Scientific challenges

Scientific challenges to inductive arguments

What was the universe in the beginning?

• The universe was inside a bubble - it was hotter and denser than anything we can imagine.

• Then it suddenly expanded/exploded.

What is the big bang theory?

• Most astronomers believe that this expansion started with a big bang around 14 billion years ago.

• The universe that we know was born.

• Time, space and matter all began with the Big Bang.

• In a fraction of a second, the universe grew from smaller than a single atom to bigger than a galaxy.

• Scientists believe it is still expanding today.

What is the evidence for the Big Bang?

• Astronomer Edwin Hubble made his greatest discovery.

• It was that the light coming from other galaxies was redder than expected.

• He took this to mean that the galaxies were all moving away from us.

What is the Red Shift theory?

• The more red shifted the light from a galaxy is, the faster the galaxy is moving away from earth.

• This suggests that the universe is expanding outwards.

• Therefore, if we reverse this process, the universe would contract to a single start point.

How can the Big Bang theory support Gods existence?

• It can support Aquinas first way because for the Big Bang to happen - due to nothing being there before it happened, means there must be a first cause which point to God.

How can the Big Bang theory challenge Gods existence?

• Th Big Bang theory is often used as ‘proof’ that it was a random action that caused the beginning of the universe, not God.

• People can also question how God was created.

What is natural selection?

• Survival depends on adapting to the environment.

• Natural selection is when certain members of a species adapt to their environment and so survive and live longer.

• They would then pass on these successful genes to their offspring.

What did Darwin argue about natural selection and God?

• Darwin argued that all these complexities could be explained by natural selection.

• Where new species evolved from existing ones without the necessity for the intervention of God.

What is evolutions challenge to inductive arguments?

• The first life form arose from inanimate matter.

• All life forms originated from this single organism.

• There was a gradual development of increasingly complex life-forms.

• There is variation in nature, evolution is continuing.

• Not as described in Genesis.

How did Darwin’s theory undermine the biblical account of creation?

• Darwin’s theory did undermine the biblical account of creation.

• He showed living things might develop in small steps - challenges fixity of species.

• Life could be the result of random chance - Dawking ‘random genetic mutation’

• Not created by a creator/designer.

What does Darwin think about the appearance of design?

• Richard Dawkins has written several books that support Darwinian evolution and reject God and the design argument.

• For Dawkins the appearance of design is an illusion.

• There is no God masterminding the process only the ‘blind, unconscious automatic process that Darwin discovered.’

How does Dawkins redefine the principles of evolution?

• Dawkins has redefined the principles of evolution by introducing the concept of random genetic mutation.

• Living organisms have complex genetic codes.

• When a new organism is formed through evolution sometimes random genetic mutations creep in.

• This genetic make up causes each living thing to develop in the way that it does.

What does Dawkins say about the selfish gene?

• Dawkins believes that our genes are ‘selfish’.

• By this he means that genes are engaged in a struggle for survival.

• The most ‘selfish’ genes survive using the human body which is a kind of ‘survival suit’.

• The sole purpose is that genes survive to benefit themselves primarily, rather than the organism as a whole.

What is supporting evidence for the ‘selfish gene’?

• A student of wren (a type of bird) biology claimed that one of his wild males sang itself to death.

• Anything that had the long term welfare of the species at heart would cut down the amount of singing.

• Yet, because what is really being maximised is DNA survival, nothing can stop the spread of DNA that has no beneficial effect other than making males beautiful to females.

What does Dawkins say about memetics/memes?

• Memetics applies evolutionary principles not to biological organisms but rather to ideas.

• Ideas are like animals as they can mutate, and replicate themselves and compete for survival.

• And so ideas, like animals should be expected to evolve.

• If this is correct then our intellectual climate will be determined by which ideas win and lose the fight for survival.

• The ideas that are best equipped for this fight will survive, irrespective of whether the are true.

What does Dawkins ‘blind watchmaker’ book set out to explain?

• In subsequent work Dawkins takes on the argument from design. ‘The blind watchmaker.’

• Titled after William Paley’s analogical design argument which likens the universe to a watch, seeks to provide a naturalistic explanation of the appearance of design in the universe.

• Dawkins sets out to explain how the process of natural selection can successfully explain our origins.

• There is no need to suggest a divine creator, evolution can explain it all.

What is said about memes and beauty?

• Tennant’s aesthetic argument is an argument for the existence of an intelligent God who designed the universe on the basis of the beauty in the world.

• Beauty is not necessary for survival, despite this the natural world is filled with beauty on a scale which we can never copy.

• This beauty does not perform a function so there is no reason for there to be so much of it in the world unless it is put there by God for our and his enjoyment

What is Dawkins memetic critique of Christianity?

• Dawkins offers a memetic critique of Christianity.

• Religious belief is widespread because it stresses faith over reason, threatens hell giving it deep psychological impact, and commands its bearers to replicate it.

• The success of Christianity on this view has nothing to do with truth it is all about the ability of the Christian meme to survive and reproduce.