Does the Teleological Argument Prove the Existence of God Essay

Submitted By Meye2385E
Words: 2377
Pages: 10
Open Document
Jimmy Meyer
Philosophy 1002w
2015-03-05
Does the Teleological Argument Prove the Existence of God?
No, quite frankly it doesn’t. Now don’t close your mind quite yet. Read me through. Let’s start with the definition of teleological so as to know exactly what I am attacking. The meaning of the teleological argument comes from telos, which means ‘purpose’, ‘end’, or ‘goal.’ The notion behind it presupposes a ‘purposer’ to have purpose, fulfill an end or attain a goal. Where we see things envisioned for a purpose, we can reasonably access that those things were made for a reason or purpose. We intuitively make these associations all the time of the material world. For example, when we are walking down the street and find a pocket watch, we do not assume that time and random chance formed the watch. Because it has the hallmark of design; it must have a purpose, after all, it expresses information and it is definitely complex. The problem arises when the teleological argument applies the principle to the entire visible Universe, consequently, arriving at a Creator. In other words, a design implies a designer and in the case of our Universe it must have been designed by God. [Not sure which or what kind of God though.]
In this paper I will attempt to present evidence and argue against the teleological argument for the Universe. The argument will rests on five main points. (1) Thought experiment (2) Paley’s Argument from Design-a critique (3) Argument from Analogy (4) Argument for a Perfect Designer by the Abrahamic Tradition and finally (5) Arguing from Evolution-Simplicity to Complexity.
1. A Simple Thought Experiment
Suppose I am a second generation human inhabitant of earth. I find what someone else, perhaps you, call a watch. I didn’t call it a watch; I don’t even know what it is for or what its function is. It serves no purpose for me. It simply is and that is all I know. Also, I have never seen anything resembling it before and must less made before. Consequently, I have no frame of reference to make any comparison for its utility. I don’t even know where it came from; it was just lying next to this rock which I don’t know where it came from either. I certainly don’t know how to use it; however, I do know how to use a stone or rock. After a while, I meet a friend who ask me what I have in my hand. I replied; “I have no idea.” I show him and I asked; “Do you know what this is?” He replied; “No, I have no idea.” After talking about it with my friend we both conclude that we don’t know what it is, we don’t know how to use it and finally, we conclude we have no idea where it came from. It is curious though but serves us no purpose or function that we know of. So what’s the point; I don’t want to carry around a pointless thing so I threw it away. I can see the functionality of the stone but the ‘watch’, I saw no utility. Why should I conclude it is something designed and worthwhile when, in fact, I have been unable to form any idea at all about it? It just doesn’t seem to merit saying it was designed because of all the intricacies it possesses. I have seen beautiful intricacies in rock formations, but to me they just are the way they are. I have never imagined and even much seen a rock formation maker. Anyway, with the wind approaching, the sand starts flying in our face. My friend sees a sand dune and says let get in it and out of this storm. We were lucky to find this sand dune because the storm got worse and it served as a real secure protection. I asked my friend who he thought had made and left this sand dune for us to use. He said no one; the swirling wind formed it. At that point I simply could not resist myself and I said; “thank god.”
In any case, we don't of necessity need to assume that a watchmaker made the watch. The fact that the watch is so complex is no evidence that it was made by someone any more than I thought the sand dune that protected us from the wind had a make or designer. It just demonstrates that we
Show More

Related Documents: Does the Teleological Argument Prove the Existence of God Essay

The Ontological And Teleological Arguments For The Existence Of God

The Existence of God The Ontological and Teleological arguments have multiple similarities and differences in the sense that they both are proving the existence of God, and how God is all powerful; but the major differences are the idea of the proving the existence solely through thought and the proven existence through the physical world and intricate order of nature. The Teleological argument goes more in-depth with its argument of the existence of God by providing more physical proof for people…

