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Q) What are they key features of the design argument for the existence of God?
Design arguments seek to move from facts about the world to the existence of God. ... The Design argument is actually a broad title under which a number of arguments fall. Swinburne in his book ‘The Existence of God’ suggests three different groupings of these arguments. ... Arguments from providence are those which seek to argue in favour of God’s existence from the provision for the needs of conscious beings. The third type of argument is known as The Argument from Beauty.
A clear distinction between these arguments can be drawn between those which argue from design and arguments to design. The former is close to the Teleological form of the argument whilst the latter is closer to the Arguments from Providence.
William Paley is thought to have produced the most famous form of the Teleological Argument. ... Looking at a watch one can see it has been designed for an intelligent purpose, it is suggested that design suggests a designer. Paley transferred this to the world claiming it showed the marks of design for an intelligent purpose, thus implying a designer, God. ... Newton sited an eyeball, claiming that it had been designed for a purpose, which again implies a designer, God. In arguing along these lines both Newton and Paley are giving interpretation perceived evidence of purposeful features. ... This designer is God.
Swinburne is a contemporary supporter of the argument. Using the analogy with a kidnapper and an explosive card-shuffling machine, Swinburne argues that because of the exacting conditions needed for the existence of the universe the Teleologist’s basic point that the existence of the universe is extraordinary is still valid in today’s world of science.
Whilst the Teleological Argument is derived from the general pattern of order in the universe, the argument from Providence, by contrast, argues from the provision of the needs of intelligent beings within the universe. ... Taylor put forward the classical form of the Argument from Providence, although it should be noted that Swinburne also has such an argument. ... Taylor’s argument can be seen as attempt to restore the Teleological Argument, taking Darwin into account.
Approximate Word count = 1791
Approximate Pages = 7.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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