...The Design Argument The design argument is one of the traditional arguments of the existence of God. This argument has a variety of forms. This is an argument that is in support of God’s existence. Many philosophers have their doubt that a God exists. There are philosophers who have supported the design argument, one of the philosophers being Aqunias. Aquinas attacks the other arguments made against the existence of God. There is a formulation that is close to the one that Aquinas used. The formulation is “(1) Among objects that act for an end, some have minds whereas others do not. (2) An object that acts for an end, but does not itself have a mind, must have been designed by a being that has a mind. (3) Hence, there exists a being with a mind who designed all mindless objects that act for an end.” In these formulations it is being explained that an object (us human beings, or anything) acts for an end, basically stating living our lives through our purpose and purpose only. The design argument is also known as the teleological argument, teleogy meaning purpose. The second point translates into the third, it is saying that there was a being who created us that has a purpose, that being is God. There are two sorts of the design argument, they are the global and local design arguments. A global design argument explains general features of the whole universe and argues that this feature should be explained by the hypothesis that it is the product of intelligent design. So...
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...The Design Argument is also known as the Teleological Argument coming from the Greek word ‘telos’ meaning end/purpose. It is an “a posteriori” argument (from experience) based on empirical evidence (based on the 5 senses). It is synthetic (from observation) and is inductive (there are a number of possible conclusions although one may be more probable). The Design Argument states that the universe has order, purpose, regularity and suitability for human life (Sarah Tyler). Complexities of the universe demonstrate some form of design. The design requires a designer. Therefore, for many, the designer is God of the Classical Theism (Hereafter referred to as God). This argument was first introduced by Socrates, a Greek philosopher, showing that the argument is strong as it has survived the test of time as we are still discussing it in the 21st century so the argument has merit and displays longevity. “With such signs of forethought in the design of living creatures, how can there be doubt that they are the work of choice or design” cited by Socrates. There is an early belief that there is design in the world. In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas furthered the design argument through his book, Summa Theologica. He proposed 5 ways to prove the existence of God; one of which was the Teleological argument. For Aquinas, these arguments point to a being “that we call God”. To prove the existence of god, he used the analogy of the archer, arrow and target to show that there must be...
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...Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the design argument for the existence of God. The design argument, also referred to as the Teleological Argument, stemmed from the Greek work ‘telos’ meaning ‘end’ or ‘purpose’. It is an a posteriori argument (from experience) based on our empirical senses and it is synthetic meaning that it is from observation. The argument is also inductive meaning there a number of possible conclusions. The main origin of the Teleological argument is based on a designer commonly known as ‘the classical God of theism’ (hereafter referred to as God). The argument from design find its origins in Thomas Aquinas’ ‘Summa Theleologica’ and is the fifth of his five ways of proving the existence of God. His argument includes the beneficial order in the universe which he observes i.e. there are things in the universe that work towards an end or purpose. He argues that the world is like an arrow shot from an archer’s bow - it has direction and purpose. God is the archer and the world is the arrow. God is controlling the world and as he is the reason behind why it is been created. Aquinas then goes on to say the world works because the designer is God, and so things in nature are ordered for their apparent purpose e.g. trees give us oxygen. However, this is a weak argument because Aquinas is not comparing two similar ideas. William Paley also argues for the design argument. His argument includes several ideas, one of which uses an analogy of a watch and...
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...DESIGN (TELEOLOGICAL) ARGUMENTS Design arguments are empirical, a posteriori and synthetic Telos = end/purpose Arguments state that order design purpose God William Paley – the divine watchmaker * This is an argument from analogy * If one came across a stone on a hill, one would conclude that it was there naturally. However, if one came across a watch, one would assume that it was not there naturally. * This is because the watch is complex, harmonious, planned, functional and purposeful * We would say that such a watch must have an intelligent designer. * The universe is similar – there are many different parts that work together harmoniously and in an apparently purposeful way. It is also complex, self-sufficient and interdependent * Therefore we should assume that the universe has an intelligent designer – God * However, arguably the universe is more akin to a stone than a watch – how can nature itself stick out as something unnatural? * Hume – the world is dissimilar to a watch, and so because the effect is different, we cannot infer the same cause * Also, this argument assumes that there is purpose to the universe, even though there is no evidence as such. * There is much disorder in the world due to natural disasters and wars, unlike a watch * If the universe is flawed, this implies that the creator was flawed. God is supposed to be perfect. * This analogy also anthropomorphises God by...
