Arguments Based On Observation Flashcards
What type of argument is an argument based on observation
A posteriori argument
What type of arguments do a posteriori arguments tend to be
Teleological and cosmological arguments
What kind of argument is Aquinas fifth way
Teleological and a form of the design theory
Outline Aquinas argument
- form of the design argument
- takes over from Aristotle’s fifth cause which is the purpose of things -> based on artisto assumption everything has a purpose
- assumes that all things have a purpose and this purpose comes from god
- “natural objects act for a purpose, this is evident in that they are always acting… or nearly always the same”
Does everything have a purpose (Aquinas violation)
- does everything have a purpose -> purpose implies a mind and material objects do not have a mind so how can they have a purpose -> maybe it’s not the thing that has a purpose but the mind which has a purpose for it
What is another objection to Aquinas 5th way (quote)
- Aquinas quote of “natural objects act for a purpose, this is evident in how they are acting always or Nearly always the same way”
- he says “nearly always” which suggest some hesitancy and that he couldn’t find a purpose for all things
- but why would things be created without a propose, why would god make something with no point
Which philosopher provided support for Aquinas
William palsy through us watchmaker analogy
What sort of thinker was paley and what type of mdoel did he use
Paley was an enlightenment thinker and used a mechanical model to illustrate his design theory
Outline parleys argument
He uses an analogy
- if he was to stumble across a rock, he could account for its existence naturally -> erosion and volcanic activi
- if he was to stumble across a watch, he couldn’t not account for it naturally -> the intricate springs levers and cogs could not be by chance there needs to be a watch maker
- he applies this analogy to the world -> world is so intricate that it must have a watch maker
What’s were paleys 3 vital comments
1) inference still stands even if we had never seen a watch before as it is so different from the rock so it must have a different origin
2) even if the watch didn’t work perfectly, same as the world -> there is enough evidence of design to suggest a watch maker
3) inference still stands if there is parts we could not workout the use for
Who provided the most convincing criticisms of paley
My bro Hume
What is humes first objection
1) the aptness of the analogy
- the model used by Enlightenment thinkers like paley of a machine like universe shapes there arguements for them
- if we use the idea of a machine -> a machine clearly has a machine maker
- but what if were to use a cabbage -> a cabbage is very intricate in how it’s designed but we would not suggest a cabbage maker
- by using a watch, paley has already decided his outcome
What is humes second objection
Humes second objection that he accounts for the universes existence through the epicurean thesis
- epicurean thesis argues that if there is finite particles and infinite time -> we would go through every possible combination
- we would find a few stable combinations -> universe we live in now is one of these combinations
Monkey type writers explain Brv
If there is infinite time, monkeys with a typewriter will eventually end up with a combination of letters which resemble the work of Shakespeare
What is humes third criticism
- Hume argues we cannot go from an effect to a cause which is greater than needed to cause the effect
- uses the example of a set of scales with a pan we know the weight of in the air
- we can deduce that the thing in the other scale is heavier but we do not know by how much could be an ounce or a tonne
- we cannot go from the evidence of this world to a all loving all powerful god
