The Teleological Argument

Group 1 Identify the basic components of Teleological Argument and recall the premises and conclusion of Aquinas’ 5th Way.

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Group 2 and 3

Analyse Aquinas’ 5th Way exploring how it works and seeks to convince people of the existence of God.

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Group 4 Defend or challenge Aquinas’ Teleological Argument identifying the strengths and weaknesses using a range of philosophers and theories.

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Philosopher’s Dominoes

Work in pairs within your group.

Start with five dominoes each with one on the table. Take one from the pile at the start of your turn.

To lay a domino you need to explain to your opponents how the two ends are connected. E.g. Kant said that All statements about existence are synthetic when critiquing the Ontological argument.

If you can’t connect, you pass.

Teleological Arguments – 10 minutes

In your group you have two images. Create an argument that proves that the item was designed. Use the first column on page 2 of your handout.Use single words and images ONLY. Use the guidance notes on premises to help you.

Teleological Arguments – 10 minutes

Group 1 & 2 swap your tables. Group 3 & 4 sway your tables.In the second column interpret each premise and conclusion.ALL: Explain what you understood the argument to be about. Was it easy or difficult to interpret it?SOME: Reflect upon your own argument and identify how clear it was.Make a link between this task and the theme of Teleological arguments.They may be able to make links with Aristotle’s argument from Final Cause.

Summarising Argument – 2 minutes

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Explain the argument you were given showing how it proves a designer.

Aquinas’ Fifth Way – 15 minutes

In pairs read Aquinas’ 5th Way(handouts in the box).Use the Argument Analysis skills to analyse the argument.Group 1: Level 1 AnalysisYou may use the Temple Template in the handout.Group 2 and 3: Level 2 AnalysisYou may use the Analysis Frame in the handoutGroup 4: Level 3 AnalysisYou may use the Analysis Frame in the handout.Extension: Read ‘Teleology through Nature’ and apply the Argument Analysis Skills to it.

Level 1: Knowledge and ComprehensionPremises: 1: The world appears designed. 2: Things that are designed have a goal/purpose. 3: Inanimate objects do not give themselves purpose. Conclusion: If the natural world is driven to some goal, it must be directed by a greater mind, God.Quote: Now whatever lacks knowledge cannot move towards an end, unless it is directed by some being endowed with knowledge and intelligence

Level 2: Application and AnalysisAssumptions: Things in the natural world are designed and move towards a predetermined goal. Animal instinct is directed to survival, stellar movement is precise to the point of being mechanical etc.Agenda: Aquinas wants to ascribe to God the notion of intelligence and argue the existence of purpose in creation.Attempt to Convince: If we can accept that things are designed and have a purpose, then we must conclude that there must be an intelligence that gave things those purposes. This intelligence must be outside of nature and the cosmos itself and so must be God.

Level 3: Synthesis and EvaluationSuccess criteria: It is possible to deny that things appear designed by offering alternative explanations for the ‘apparent’ design and purpose that exists.Justify: Irreducible complexity argues that there are some things in the universe that simply cannot be explained to have appeared as they do by random mutation, e.g. the Venus flytrap etc. These things suggest that there must be a mind to govern and direct it.Challenge: Evidence for Evolution and various theories of astronomy point towards luck and randomness as being the only forces that brought us here; there is no absolute unquestionable evidence of design in the universe.Comparisons: Aristotle’s argument from the Four Causes compares as Aristotle claimed that all things have a Final Cause. The Final Cause is assigned to the thing by the Efficient Cause. If was partly for this reason that Aristotle concluded that there was a Prime Mover.

Aquinas’ Fifth Way – Analysed

Fill in the Blanks – 2 minutes

A Teleological Argument is an argument that attempts to prove that God exists because things BLANK to be BLANK. Where there is design, there must be a BLANK.

Aquinas gave the example of the BLANK that is fired from the bow. The arrow has no BLANK of its own. It is directed because of the mind of the BLANK.

Aquinas, like BLANK, believed that all things had a BLANK. The only mind great enough to give the world its purpose is a being that we call BLANK.

Fill in the Blanks

A Teleological Argument is an argument that attempts to prove that God exists because things APPEAR to be DESIGNED. Where there is design, there must be a DESIGNER.

Aquinas gave the example of the ARROW that is fired from the bow. The arrow has no WILL/MIND of its own. It is directed because of the mind of the ARCHER.

Aquinas, like ARISTOTLE, believed that all things had a PURPOSE/FINAL CAUSE. The only mind great enough to give the world its purpose is a being that we call GOD.

Criticisms of Aquinas – 15 minutes

Around the room are images of philosophers with their criticisms about Aquinas.

Circulate around the room in pairs engaging with each criticism and completing the ‘Criticism Analysis Sheet’ on the handout.Summarise the criticism in the speech bubble.Identify which part of the 5th way the criticism challenges.Justify or sustain the criticism against the 5th way.

Question Box – 5 minutes

Write a question about Teleological Arguments, Criticisms and Aquinas etc. on the paper provided and put your questions in the Question Box.

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Choose a question and attempt to answer it. You may confer with your group for an answer.