Teleological argument

what is the teleological argument?

argument that aims to show the reasonableness of the existence of God. These arguments are based on human observation of the world that are claimed to show that the world is not random and thins have purpose and design

give a brief history of the teleological argument?

first known version comes from Anaxagoras, who argued that there was an intelligence that gave the universe its natural order.

what is Aquinas’ teleological argument called?

the Fifth Way.

What type of argument is Aquinas’ fifth way?

A posteriori argument, he uses things in the world that we can observe to argue for the existence of God.

what does Aquinas’ argument focus on?

the purpose (design qua purpose) as well as regularity (design qua regularity). this means that Aquinas teaches that it is an observable fact that things do not just behave randomly but act for a telos or purpose.

define design qua purpose?

Aquinas’s term for the way the parts of the universe fit together for a purpose

define design qua regularity?

Aquinas’s term for the way that the order and regularity in the world are proof of a designer.

what does Aquinas say about the purpose of every living thing?

it is almost always the ‘best result’ and is achieved in nature by things behaving in a highly regular way. He also argues that things like cells towards their proper purpose instinctively, without knowledge or intelligence.

how does aquinas explain how things that do not have knowledge work towards their purpose?

if they do not have ability to know how to achieve their purpose or even know what their purpose is, there must be something that aids them that does have the ability and knowledge and intelligence.

explain Zeno’s archer analogy?

the arrow cannot move itself, because it does not have intelligence, and can only move towards its target when directed by the archer who does have intelligence. this leads Aquinas to conclude that there must be some intelligent being who directs all natural things to their allotted and appropriate telos. For Aquinas, this intelligent being is GOD

what does the term natural theology mean?

the attempt to use rational, scientific evidence about the world to argue for the existence of God.

what does revealed theology mean?

In contrast to Natural theology, this is the belief that god is known through the sacred texts of a religion

how does Paley use the analogy of a watch?

when observing a watch, we can see that it has a clear purpose- to tell the time- and it is able to achieve this bc of the precise conditions that allow to do so, similar to things in the natural world. using this analogy he implies that anything that shows evidence of order and purpose can only be result of an intelligent agency meaning that there must be a designer, who he equates with God..

What does Paley highlight in his argument?

the complexity of nature and how this complexity is far greater than any human being or other mechanism could bring about. He uses the example of the human eye- it is like the watch in its immense complexity- therefore it must have a designer, who is God

.Complexity by itself can occur by chance. For example, if we come across sand on a beach, it forms a complex pattern but does not indicate design. However if we came across a sand castle, the complex arrangement of the sand serves a purpose. It’s possible that it came about by chance, but astronomically unlikely. 

• So it is the combination of complexity with its enabling of a purpose that indicates design by a mind.

What does Paley insist about fine-tuning?

there is a great deal of fine tuning in the world in order to preserve life, such as the balances of the gases and so on.

What does dawkins say about paleys watch analogy

• Dawkins wrote ‘the blind watchmaker’ referencing Paley. Taking Paley’s example of the eye, Dawkins explains how it could have evolved part by part over hundreds of millions of years.

• So yes there is a watchmaker, but it is ‘blind’, meaning merely the blind mechanical force of natural selection.

• Dawkins concludes complexity and purpose in organisms can be explained through simpler, more scientific means. This suggests belief in a designer is unnecessary.

what are Paleys responses to criticisms of his argument?

1. just because we have not seen the manufacturer of the universe or encountered the designer, this does not mean we can question that such a designer exists

2. imperfections do not mean that there is no designer at all

3. ignorance of some functions of the design also do not mean that we can deny existence of the designer

4. even though species can reproduce themselves, the original body of the species must have a design

what does Hume argue about the existence of a god of classical theism

if nature is observed, it seems self-evident that there is order and purpose in the world. however even if the teleological argument works we could only prove that a design producing entity existed, it would not prove the god of classical theism existence existed.

What is the counter to hume argument concerning the god of classical theism

• The main counter to Hume is that Aquinas, Paley and Swinburne aren’t trying to prove the Christian God in particular. They know the design argument can’t do that. 

• They broadly follow Aquinas Natural theology, which involves reasoned inductive argument, intended to support faith by providing evidence for a creator/designer.

• So the proponents of the design argument never claimed that it proved what Hume is accusing them of.

how does Hume criticise the watch maker analogy?

we already know that a designer is involved in the watch making process because we are familiar with it, however because the universe is unique and therefore the supposed analogy breaks down

what is Hume’s criticism of the mind that designs the unvierse?

if a divine mind created the universe, this mind must itself show order and purpose. in this case, we would need to ask what was the cause of the design in this mind. this would lead to an infinite regression of cause and therefore the argument fails to convince.

criticisms from hume:

faulty design

there could be a wide variety of reasons for what we observe in nature

the universe could have designed itself

what does Mill say about the system of nature

the system of nature can’t have had for its principal- the good of human or other sentient beings, what good it brings them is mostly the result of their own efforts. therefore mill feels that observation of nature does not logically lead to the conclusion that it is designed for human good.

how does mill prove his theory that things done by nature are not for human god

the two most cruel things that humans do are to take life and to deprive someone of their livelihood

these two things are done by nature regularly, any evil that humans do, nature can do worse

Additionally

• Darwin noted how vicious natural selection is, concluding “I cannot see evidence of design”. He illustrates with digger wasps which lay eggs inside caterpillars that are eaten from the inside when they hatch.

what are criticisms to mills argument that nature is not good for humans?

suffering and misery may not really be evil. they may be permitted to make us virtuous

how does the theory of evolution combat the design argument?

Darwin suggests that living organisms developed from simpler to more complex form gradually over time and through the purely natural processes of random variation, natural selection and survival of the fittest. therefore the observation that everything in nature has a purpose that it is working towards by design given by designer is void.