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...Give an account of the fundamental ideas of the design argument for the existence of God. (25 marks) The design argument outlines that the world has been designed, and therefore requires a designer. This designer, has to have been God because he is the only being that has the power and will to do so. This argument is a posteriori because it bases it’s argument on observations within the Universe. It is also an inductive proof because it has more than one possible conclusion. There are a few ideas that support the idea of the world being designed, one of them being Aquinas’s Fifth Way. This idea says that irrational beings are able to work towards a “beneficial order” (an order where the being will eventually work towards a beneficial purpose). Aquinas observed that these irrational beings could work towards this order without having the required intelligence to do so. For example, grey whales annually migrate from the Alaskan Coast to Mexican waters, a journey which stretches further than 20,000 km and lasts 3 months to carry out, in order to reach a beneficial end or purpose. Aquinas concluded that there must have been a higher power that directed them towards this beneficial order, and Aquinas maintained that this was God. He said God must have designed these irrational beings so that they could work towards this beneficial end. Another idea of the design argument is William Paley’s watch analogy. Paley said that if you were to come across a watch in a field, it would...
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...The complexity design argument given by William Paley reasons that the existence of God is evident in the complexity of the natural world. He argues that random events cannot account for the development of life and the systems that comprise our world. Observation of the natural world indicates purposeful design not random events. Purposeful design requires the existence of God. He argues this through the use of analogies and sensibilities; through the comparison of man’s inventions to the functions and purposes of life. The clock makers’ analogy is one such argument. The clockmakers analogy imagines that you are taking a walk through the woods. You stumble upon a clock. Immediately you wonder, “where did this clock come from?” You might consider that it naturally grew there just as the nearby trees and plants did; but more likely you would assume that someone had left it. Because of its form and function, you would reason that the...
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...William Paley’s takes on the design argument in an analogy form which in its most basic form states if a watch is complex then it must have a maker if we compare to a human eye which is more complex then it proves that an intelligent creator thus exist. His argument is logically persuasive thought Natural theology. As for David Hume’s, “Dialogues concerning Natural Religion,” contra argument he finds various flaws in Paley’s argument.(need to explain) What I established after reading these two arguments is that it is difficult to come to a conclusion about the existence of god. Paley’s and Hume’s arguments are both inductive arguments discussing the existence of an intelligent creator, god, a topic that can never be proven to be true and absolute....
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...Throughout history, the topic of whether an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient being, known as God, truly exits in our world or not is constantly debated between mainly two types of beliefs: atheism and theism. Obvious to every individual, “God” cannot be seen, heard, or touched. Scientifically, there is no concrete proof of God’s existence. Simply, an atheist would assert that God does not exist due to scientific reasoning and logic and Rowe’s argument from evil. However, a theist would refute the atheist’s argument with Paley’s design argument and Swinburne’s free will defense. Ultimately, what can truly be known about God’s existence? God’s Existence Versus Logic From an atheist’s perspective, there is no evidence supporting God’s...
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...The Argument for Design Background • Also known as teleological argument from Greek ‘telos’ meaning ‘goal or purpose’ • A posteriori – the DA claims there is evidence of design in the world and so relies on external empirical evidence for its proof. • Inductive argument. • Arguments for design go back at least as far as the Greek philosopher Plato [428-347 B.C.] • Some distinguish between ‘qua regularity’ and ‘qua purpose’, meaning that some DA’s argue on the basis of there being regularity in the Universe whilst others claim there is evidence of the Universe being designed for a purpose. • Three main types of argument are: From order [regularity] From beauty Anthropic [purpose] William Paley [1743-1805] in Natural Theology: Evidences of The Existence and Attributes of the Deity [1805] • Makes use of analogy and likens the complexity of a watch to the complexity of the Universe. Since a watch is clearly designed, so is the Universe [qua regularity]. Also, the human eye is too complex to have arisen by chance so must be designed for some purpose [qua purpose] • Hume [1711-1776] in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding put forward a number of criticisms of the DA before Paley published his work: • Design and order could be the result of chance [the Epicurean hypothesis] • Hume believed the analogy on which the DA is based is unsound...
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...The design argument, also known as the teleological argument, in its simplest form could be defined as an ideology that argues that all this order and complexity that exists in this world has a creator or a intelligent being with a ‘rational mind’ behind it, without whom none of this would be possible. This creator is thought to be God. As I mentioned earlier, this argument is also known as the teleological argument alluding to the greek word "telos," which translates to “goal” or “purpose. (IEP)” The way Paley sees it is that the universe in a way works similar to a watch in that it displays design and consistency. As long as card indicators are present such as complexity and function, there is a designer behind it; God. It’s quite evident...
