Arguments Based On Observations - teleological + cosmological

Question 1

The cosmological argument

The Cosmological + teleological Argument.

Answer 1

Cosmological: a-posteriori argument based on observation
(motion, cause and effect, and the contingency in the universe)
- includes Aquinas 3 Ways

Teleological: Arguements based on design + purpose thus god

Question 2

deductive argument

Answer 2

Using premises/scenarios to back up your assumption

(E.G. All dogs have four legs, John’s pet is a dog, therefore John’s pet has four legs)

Question 3

inductive argument

Answer 3

Using instances to come to a generalised conclusion

Question 4

St Thomas Aquinas beliefs

Answer 4

He believed that the existence of God could be proven in five ways
- summa Theologica (his greatest book)

Question 5

Aquinas’ first 3 ways

Answer 5

1. The unmoved mover
2. Uncaused cause
3. contingency and necessity

Question 6

the unmoved mover - motion (Aquinas)

Answer 6

1. Everything is in motion
2. There can’t be an infinite regress of motion
3. There has to have been a first mover – a start to the motion we observe.

(E.g. if you see dominoes falling, there must have been a first one that was pushed – there couldn’t have just been dominoes falling forever)

4. So, there must have been a first mover that was unmoved – that is God.

Question 7

uncaused cause

Answer 7

attempts to explain cause and effect.

1. everything has a cause (its contingent)
2. nothing can cause itself
3. however, there can’t be an infinite number of causes as there will be no first cause.
4. therefore there must be an uncaused cause
5. and we call that - GOD

Question 8

Contingency & Necessity

Answer 8

• not every being can be contingent
• Therefore there must be a being whose existence is necessary – God.

Question 9

Leibniz- The Principle of Sufficient Reason

Answer 9

• Everything must have a reason / cause.
• Even if the world eternal, we need an explanation for it

If you reject PSR, it means that you are claiming things without an explanation

Question 10

The Grand Designer - Aquinas 5th Way

Answer 10

He drew upon Aristotle view that nature is teleological & each thing has its own purpose.

In order for something to reach its purpose it need to be guided by an intelligent being - God

Question 11

Example of Aqunias 5th way

Answer 11

Unintelligent things can’t fulfil a purpose unless it is guided by something with knowledge.

E.G. An unintelligent Bow & Arrow without its archer would be wood and string

Question 12

William Paley - 2 points of view for why god must exist

Answer 12

In the world we can see both:

Design qua purpose - the universe designed to fulfil a purpose

Design qua regularity - the universe behaves according to some order.

Question 13

Strengths of the cosmological argument

Answer 13

• They are logical and common sense (based on what we see)
• Fits in with Christian teaching - Genesis “In the beginning God created the Heaven and Earth”.
• Leibnez argued that all things should have a ‘sufficient reason’ for their existence.
• Things in nature are contingent therefore there must be something necessary.

Question 14

William Paley - (1743) Natural Theology

watchmaker Analogy

design qua purpose

Answer 14

• argued that the complexity of the world suggests there is a purpose to it - there must be a designer(God)

If he came across a watch on the ground, he would assume that the complex parts on the watch has a purpose and that it did not come into existence by chance - There must be a watchmaker.

‘Design must have a designer, to whom we call God’

he then widens his argument to the details of the eye. The complexity of the eye alone is further evidence for a designing intelligence.

Question 15

Epicurean hypothesis

Answer 15

The theory that the world is the chance arrangements of atoms

Question 16

Weaknesses of the argument of the design/teleological argument

Answer 16

• Complexity does not necessarily mean design -Too vague
• Mill (1806): Evidental problem of evil. The existence of evil and imperfection in the world suggest that there is a limited designer or a morally flawed God. Even if we accept that the world was designed, it cannot be assumed that its designer is God.
• Hume’s (1711) argument that the universe resembles a vegetable more than a machine. due to it organic nature, They grow themselves without the need for a designer. this backed up strongly by the theory of evolution.
• The theory of natural selection (Charles Darwin), shows a way of understanding how species develop without reference to a designer God.

Question 17

Aquinas archer analogy

Answer 17

An arrow, an unintelligent object, cannot achieve its end goal, of hitting the target without something intelligent guiding it. Therefore, the archer (the intelligent being) has to direct the arrow to fulfil its end goal of hitting the target.

supports inanimate objects in our world. = supports design qua purpose & anthropic principle

Question 18

prime mover

Answer 18

Aristotle’s names for the first unmoved mover responsible for all order that exits in the universe.

Question 19

Aesthetic principle

Answer 19

F.R. Tennant (1866-1957)

• Human ability to perceive and appreciate beauty (the universe) at all levels.
  E.G, Art, music, literature and culture.

This appreciation of beauty is not necessary for human survival and cannot be a result of natural selection.
(It points to the idea of an intelligent designer.)

Question 20

Anthropic principle

Answer 20

F.R. Tennnat

• the universe is designed in a way that allows for the development of intelligent life

Question 21

fallacy of composition

Answer 21

what is true of some parts is not necessarily true of the whole.
(E.G, car type is made out of rubber, therefore the whole car is made out of rubber)

Question 22

Hume (1711-1776)
(Criticisms for the cosmological argument in his dialogue )

Answer 22

Fallacy of composition:

1. just because we observe cause and effect in the universe does no mean this rules applies to the universe itself.
2. we have no experience on creating the universe and therefore cannot meaningfully talk about it.
3. there’s not enough evidence.

ANALOGY OF THE SCALES:

Doesn’t make sense to say that there was only one intelligent - God. when there cold be a committee of Gods.

Question 23

Swinburne (supports Anthrophic principle

Answer 23

He points out that the order and complexity in the universe (as the Anthropic principle suggests) cannot be explained by science