Design Argument
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Submitted by Plopster on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: Social Issues
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Design Argument
The design argument for the existence of God is often known as the Teleological Argument; telos meaning end' or purpose' in Greek. It is a posteriori argument based on observation of the apparent evidence of order, purpose and regularity in the universe, which makes the world appear to be designed. Such design implies a designer and this serves as a basis for the belief in God, the grand designer of the world, the universe and all that is in them. This argument makes the basic assumption that design does exist in the universe and that all things have a specific purpose and can be divided into two categories: design qua regularity and design qua purpose.
Design qua regularity looks at design in relation to the order and regularity in the universe (e.g. cycles, seasons). Philosophers who support this argument consider that the order and regularity shown in the universe is evidence of a designer at work. Thomas Aquinas' Teleological argument argued from design qua regularity in the fifth of his Five Ways. Taken from the governance of the world, Aquinas argues that since those things which lack knowledge seem to innately act towards a beneficial end, and this is evident from the regularity seen in the universe how things always or nearly always act in the same way to obtain the best result. Hence, it can be concluded that they reach their end designedly. Whatever lacks knowledge must be moved towards an end through the guidance and direction of an intelligent being; e.g. as the arrow is directed by the archer. This intelligent being must be God.
Design qua purpose looks at the evidence of design in relation to the ways in which the parts of the universe appear to interconnect to fulfill a specific purpose (e.g. the human eye, ear). The universe may be likened to a man-made machine, such as a radio, in which the designer fits all the parts together to serve a particular function the parts of a radio are fitted...
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