Challenges to Inductive arguments for Gods existence Flashcards
Who is the main challenger to Inductive arguments for Gods existence and what is his book called
David Hume and Dialogues concerning natural religion- A dialogue of Philo (Hume) and Demea and Cleanthes, representing different cosmological and telelogical arguments.
Name some of Humes criticisms of the Cosmological argument
We have no empirical proof or observations that the Universe has to have a cause. We can tell it happened but not what caused it.
Fallacy of Composition-Russel expands on this v coplestone. Just because everything in the universe has a cause, does not mean the universe itself has a cause e.g. evryone human has a mother but humanity does not have one singular mother
Name some of Humes criticisms of the telelogical argument
Analogy of a watch and the world is a weak one- the world is not obviosuly manufactured and an artifact(man-made) as a watch is. Purpose and order is clear in a watch but less obvious in the world. The world could just as easily be a vegetable or a crustacean (reductio ad absurdum)
Order does not imply design. We cannot say for sure all order derives from intelligence. We also cannot say if the world is especially ordered as we do not really have anyhting else to compare it to.
He also draws on a precursor of the weak anthropic principle, that if there wasnt order we may not be around as conscious observers to see it.
Even if the world was designed, it was not necessarily the God of classical theism. Our world is finite and imperfect e.g. suffering so we cannot extrapolate from this a perfect and infinte God. we also have no evidence that God is still present after creating the world.
Analogy of shipwright-building a ship isnt that special-could be similar to universe-apprentice God with mistakes.
what are some scientific challenges to the cosmological argumrnt and briefly outline them
big bang theory-alternative cause to Universe not God. Emprical eg cosmic background mircrowave radiation.
Evolution-Gods not designer but Tennatn believed God could be guiding evolution and natural selection.
Which poet wrote about how the same God that designed the Sheep couuld not have been responsible for the T.iger, as they are so different
William Blake-Tyger
How might a naturalistic explanation of the apparent design in the universe challenge the validity of the teleological argument
By providing an alternative explanation for the phenomena obswerved by Paley and Aquians. For example, the theory of evolution can account for the complexity and diversity of life on Earth without invoking the existence of a designer.
Why are inductive arguments considered flawed?
They can never prove something for sure-Russels turkey analogy.
Why is the Kalam cosmological argument convincing?
proof is the universe-convincing
Deals with infinities-potential and actual
Leads to a personal God-attractive
Why isn’t the Kalam cosmological argument convincing
Actual infinity impossible-doesnt make sense to have an infinite God Same with causation- everything has a cause except God
God of classical theism not the only possible God-can be completely different
Inifnite regress and epicurean hypothesis is still a possiblity
Why is the cosmological argument effective or not effective
Old, scientific support, compatible with big bang. However, not necessarily god of classical theism, contraddictory, nothing exists without a cause except God, infinite regress is possible. Inductive arguemtns can only lead to probabilities.
Why is the teleological argument effective or not effective
Evidence-beauty and wonder. backed by evidence. Scientific theories can incorrect inductive as well. However, Humes comprehensive rebuttal, evolutionn and big bang, Humans just desire a purpose or design, situation bias.
What is Michael Behes idea of irreducible complexity
Some gaps are too big for evolution to cross, his example being the flagellum
