Teleological arguments

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teleological argument
Prove God's existence by claiming that everything exists seems to have a purpose which suggests a designer (God)
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Key features of the Teleological Argument
seeks to show that we can observe evidence of deliberate design in the natural world (a posterior)
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What did Aquinas say about nature?
Things in nature act 'always or nearly in the same way'.
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According to Aquinas, what does everything follow?
Everything, even inanimate objects, follow Natural Laws which are predictable e.g. dropping a pen
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What are the two types of design argument?
Design Qua Purpose and Design Qua Regularity
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What to inanimate objects need in order to achieve their goal or purpose
They need to be directed by something (an intelligent being) e.g. an arrow needs to be directed to its target by an archer
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Who does Aquinas say is then 'intelligent being' which directs things to their goal?
GOD!
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What are the strengths of TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT ?
The anthropic principle - uses the theory of evolution to support the Argument (design rather than chance), The Aesthetic Principle- beautifulness doesn’t help survival Swinburne- probable than the universe was designed than it occurred by chance
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Weaknesses of TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
Not everything in nature has a purpose e.g appendix, there are elements of bad design e.g natural disasters which does not point to a designer, what kind of designer are we inferring because it could be a malevolent designer
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Hume's criticisms of teleological argument
weak method of reasoning. - leap to conclusions about the cause. we have experienced a watch being made, does not mean the universe was made in the same way. The universe is not a machine IT IS living organism which is growing and changing
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

seeks to show that we can observe evidence of deliberate design in the natural world (a posterior)

Back

Key features of the Teleological Argument

Card 3

Front

Things in nature act 'always or nearly in the same way'.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Everything, even inanimate objects, follow Natural Laws which are predictable e.g. dropping a pen

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Design Qua Purpose and Design Qua Regularity

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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