‘We see examples of design throughout the natural world and conclude that an intelligent designer is clearly demonstrated.’- Assess whether this argument succeeds. Because of the complex nature of the world and the ability of things to fill such a specific purpose, we can conclude that this cannot be merely coincidence. We can infer that an intelligent designer such as God has created the universes and everything in them because of this. I will seek to prove that this argument does not succeed and that there are in fact alternative explanations for what a theist would see as ‘intelligent design’. The design argument was formulated by Paley.
Simply put, the fine-tuning argument contends that the universe was designed to ultimately create human beings. Fine-tuning is an argument which is able to contest one of the atheist’s own theories to disprove God. This will be explained in more detail later in this paper. In response to this, McCloskey says the cosmological argument “does not entitle us to postulate an all-powerful, all-perfect, uncaused cause.” As mentioned before, the cosmological argument is but one part of a concurrence for the existence of God. It does not prove God’s existence; it argues that there must be a necessary being which created the universe.
The teleological argument offers a way we can explain God’s existence in terms of design and nature. It explains that the world is too complex and diverse for there not to be a designer, such as God, at work. This argument derives from Thomas Aquinas’ work from his Summa Theologiae. His fifth way suggests that inanimate objects cannot have ordered themselves since they lack intelligence. For example, planets could not have put themselves into orbit, yet they are in perfect order and placement so therefore there must be a designer, an intelligent being, that did so.
The teleological argument, also known as the argument for design, is commonly known as an argument for God’s existence or the existence or an intelligent designer/creator, based on empirical evidence. William Paley was a British theologian who wrote in defence of theism (God) and Christianity, suggesting he was a Christian. He strongly believed that the earth had a creator and uses his analogy of the watch and the watchmaker as proof of this. Paley examined a watch and observed how the mechanics work, all the instruments within the watch fitted together to make the watch functional. He said that the watch couldn’t just appear on its own and start ticking; he said it must have had some sort of creator, the watchmaker.
Explain what is meant by intelligent design Intelligent design comes from the creationist teachings who's belief is that science is unconstitutional however even though it is believed the universe is created through a higher intelligent design, it does not necessarily have to be God. Creationists also believe that the story of creation from the bible is literally true and actually occurred. According to them the creation of the universe was designed through a higher being, that being God. Intelligent design is split into three smaller subsets, the first being irreducible complexity of which all objects and organisms in the universe have. Meaning they are very complex and are not able to be explained through the 'simplistic' means of natural selection and evolution theories.
The most famous one was written by William Paley (1743-1805). He claimed that the complexity and efficiency of natural objects such as the eye, which is very complex and has a very important function, is evidence that God must have designed it. Paley says that just by looking at a watch we already know, subconsciously, that a watchmaker designed it. So when looking at the eye, why cannot we agree a maker designed it? This argument relies on the idea that a deigned object, a watch in our case, is very similar to the eye, which is a natural object.
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.
Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the design argument for the existence of God The design argument is also known as the teleological argument, which comes from the Greek ‘Telos’, meaning end or purpose. It is a posteriori, so is made after something had been experienced. In this case it’s the experience of the universe and its apparent design, and it argues that if the universe has a specific design then it therefore must have a designer. There are many philosophers, both proponents who are for the argument and critics who are against it, and so there are strengths and weaknesses of the argument. Empirical evidence is a strength of the teleological argument.
Existence is a part of perfection. While the ontological argument can be approached without the use of consciousness or awareness, cosmological and teleological arguments require a closer focus on the cause and the design of the universe. In earlier years Plato, then Aristotle stressed the cosmological argument as cause and motion, whereas Thomas Aquinas’ concept focused on life having a cause or a starting point. According to his premise the universe is a series of causes and the first cause would be what everyone understands to be God. This concept leads to other debates that mock the well-known adage “Which comes first, the chicken or the egg”.
2. For the Analogical Design Argument, since the order in machines is certainly due to a human designer, then, the same order observed in Nature is not due to chance but to a divine designer. The Design Argument, however, is not the same as Thomas Aquinas’ Argument from Governance. David Hume claims that the Argument is weak because of its imperfect analogy. 3.