Teleological Argument
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- Created on: 29-10-20 14:36
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- Teleological Argument
- Aquinas' 5th way
- Found in Summa Theologica
- He states natural bodies fulfilled their function as a result of design not chance
- Something lacking intelligence cannot move towards fulfilling its purpose without an intelligent mover
- Archer & Arrow analogy
- An arrow must be directed by an archer to reach its target (guiding intelligence -God)
- Known as 'Concept of Governance'
- William Paley
- Proposed the Watchmaker analogy in his Natural Theology
- Watchmaker Analogy
- He stated if one had found a watch on the ground, one would think it to have been designed
- the complexity of the watch would mean it had an intelligent designer
- The universe is also complex, suggesting it had an intelligent designer (God)
- the complexity of the watch would mean it had an intelligent designer
- He used other examples too
- how the instinct of birds ensure they sit on their eggs while their babies grow inside them
- The eye was intricately designed to help us see
- "eye alone is proof of God's designing power"-Paley
- He stated if one had found a watch on the ground, one would think it to have been designed
- 'Design qua purpose'
- God designed the natural world so that everything not only had a purpose, but was capable of fulfilling that purpose
- Design qua regularity
- Some guiding intelligence had pre-determined the placement of things to allow regularity of motion
- Example: relationship between planets and gravity between them
- Some guiding intelligence had pre-determined the placement of things to allow regularity of motion
- The Anthropic Principle
- Conditions on Earth are perfect for humans to thrive
- Brendon Carter proposed 2 forms of this principle
- Weak form
- Considers that our location in the universe is perfect in being compatible with our existence
- Strong form
- The universe must be such as to admit the conditions of it are perfect
- Weak form
- Frederick Tennant
- DEVELOPED Anthropic Principle by providing evidence
- 1) World provides things needed to survive
- 2) The world cannot only be observed but can be rationally analysed to deduce its workings
- 3) Process of evolution, through natural selection, has led to development of intelligent human life so we can observe and analyse the world
- DEVELOPED Anthropic Principle by providing evidence
- Okham's Razor
- Richard Swinburne says that the simplest conclusion for the order of the universe is due to an intelligent designer
- 'The simplest conclusion is probably true'
- The Aesthetic Principle
- The concept & appreciation of beauty
- Tennant claims we appreciate aesthetics as a result of a benevolent God, who wants to enjoy this world
- Tennant says awe & wonder of things in the world brings us closer to God
- Tennant claims we appreciate aesthetics as a result of a benevolent God, who wants to enjoy this world
- The concept & appreciation of beauty
- Successes of the Teleological Argument
- Succeeds in proving existence of God as it is 'A POSTERIORI'
- INDUCTIVE - Paley's watchmaker analogy is more probable than not so it is rational to agree with its conclusion
- Many would agree that where there is design, there is a designer
- Anthropic principle is convincing as human survival has relied on the precise manner in which the universe is created with its perfect conditions
- "presents itself as vivid, accessible and commonsensical with its feet firmly on the ground" - Colin Crowder on the Design Argument
- Aquinas' 5th way
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