The Design Argument: An Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts, arguments, and criticisms related to the design argument in philosophy.

What type of reasoning does the design argument use?

Inductive reasoning.

What is inductive reasoning?

A form of proof or conclusion based on previous experience, where premises do not necessarily prove the conclusion to be true.

What is the conclusion drawn from the two premises of the design argument?

The world must have had a designer, which is identified as God.

What is the key analogy used by Aquinas in his design argument?

The arrow is directed by the archer, demonstrating that objects cannot achieve their purpose by themselves.

What does Richard Swinburne argue regarding the existence of God?

It is more probable that God exists than that He does not exist, based on available evidence.

What is the term for knowledge that relies on experience and perception of the world?

A posteriori knowledge.

What is the criticism made by David Hume regarding causal fallacy in the design argument?

He argues that there is no logical association between the event of life and its supposed cause, God.

How does David Hume critique the analogy used by Aquinas?

He suggests the universe is more akin to a floating vegetable, which grows by itself without a designer.

What does the fallacy of composition refer to in Hume's critiques?

Aquinas's argument is based on seeing only a part of the universe and not the whole.

What describes the concept of anthropomorphism as critiqued by David Hume?

The attribution of human characteristics to God, which he argues is flawed.

How does John Stuart Mill challenge the design argument?

He points out the existence of suffering and evil, questioning the goodness of an intelligent designer.

What alternative to the design argument was proposed by Charles Darwin?

The theory of evolution, which explains the complexity of life without needing a designer.

What does Richard Dawkins argue regarding the idea of a watchmaker God?

He claims that if God were a designer, He must be blind to the flaws present in the world.