Nixon
Philosophy
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Topics
Teleological Argument
Cosmological Argument
Ontological Argument
Ancient Philosophical Influences
Mind, Body, Soul
Religious Experience
Problem Of Evil
Religious Language (C20th)
Religious Language (Traditional)
The Nature & Attributes Of God
Miscalleaneous
,Teleological
,The Teleological Argument
St Aquinas — The Fifth Way
St Aquinas was a prominent scholastic theologian who sought to synthesise Aristotelianism
with Christianity, producing five ways to prove God’s existence - the Fifth Way was a
culmination of such a project.
WHAT
St Aquinas utilised the theory of ‘telos’ to explore extrinsic intentionality - the idea that things
within the world (mindless) regularly achieve good outcomes, yet possess no consciousness
or means of doing so by themselves, and must therefore be guided by a higher, supreme
intelligence.
WHY
1) Things in the world regularly achieve good outcomes.
This is established via empirical observation of the world, for instance, a giraffe’s neck is
perfectly coordinated to allow it to reach high canopy leaves for excellent nutrition.
2) If so, then they must be guided to their good outcomes by an extrinsic
intelligence - God.
This is established by the analogy of the arrow, where an arrow lacks the ability to aim or fire
itself - it requires an archer (the extrinsic intellect) to do so. Analogously, things in the world
are the arrows, and God is the cosmic archer guiding these things to their good outcomes.
, William Paley
Paley was an English clergyman who wrote in the wake of Newtonian science that found that
the world was explicable through laws of nature rather than the Aristotelian concept of ‘telos’.
Nevertheless, Paley sought to demonstrate how science still pointed to the existence of God.
WHAT
Although he concedes that things in the world follow the laws of nature, he finds that things
not only undeniably have purposes, but are finely tuned - intricately ordered and arranged -
which enables us to prove God’s existence.
WHY
1) Biological objects are finely tuned.
This is established by empirical observation of nature, such as the eye which retains
numerous components meticulously arranged such as the iris, retina, optic nerve etc to bring
about the good outcome of sight.
2) If so, then they must be designed by God.
This inference gains credibility through consideration of Paley’s analogy of the watch, where
one stumbles upon a heath and finds a watch, a watch with gears, cogs and springs so finely
tuned that it is too good to be by chance, rather, it must have been designed by an intelligent
watchmaker. Analogously, all finely tuned things in the world have an intelligent designer -
God.
Philosophy
—————————————————————————————————————————
Topics
Teleological Argument
Cosmological Argument
Ontological Argument
Ancient Philosophical Influences
Mind, Body, Soul
Religious Experience
Problem Of Evil
Religious Language (C20th)
Religious Language (Traditional)
The Nature & Attributes Of God
Miscalleaneous
,Teleological
,The Teleological Argument
St Aquinas — The Fifth Way
St Aquinas was a prominent scholastic theologian who sought to synthesise Aristotelianism
with Christianity, producing five ways to prove God’s existence - the Fifth Way was a
culmination of such a project.
WHAT
St Aquinas utilised the theory of ‘telos’ to explore extrinsic intentionality - the idea that things
within the world (mindless) regularly achieve good outcomes, yet possess no consciousness
or means of doing so by themselves, and must therefore be guided by a higher, supreme
intelligence.
WHY
1) Things in the world regularly achieve good outcomes.
This is established via empirical observation of the world, for instance, a giraffe’s neck is
perfectly coordinated to allow it to reach high canopy leaves for excellent nutrition.
2) If so, then they must be guided to their good outcomes by an extrinsic
intelligence - God.
This is established by the analogy of the arrow, where an arrow lacks the ability to aim or fire
itself - it requires an archer (the extrinsic intellect) to do so. Analogously, things in the world
are the arrows, and God is the cosmic archer guiding these things to their good outcomes.
, William Paley
Paley was an English clergyman who wrote in the wake of Newtonian science that found that
the world was explicable through laws of nature rather than the Aristotelian concept of ‘telos’.
Nevertheless, Paley sought to demonstrate how science still pointed to the existence of God.
WHAT
Although he concedes that things in the world follow the laws of nature, he finds that things
not only undeniably have purposes, but are finely tuned - intricately ordered and arranged -
which enables us to prove God’s existence.
WHY
1) Biological objects are finely tuned.
This is established by empirical observation of nature, such as the eye which retains
numerous components meticulously arranged such as the iris, retina, optic nerve etc to bring
about the good outcome of sight.
2) If so, then they must be designed by God.
This inference gains credibility through consideration of Paley’s analogy of the watch, where
one stumbles upon a heath and finds a watch, a watch with gears, cogs and springs so finely
tuned that it is too good to be by chance, rather, it must have been designed by an intelligent
watchmaker. Analogously, all finely tuned things in the world have an intelligent designer -
God.
