Evolution vs Teleological Argument

Evolution

It is the process by which organisms have developed, starting from a single-celled organism, that mutated and reproduced, producing different organisms that were naturally selected, eventually resulting in the organisms we have today.

Charles Darwin

1. Said the world was a result of natural selection as opposed to intelligent design.

2. He said that creatures adapted to their environment to survive.

Argument in Favour of Evolution over Teleological Arguments and Counters

Argument: There is no need for a designed if everything is simply random mutations.

Counter:

‘Randomness’ or perceived ‘randomness’ might be the mechanism by which G-d made the world.

Richard Dawkins

1. Modern supporter of Darwin.

2. Argues against religion as he believes that religion is an excuse not to investigate science.

3. Argues that nature is neither cruel nor caring, but it is indifferent.

John Stuart Mill

1. Says that we see the world is governed in a cruel and violent way with unnecessary suffering.

2. If the world was designed by G-d, he can’t have been very loving.

Anthropic Argument

1. Argues that nature seems to plan in advance for the needs of humans.

2. The world had to exist as it is ordered for us to be here.

3. This means there must be more than just the laws of physics as work here.

Anthropic Principle

1. We have discovered via science that here are several physical constants that have determined how the world has developed.

2. If any of them were different by any degree the world wouldn’t have developed as it has, and its existence may not even be conceivable.

Aesthetic Design Argument

1. The existence of G-d is based on the beauty of the world.

2. Argues that the universe is not just beautiful in places, it is saturated in beauty from the microscopic to macroscopic.

3. Beauty does not perform a utilitarian function in the world, so it has no reason to exist unless G-d put it there for human enjoyment.

COUNTER:

Beauty is not an absolute quality, but a subjective opinion.

Counters

1. Evolution doesn’t explain how the first single-celled organism came into existence - cant explain origins.

2. Altruism problem - some people act in an altruistic way that seems to harm them and benefit others, surely our evolutionary selfishness prevents that.