requires no further explanation - a final answer. ‘Only one (Universe) can exist, there has to be sufficient reason for Gods choice’
This belief is that everything can be sufficiently explained, this is to say:
1. For any entity that exists, there is sufficient reason to explain its existence
2. For every event, there is sufficient reason to explain its occurrence
3. For every sentence that is true, there is sufficient reason to explain for its truth
Leibniz and the principle of sufficient reason (AO2):
Bertrand Russel believes that Leibniz is guilty of a logical fallacy (the fallacy of composition) as he assumes that what is true of the part is true of the whole
Objections to arguments from experience: explanation
A problem is if the statement ‘God did it’ is a sufficient reason for explaining questions, as it simply creates more questions such as ‘why did he make this?’ Or ‘Why did he allow this to happen?’
