1 - philosophical issues and questions

Question 1

Inductive Reasoning

Answer 1

conclusion based on probability from evidence

Question 2

a posteriori

Answer 2

argument based on experience or empirical evidence

Question 3

types of order and regularity

Answer 3

co-presence -> special order (eg structure of a watch)
succession -> temporal order (eg laws of nature

Question 4

anthropic principle

Answer 4

This principle suggests that the universe’s fundamental constants are fine-tuned to allow for the existence of life

Question 5

strong anthropic principle

Answer 5

universe must support life

Question 6

weak anthropic principle

Answer 6

life adapted to the universe’s conditions

Question 7

role of analogy

Answer 7

W Payley: a watch’s complexity implies a designer, so does the universe

Question 8

cumulative effect of evidence

Answer 8

many examples of order together strengthen the universe

Question 9

design argument - strengths

Answer 9

• probability over proof
• anthropic principle
• intuition of design

Question 10

design argument - weaknesses

Answer 10

• evolution
• david hume theory
• deism

Question 11

inductive reasoning

Answer 11

based on empirical evidence and causation

Question 12

principle of sufficient reason

Answer 12

everything must have an explanation or cause

Question 13

motion (aquinas)

Answer 13

everything in motion was set in motion by another

Question 14

cause and effect

Answer 14

a chain of causes must begin with an uncased first cause

Question 15

contingency

Answer 15

everything in the universe is contingent (dependent on something else)

Question 16

strengths of cosmological argument

Answer 16

• supports intuition
• principle of sufficient reason
• kalam version

Question 17

weaknesses of cosmological argument

Answer 17

• hume (critiques causation, cannot assume everything has a cause)
• kant (claims idea of a necessary being is not provable)
• infinite regress (possible without first cause)

Question 18

a priori

Answer 18

based on logic and reasoning, not experience

Question 19

deductive reasoning

Answer 19

if the premises are true, the conclusion must follow

Question 20

analytic proposition

Answer 20

a statement true by definition

Question 21

anselm’s ontological argument

Answer 21

-> God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be convieced’
premise 1 - god exists in the understanding
premise 2 - is it greater to exist in reality than understanding alone
conclusion - God must exist in reality

Question 22

necessary existence

Answer 22

God’s existence is not contingent; he must exist by definition

Question 23

strengths of ontological argument

Answer 23

• logical proof
• supports faith
• necessary existence

Question 24

weaknesses of ontological argument

Answer 24

• Guanilo’s Island (undermines Anselm’s logic by understanding absurd conclusions)
• Kant (argues existence cannot be added to concept of God)
• unpersuasive to non-believers

Question 25

David Hume - critique of design/cosmological arguments

Answer 25

design critique: analogies are flawed, the universe may be a result of chance of necessity cosmological critique: cause and effect are human constructs, not necessarily universal truths

Question 26

Aquinas - contribution to cosmological argument

Answer 26

first cause: everything is caused by something, God is the uncaused cause contingency: God is the necessary being

Question 27

Kant - Critique of cosmological argument

Answer 27

speculative reasoning cannot prove God's existence

Question 28

Anselm - ontological argument

Answer 28

God is greatest conceivable being and must exist in reality critique: guanilo - argument applies equally to absurd concepts, like a perfect island

Question 29

W Payley - design argument

Answer 29

contribution: watchmaker analogy - complexity requires a designer critique: david hume - weak analogy due to dissimilarities of man-made objects and the universe

Question 30

Hume on design arguments

Answer 30

- our experience of the universe is limited -> when we see a house we can conclude it has an architect or a builder from experience - analogies do not always work very well -> there are not enough strong similarities between a watch and a designer (God) - we cannot know anything about the cause from effect -> payley assumes that God was the creator of the universe, but we cannot assume that there is only one designer

Question 31

strengths of the design argument

Answer 31

- the argument is easy to understand and relates to observable phenomena - it complements the idea that the universe's complexity and order are not random

Question 32

weaknesses of the design argument

Answer 32

- probability rather than proof -> argument suggests a designer is likely, but does not definitely prove it - alternative interpretations -> evolution and natural selection provide alternative explanations for complexity and order - challenges -> david hume and other critics argue that the analogies are weak and complexity does not necessarily imply design

Question 33

synthetic proposition

Answer 33

- a proposition the truth of which depends on factors other than the meanings of the terms used - cannot be verified from the meanings of words -> must investigate the world to see if its true