teleological argument Flashcards
(8 cards)
what is the teleological argument
The teleological/design argument suggests that the world in which man lives is so complex and ordered (among other characteristics) that it could not have come about by chance. In order for it to be as we currently see the world, it must have been designed, ultimately by a designer whom some call ‘God’.
‘Teleological’ comes from Greek – telos – meaning ‘end’ or ‘purpose’. It is an a posteriori argument (many forget to say this in answers)
what is aquinas’s view on the teleological argument
‘Hence it is plain that they achieve their end not fortuitously, but designedly’
he believed knowledge of God could be reached in two ways 1 through revelation and 2 through reason
aquinas presented 5 ways of showing God existed written in his book ‘Summa Theologica’ one of these being design like that of the teleological argument - he uses an arrow as an example if we saw an arrow flying we know someone must have shot it and same with other objects in the world like the sun there must be a guiding hand behind it
‘‘the 5th way is taken from the governance of the world”
what is William paleys argument that supports the teleological argument
at the time there were exciting discoveries in science which showed the purpose in lots of cells ect
William to illustrate his design argument used the analogy of someone coming across a watch - someone must have made the watched the parts couldn’t have all flew together as the watch is so complex - it must have had a designer
so he then looked at the wolf like the watch noticing how all parts work so well together so must have had a designer - one change to the physics of the world and it would not work even Charles Darwin was impressed by paleys writings
parts of the watch - complexity, order, interaction, purpose all of witch are shown in the world
strengths of William paleys argument
follows philosophical logic and is soundly based on empirical data. - Richard Swinburne agrees - “The analogy of animals to complex machines seems to me correct, and its conclusion justified.”
The more we observe about the world, the stronger the argument – given that the argument is based on conclusions drawn about order/complexity etc from empirical observation, the more that we observe, the more complexity we will see in the world. With every new species that is found, the world appears ever more complex and impressive
Supports a religious interpretation of the world – It demonstrates God’s nature and allows us to better understand why the very premises that we have used in the argument exist. - his [God’s] eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through all the things he has made.”
Romans 1.20
weaknesses of William paley
Problem of evil: One of the significant criticisms of Paley’s argument is that it fails to address the problem of evil. If the natural world exhibits design and order, why does it also contain elements of suffering, pain, and apparent imperfections? - however paleys response is just because something goes wrong, it doesn’t mean that there is no designer, or that God is imperfect. The world could be made perfectly but could still go wrong, just as a watch does.
Critics argue that this analogy is flawed because the natural world is fundamentally different from a human-made object like a watch. The natural world contains imperfections, inefficiencies, and features that do not resemble the precise design of a watch.
other arguments for the teleological argument
Michael behe - irreducible complexity - bacterial flagellum, cilium, the ATP synthase molecule - they consist of multiple interacting parts that are all necessary for the system to function. According to Behe, these irreducibly complex systems cannot be explained by gradual, step-by-step evolution so must have had a designer
William Dembskis - specified complexity - certain patterns or events in the natural world exhibit a specific and complex arrangement that is best explained by intelligent design - Critics argue that his concept of specified complexity is vague and subjective, making it difficult to apply consistently.
Richard Swinburne - fine-tuning argument - Swinburne argues that the probability of the universe being finely tuned for life by mere chance is extremely low.
therefore Design is the Best Explanation Swinburne asserts that the most reasonable explanation for the fine-tuning of the universe is intelligent design. He suggests that the fine-tuning cannot be plausibly attributed to chance or necessity alone. Instead, it is best explained by the deliberate choice of an intelligent being. he said “I do not deny that science explains, but I postulate God to explain why science explains”
F.R Tennant - The Anthropic Principle - the idea that the universe seems particularly suited to bring about and support human life. This is a modern version of the Design Argument, building on Richard Swinburne’s concept of regularity.
“The doctrine of evolution leaves the argument for an intelligent Creator and Governor of the earth stronger than it was before.” Archbishop Temple
criticism to the teleological argument
although Hume was writing before paley his ideas do contradict paley - Hume is concerned as to whether a machine has enough relevant similarities with the world to support the conclusion that they were both designed.
Hume says that the world is more organic than mechanical: i.e. more like a carrot than a watch. It may seem absurd to say that the universe is like a carrot, but this is his point. It is no more ridiculous than to compare the world to a mechanical machine
[The world is more likely] “due to generation or vegetation than reason or design”
evolution- “The old argument from design in nature as given by Paley…fails now that the law of natural selection has been discovered.” Charles Darwin
challenges to arguments from observations
teleological - empirical evidence of order however you may disagree and believe the world is full of chaos - the problem of evil
Alternative Explanations - Observations that are offered as evidence for the existence of God can often be explained by alternative naturalistic explanations.
