Hume, Swinburne & Others

Analogy: a comparison of 2 otherwise unlike things based on resemblance of a particular aspect; resemblance in some particulars between things otherwise unlike

Anthropic Principle is the idea that the the universe seems particularly suited to bring about and support human life.

Supporters of the TA:

• Frederick Robert Tennant

  • British theologian, philosopher of religion and writer

  • advocate of theistic evolution

  • believed that the existence of a god was needed to the purposive quality of evolution

  • supporter of Anthropic Principle - it’s a design argument > finds something “suspicious” in the universe’s human-friendly laws and the supposedly chance result of humans

  • First theist widely known to put forth such an argument

  • "The multitude of interwoven adaptations by which the world is constituted a theatre of life, intelligence, and morality, cannot reasonably be regarded as an outcome of mechanism, or of blind formative power, or aught but purposive intelligence."

• Richard Swinburne

  • member of Orthodox Church

  • one of the foremost Christian apologists

  • influential proponent of philosophical arguments for God’s existence

  • contributions primarily: philosophy of religion and of science

  • states that the complexity of the universe makes it difficult to believe that there is not a designer at work

    • accepted the Anthropic Principle

    • /see table for more deets/

• Arthur Brown

  • 20th century

  • argued ozone layer was evidence of design

  • “the ozone layer is mighty proof of the creator’s forethought. could anyone possibly attribute this device to a chance evolutionary process? a wall which prevents death to every living thing, just the right thickness and exactly the correct defence gives every evidence of a plan”

Opponents of the TA:

• David Hume

  • Scottish philosopher, historian, economist and essayist

  • best known for system of philosophical scepticism and naturalism

  • believed that:

    • the world is completely different to a watch, so we cannot draw the same conclusions regarding whether it has a designer or not

    • order in the world does not necessarily mean design eg “Divine ‘Orderer’” | we do not know for certain that order is a result of intelligence

    • order is necessary - the world would not exist if everything was chaotic and random; felt self-sustaining order could have come by chance

    • an imperfect and finite world does not mean there is an infinite perfect God behind it

    • the cause for the world’s existence is hidden from us

    • we cannot make a comparison with other worlds/universes to see if there are others more ordered than this one

    • evil’s existence undermines the likelihood of a loving God thus design argument ≠ God of classical theism

    • the design could have been by lesser gods or an apprentice God

• Richard Dawkins:.

  • ethologist, evolutionary biologist, author

  • believes that:

    • everything is a result of natural selection

    • life has no meaning/purpose, other than to reproduce

    • natural selection is blind and has no long-term goal/telos

    • the watch analogy does not clearly represent God creating the universe

• John Stuart Mill:

  • philosopher, political economist, MP, civil servant

  • proponent of utilitarianism

  • believes that:

    • nature is inherently dangerous to humans eg poisons, wildfires, predators; if these dangers are designed, the designer is then responsible for the deaths caused by their design

    • if God was the designer than each person’s suffering would be equal to their happiness