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Flashcards for The Design Argument (Teleological Argument)

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Is Paley's teleological argument a priori or a posteriori?

A posteriori

What is Hume's argument for other causal explanations?

Various causes can bring about the same effect. For example, order in the natural world may suggest design, but could also be a result of natural growth and adaptation (Charles Darwin - theory of evolution by natural selection). Also, other causal explanations such as a meteor, human error, random chance, a committee of gods (multiple architects), a giant insect, etc. could have caused the universe to exist. So Paley is wrong to believe that there must be a designer and that this must be God. — Hume also suggested the Epicurean Hypothesis as a possible explanation for the creation of the universe - at the time of creation the universe consisted of particles in random chaotic motion, but eventually evolved to an ordered system. The universe is eternal and inevitable, but the stability and order of the universe today show evidence of design. So apparent design can happen randomly and doesn’t need a designer. (E.g: Big Bang and evolution). So the order in the universe does not require a designer.

Argument for the principle of proportionality (backing Hume's claim)

- Humans do not have experience in designing the universe, so using analogies doesn’t work as we have no experience in designing something so complex ourselves. Therefore, using analogies is unsound as we do not have the knowledge we require to understand the complexities of designing a universe. - The Inconsistent Triad. The fact that there is evil and suffering in the world suggests that God cannot be omnipotent and omnibenevolent as a powerful, loving God would not allow pain and suffering to occur. This suggests that Paley cannot be correct, as if the universe does have a designer, the problem of evil and suffering suggests a limited designer, not a perfect God. The world is imperfect, so its designer cannot be perfect.

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Book Title:AQA A-level Religious Studies Year 1

Author(s):John Frye

Edition:Unknown
ISBN:9781471873959
Edition:1

Institution
AQA
Study
Religious Studies
Course
Arguments for the existence of God

EllaGTrudgeon

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Summary of the Teleological Argument of Design

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A summary of 'The Teleological Argument' from the AQA AS and A-Level Religious Studies specification (7062/7061). Contains a five-page overview of Paley's teleological argument, arguments for and against this view (including philosophers Swinburne, Hume, and Dawkins), key quotes, and key things to r...

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