Words 1008 - Pages 5

Cosmological Argument Research Paper

main arguments that each seek to prove the existence of God; the Ontological, Cosmological, and Teleological Arguments. The three are different in their approaches, but all arrive at the same conclusion. Ontological Argument argues God’s existence from the assumption of the existence a “Greatest thing that can ever be conceived.” From there, it argues that in order for something to be “The greatest thing ever” it must exist physically (that is outside of the mind). The Cosmological Argument argues…

Words 1729 - Pages 7

Essay Explain Paley S Version Of The Teleological Argument

Explain Paley’s argument for the existence of God. 25 marks. The teleological argument is one of the five arguments for the existence of God. It attempts to prove God’s existence by using our experience of the world or universe around us. Thus making it a posteriori in nature. Teleological arguments can essentially be broken down into two main types: pre-Darwinian and post-Darwinian. However, Pre-Darwinian are considered to be more traditional arguments. These arguments can be further broken down…

Words 1188 - Pages 5

Saint Thomas Aquinas Argument For The Existence Of God

In his work Summa Theologica, Saint Thomas Aquinas ponders the existence of God and debates a series of questions, culminating in an overview of his five ways to prove there is a God. In the fifth way, now better known as Thomas' "Argument from Design", the philosopher uses a teleological approach to assert nature is governed, or directed, by an intelligent being known to man as God. Aquinas states that everything has an order, which can be explained only by a purpose, or design. Since design…

Words 1175 - Pages 5

athiest paper

the existence of God for centuries. In the article "On being an Atheist" by H. J. McCloskey he states that the cosmological, teleological, and the argument from design are false. He also said that there is no definitive proof that God exists so we should forget the idea of God. The main issue that McCloskey has with God is because of the presence of evil in the world. ARGUMENTS AS “PROOFS” ON THE CASE OF GOD Throughout this article McCloskey uses the word “proof” when referring to arguments which…

Words 1634 - Pages 7

Mccloskey Argumentative Analysis

question of the existence of God plagues humanity. For centuries, philosophers debated the question of this existence. One philosopher, H. J. McCloskey, wrote an article in February 1968 entitled "On Being an Atheist." In his article McCloskey argues against the three common arguments for the existence of God. The arguments, or proofs as McCloskey refers to them, are the cosmological argument, the teleological argument, and the argument from design. While most scholars see the last two arguments as being…

Words 1615 - Pages 7

Paley's Teleological Argument

successfully proves the existence of God, or some kind of intelligent designer of the natural world that we call God, is very probable with the teleological argument. The debate over the existence of God involves many arguments and counter arguments. These arguments include the cosmological, ontological, and teleological argument for the existence of God. The main argument against the existence of God is the theistic problem of evil. I will consider, but ultimately reject David Hume's argument of the theistic…

Words 1279 - Pages 6

Thomas Aquinas Arguments Against Contingency Analysis

I intend to justify and prove Thomas Aquinas’ Argument From Contingency, and through that the existence of God. This argument can be backed up by a later argument by Aquinas, The Teleological Argument as well as the watchmaker theory. They prove this through saying that if there is an intelligent designer. This intelligent designer must also be a necessary being therefore arguing for the Argument from Contingency. There are also arguments placed against the Argument from Contingency such as the Theory…

Words 1141 - Pages 5

Evolution and Complex Biological Organisms Essay

Reasoning – Lecture 14 I – Introduction: Theistic Arguments We’ve seen that one religious claim that some have attempted to provide rational/scientific support for concerns the existence of God. Instead of relying on tradition, faith or internal revelation, many theologians, philosophers, scientists, etc., have attempted to rationally and empirically prove that God exists. Last week we examined one theistic argument: Aquinas’ cosmological argument. This week we will examine another famous and highly…

Words 1065 - Pages 5

Existence of God Essay

Existence of God In the Atheist Nightmare the argument is being presented through a design or teleological perspective. A design argument is based on the perceived evidence of design in the natural and physical world. The banana argument explains Gods existence based on the design of the banana and how its design is beneficial to humans. The shape of the banana, the protective non-slip cover, the bananas curvature, the pull tab at the top to open the banana, and its color code for ripeness all…

Words 865 - Pages 4