Lecture on Teleological Arguments for the Existence of God

Key Scholars and Concepts

• St. Thomas Aquinas: Known for the teleological argument, or his fifth way, which uses the arrow and archer analogy to illustrate that natural things reach their purpose because they are directed by God, much like an archer directs an arrow to a target.
• William Paley: Developed the watchmaker analogy in his book "Natural Theology," arguing that just as a watch, due to its complexity and purpose, implies a designer, so too does the world.
• F.R. Tennant: Introduced the anthropic principle, suggesting the universe is so perfectly tuned for human life that it must have been designed.
• David Hume: Criticized teleological arguments by questioning if the universe’s design necessitated only one designer or god, and why not multiple gods. He also challenged the mechanistic analogy of Paley's watchmaker argument.
• Richard Dawkins: Argued against the design argument by emphasizing evolution and natural selection in his book "The Blind Watchmaker," suggesting design is an illusion.
• John Stuart Mill: Criticized the notion of a benevolent designer, citing the cruelty and imperfections in nature.

Structure of Teleological Arguments

• A Posteriori: Based on empirical observation and experience, leading to conclusions of probability rather than certainty.
• Complexity, Regularity, and Purpose: Observations from which the inference of design and thus a designer is drawn.

Key Arguments and Analogies

Aquinas's Argument

• Influence of Aristotle: Everything has a purpose (telos), and natural bodies must be directed by an intelligent being (God) to fulfill their purpose.
• Arrow and Archer Analogy: Just as an archer directs an arrow to its target, God directs natural things to their purpose.

Paley's Watchmaker Analogy

• A watch's complexity, regularity, and purpose imply a designer; analogously, the complexity of the universe implies a Creator.
• Key Observations: Complexity (e.g., human eye), regularity (e.g., seasons), and purpose (e.g., the eye's design for seeing) all suggest a designer.

Criticisms of Teleological Arguments

Hume's Criticisms

• Flawed Analogy: A watch is mechanistic, while the world is more organic.
• Many Gods Argument: A complex world could imply many gods, similar to many builders working together on a ship.
• Imperfections in Design: Suggests a designer that is not perfect.

Mill's Criticisms

• Cruelty in Nature: The cruelty of the natural world suggests a non-benevolent designer.

Dawkins's Criticism

• Evolution: Design is an illusion; natural selection is a blind process that accounts for the complexity of life.

Discussion Points

• Empirical Evidence: The reliance on empirical evidence aligns with modern scientific methodology and epistemic imperialism, which values observation as a source of knowledge.
• Persuasiveness: A posteriori arguments provide probability but lack the certainty of a priori arguments (e.g., ontological argument).
• Anthropic Principle: Supported by modern thinkers like Richard Swinburne, suggesting fine-tuning implies a designer.

Exam Preparation

• OCR Specification: Understand the differences between a posteriori and a priori arguments, the challenges of the teleological argument, and the criticisms from Hume and Dawkins.
• Essay Questions: Practice evaluating whether the universe's existence by design or chance is more plausible.

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of teleological arguments, key scholars' contributions, and the criticisms and defenses surrounding the existence of a designer.