Swinburne-Telelogical - Temporal order

Question 1

Swinburne - argument from design - What is it ?

Answer 1

The distinguishment of,
Spatial order - How things arranged in space (How parts of the eye work together)

Temporal order - Regularity of natural laws over time. (How gravity always works the same way).

Question 2

Science explains spatial order

Answer 2

P1 - Science can explain things like how the eye is developed (evolution)
P2- Paleys watchmaker argument no longer works.
P3 - Science has good answers for how complex living thing came about without the need for God .

Question 3

However science cannot explain temporal order

Answer 3

P1 - Science uses laws of nature like gravity to explain other things.
P2 - But it cannot explain why those laws exist or why they have the values they do. (Why gravity attracts instead of repels)
P3 - Why is gravity the exact amount that it is ? - If it was slightly different stars/planets/life would not exist.

Question 4

Question of what explains the laws themselves

Answer 4

There cannot be a scientific explanation.
A personal explanation is better (Someone designed it)

Question 5

What is the personal explanation

Answer 5

Things happen because someone chose to make it happen.
Example - This building exists because an architect designed it.

Question 6

Therefore

Answer 6

The best explanation for laws of nature (gravity) exists is because someone designed them.

This person is God

Question 7

Responses to Swinburne’s teleological argument

Answer 7

Multiple Universes
Is the designer God ?

Question 8

Multiple Universes

Answer 8

The number of Universes is Infinite

P1 - If there was multiple Universes some of these universes will have laws of nature (temporal order)
P2- These support the formation of life.
P3- It is luck that these universes exist.
C1- If each universe has randomly different scientific laws there will also be ones where the temporal order does not support life.

Question 9

Is the designer God ?

Answer 9

There could be a designer that is not God.

P1-God’s power is supposedly infinite yet the universe is not.
P2- Designers may not always be creators.
Example - Someone who designs a car may not be the one who builds it.
P3- The design of the universe could be made up of small improvements by multiple people.

C1- Designers can die and the creation continues.
C2- How can we be sure that the Designer (God) is eternal.
C3- Apart of the concept of God is that he is Eternal. If he is not then he does not exist.