1.1 Teleological Argument - concepts Flashcards
Aquinas’ Inductive Argument / Fifth Way
- observe beneficial order in the universe
- this could not happen by chance ‘not fortuitously, but designedly’
- objects do not have the intelligence to work towards a purpose or end
- ‘some intelligent being exists by whom all natural things are directed to their end’
- ‘and this being we call God’
The Inductive Leap
the seemingly large stretch between Aquinas stating the need for an intelligent designer, and then identifying this designer as God
Design Qua Regularity
the order and consistency observable in the universe (eg Newtonian physics) is evidence of a designer
Design Qua Purpose
the universe and everything in it seem to fulfil a purpose - this is evidence of a designer
Paley’s Analogical Argument overview
- if you see a rock on a heath, you would likely assume it has always been there in that state due to its simplicity
- if you were to see a watch, even if you had never come across one before, you would assume it had an intelligent maker due to its complexity
- the universe too is intricate and complex, so implies an intelligent designer
- ‘the marks of design are too strong. design must have a designer. that designer is God.’
Paley’s 5 criteria for a complex item
- specific materials
- several parts
- works to a purpose or end
- regular motion
- indispensable parts
the crux of Paley’s Analogical Argument
‘like effects have like causes’
the type of argument Paley’s Analogical Argument is
inductive; a posteriori; argument by analogy
argument by analogy
inductive argument which likens familiar situation to less similar situation and suggests that to maintain consistency, the same conclusions must be drawn about them
comparison of Aquinas’ inductive teleological arg and Paley’s analogical teleological arg
Paley essentially developed Aquinas’ qua regularity ideas into a qua purpose argument - Aquinas focused on observation of order, Paley used analogy to explain the reason for assemblage of such order, aiming to ground it in objective fact (watch factually has a designer)
telos general definition & Aristotelian definition
Greek term meaning purpose/aim/end
According to Aristotle: the ‘final cause’ required for something to exist, and the goal it naturally tends towards
teleology
account of a given thing’s purpose as an explanation of the cause of the thing
aim inductive reasoning / arguments
cannot prove, but try to persuade by providing evidence from human experience in support of the conclusion
a posteriori
knowledge gained by logical deductions made from observation and experience of the material world
3 general weaknesses of Paley’s analogical argument
- appears to be assuming order in the universe simply because there is order in a watch
- unclear if the watch is analogous to the world or whole universe
- is the world not too different to the watch to withstand comparison
Paley’s response to evidence of bad design
watches often go wrong, this does not mean they were not designed. it may simply be we do not understand the full workings of the world and less competent then the designer
Cleanthes & views
character in Hume’s ‘Dialogues’ who using natural theology argues from the world to God, stating there are parallels between design present in the world, and design of the world, and like effects have like causes
Philo & views
character in Hume’s ‘Dialogues’ who acts as a spokesperson for Hume’s own views. Comments on how the universe may well have come about through chance, and that even if there are the grounds to assume the universe was designed, there are not the grounds to make claims about the character or nature of the designer
Paley’s analogical argument assumptions
3
- assumes analogy is appropriate
- assumes effects are predictable
- assumes existence of god from evidence of design
Hume: limitation of the design argument
the argument may be able to ‘assert the universe arose sometime, from something like design: but beyond that position he cannot ascertain one single circumstances’
Hume: criticism of effectiveness of analogy
‘unless the cases be exactly familiar, they repose no perfect confidence in applying their past observations to any particular phenomenon’ - eg from the fact that humans circulate blood we may assume other animals do too, but if we extend this to the idea vegetables circulate sap we would be proven wrong
Hume on the nature of a universal designer
cannot confidently make any claims - for all we know we could be ‘the first rude essay of some infant deity’, or many deities cooperating together
Paley v Hume view of nature
sees the design and creation of a benevolent God vs sees ‘nothing but the idea of a blind nature’
Hume: infinite regress as criticism of teleological arg
Hume’s argument that if human-like intelligence appears designed and humans have a designer, then so must the designer of humans and so forth to infinity