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...teleological argument questions the strength of Paley’s watchmaker analogy (although it must be noted that Hume’s criticism came 23 years before Paley made his argument) by debating whether the universe and watches are actually alike. If the universe and watches were alike, then it would be supposed that the universe has a designers because as Hume says ‘like effects presuppose like causes.’ For instance, if I saw two chocolate Mars bars I would be able to assume that they had the same cause, i.e. the same starting ingredients. However, Hume rejected Paley’s use of analogy as the watch and the universe are not similar. This is because the watch is mechanical while the universe is organic. We can assume a house has an architect and a builder because a house is unnatural and cannot be produced by nature. The universe on the other hand is natural however (unlike the watch used in Paley’s analogy), so the universe and the watch are not ‘like effects’, with Hume saying the analogy would work just as well between the watch and a giant vegetable. Evidently, it would not be plausible to conclude that the vegetable was designed. People have seen watches being made, so it cannot be debated whether they are designed, but no one has seen a universe being constructed neither is it as evident of design as the watch. Because of this Paley’s is flawed and cannot infer a designer. Although the world appears designed, this does not mean that the best explanation for this appearance in design. Darwin’s...
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...‘We see examples of design throughout the natural world and conclude that an intelligent designer is clearly demonstrated.’ Assess whether this argument succeeds. The idea of an intelligent designer has split philosophers down the middle. Many different arguments are proposed by philosophers on each side as to why an Intelligent designer exists or doesn't exist. Arguments both from and for design present clearly that there is a god and we know this just by looking at objects around us. However it can be questionable that would an intelligent designer design diseases such as cancer , this rules out the possibility of an omnipotent designer. Examples of design are practically ever, from the printer that printed this work to the waterproofing of feathers on ducks. It is clear to us that a printer has been designed as it would be near impossible that it grew from a tree or just appeared. If I was to say a flying bee is more complex than a printer it would be hard to conceive. However the science or printers has been around for many years now and they are fairly easy to explain, but the flight of bee, a natural object, an insect, has only been understood in recent years. If a printer, which at face value seems more complex than a bee has been designed surely reason permits us to assume that a bee would have also been designed. You don't have to look very far to see evidence of design, a human eye provides a perfect example of design, it is made up of loads of tiny parts...
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...110 Heter Lecture Two: The Argument from Design by Paley [1] Overview. William Paley argued that the universe is so complex that it must have been designed by a higher power. Paley compares the natural universe to a watch. The complexity of the watch proves that it must have been designed. Such a meticulous machine could not have arise by chance. Since the natural universe is far more complex than a watch (think of a human heart), the natural universe must have a designer that is very powerful. This designer must be all powerful; thus the designer must be God. Paley’s argument has been revived in the past five years under the name of “Intelligent Design.” The Intelligent Design Argument is exactly the same as Paley’s argument, with only one exception. The Intelligent Design Argument concludes that “a higher power of some sort, that we might call an ‘intelligent designer’ must exist.” But the argument does not call the ‘intelligent designer’ God. [2] Note on terms: “Teleological.” The Argument from Design has two different names. The argument is also called the “Teleological Argument.” The word “teleological” comes from the Greek word “telos” which means “end” or “purpose.” Paley believes that the universe has a purpose (telos) just like a watch has a purpose (to tell time). For example, the purpose of a human heart is to pump blood. [3] The Argument from Design Premise 1.If an object has a design then it must have a designer. (A watch...
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...Response Paper Spencer Zindel Liberty University Online PHIL 201 6/21/2015 Introduction There are many different religious beliefs, and there are also many different philosophical views. With many different philosophical views about religion, there are many different arguments about the aspect of a religion. Some of the aspects argue whether or not God exists, how we can be certain if He does, and how we can be certain if He does not exist. When looking into these philosophical arguments some think there is a need to separate yourself from your religious beliefs in search of true knowledge, but others think you should stay true to your religious beliefs. H. J. McCloskey is an atheist, and has written an article about how atheists view...
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...The design argument is also known as the teleological argument. Telos means goal, aim or purpose. The argument looks at the idea of purpose and order within the universe to argue for the existence of God. The argument is an a posteriori, inductive, synthetic argument. A posteriori arguments have statements that rely on proof from the external evidence. In inductive arguments the argument is only brought in at the conclusion. Aquinas's 5th way in the cosmological argument as it argues for the existence of God, with regards to the evidence of purpose in nature. Aquinas stated that everything works together in a particular order despite the fact that inanimate objects have no mind or rational powers to achieve this. He explained his point by using the example of an arrow, saying that for an arrow to reach its destination it must be directed first of all by the archer. In the same way ‘natural bodies’ seem to act in a regular fashion to reach a specific purpose. As they, like the arrow, are not able to direct themselves, there must be a first cause. This first cause is what Aquinas considered to be God. Another philosopher that postulated a teleological argument is Paley. Paley put forward his argument for the existence of God during the period of enlightenment (where science was being used to prove evolution). Paley explained his theory using an analogy of the watch, but drawing comparisons between features of the watch and of the universe. He stated that if a man was walking...
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