Question Database: God and Religion
Design arguments
Which one of the following statements best represents the conclusion of Paley’s argument?
A. Any complex object requires a designer to explain how it came to exist.
B. If you came across a watch lying on the heath, you inevitably infer that it had a designer.
C. Whenever we discover purpose or function in an object, we inevitably infer that the object must have had a designer.
D. The natural world is the product of intelligent design.
Answer: D
Topic:
Paley, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy
Notes:
Here is a partially completed outline of Paley’s argument:
1. There are cases in which the presence of function and suitability of constitution to function makes it inevitable that we infer to intelligent design.
Therefore:
2. In all cases, the presence of function and suitability of constitution to function guarantees a role for intelligent design. (From 1)
3. .............
Therefore:
4. The natural world is the product of intelligent design. (From 2, 3)
Which one of the following statements best represents the premise at line 3?
A. The designer of the natural world is the source of function and suitability of constitution to function in the natural.
B. There is function and suitability of constitution to function in the natural world.
C. The natural world is guaranteed to have a designer.
D. If function and suitability of constitution to function guarantee a role for ID, then the natural world must be the product of intelligent design.
Answer: B
Topic:
Paley, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy
Notes:
1. There are cases in which the presence of function and suitability of constitution to function makes it inevitable that we infer to intelligent design.
Therefore:
2. In all cases, the presence of function and suitability of constitution to function guarantees a role for intelligent design. (From 1)
3.There is function and suitability of constitution to function in the natural world.
Therefore:
4. The natural world is the product of intelligent design. (From 2, 3)
What is the role of the example of the watch in Paley’s argument?
A. It provides support for Premise 1.
B. It shows that the inference from 1 to 2 is valid.
C. It provides support for Premise 3.
D. It is required as an extra premise in the inference from 2 and 3 to the final conclusion.
Answer: A
Topic:
Paley, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy
Notes:
Which of the following statements, if true, would be a reason to doubt the truth of Premise 1?
A. There are cases in which there is function and suitability of constitution to function, but where it is not inevitable that we correctly infer to intelligent design.
B. There are some cases in which we correctly infer the presence of intelligent design, but not because of the presence of function and suitability of constitution to function.
C. When we correctly infer the presence of intelligent design, we never do so merely because of the presence of function and suitability of constitution to function.
D. There are cases in which we cannot tell whether function and suitability of constitution to function are present.
Answer: C
Topic:
Paley, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy
Notes:
Here is a modern form of the design argument:
1. The world appears as if it were designed for us. (Premise)
2. This fact is well-explained if we and the world are the product of intelligent design. (Premise)
3. There is no better explanation of this fact. (Premise)
4. (Therefore) Probably, we and the world are the product of intelligent design. (From 1, 2, and 3)
5. (Therefore) Probably, God exists. (From 4)
Opinion poll: Apart from the theory of evolution as a better explanation, can you think of any other problems with this argument ?
A. No, there are no other problems with the argument.
B. Yes, there are other problems with the argument.
Answer:
Topic:
Paley, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy
Notes:
Many people (eg Richard Dawkins) think that before Darwin this was a pretty good argument, because before the theory of evolution, there was no better explanation of apparent design in nature. Can use this question to introduce Hume's objections to the design argument: which suggest that even without an alternative explanation, the design argument is still quite weak.
Hume's objections in the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Part V: "Now, Cleanthes, said Philo, with an air of alacrity and triumph, mark the consequences. First, by this method of reasoning you renounce all claim to infinity in any of the attributes of the Deity..."
Which of the following is not an objection to the Design argument raised by Hume (in Part V)?
A. The evidence of the natural world does not support the conclusion that there is a God, since the natural world also contains many simple things that do not appear to have been designed at all.
B. The evidence of the natural world does not support the conclusion that there is only one God.
C. The evidence of the natural world does not support the conclusion that God is perfect, since the natural world contains many imperfections.
D. The evidence of the natural world does not support the conclusion that God is infinite in any way.
Answer: A
Topic:
Hume, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy.
Notes:
"If we survey a ship, what an exalted idea must we form of the ingenuity of the carpenter who framed so complicated, useful and beautiful a machine? And what surprise must we feel when we find a stupid mechanic who imitated others, and copied an art which, through a long succession of ages, after multiplied trials, mistakes, corrections, deliberations, and controversies had been gradually improving? Many worlds might have been botched and bungled, throughout an eternity, ere this system was struck out ..."
What is the function of the analogy about the ship builder?
A. It provides an example of an imperfect human artefact, created by imperfect human designers. In this way, it is supposed to show that there could be imperfect natural artefacts, created by an imperfect God.
B. It provides an example of a human artefact that was built not just by one person, but by many people. In this way, it is supposed to show that the evidence of design in the natural world does not support the conclusion that there is just one God.
C. It provides an example of something that was designed by trial and error by a series of imperfect designers. In this way, it is supposed to show that even if the natural world was perfect, the inference to a perfect designer of the world would still be faulty.
D. It provides an example of an artefact that can be used for evil purposes as well as good. In this way, it is supposed to show that the evidence of design in the natural world does not support the conclusion that there is a perfectly good God.
Answer: C
Topic:
Hume, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy.
Notes:
Consider the following modern form of the argument from design:
1. There are many examples of function and complexity in the natural world (Premise)
2. This fact is well-explained if we and the world are the product of intelligent design. (Premise)
3. The best explanation of this fact is that the world is the product of intelligent design. (Premise)
4. (Therefore) Probably, the world is the product of intelligent design. (From 1, 2, and 3)
5. (Therefore) Probably, God exists. (From 4)
How are the objections from Hume we have been considering relevant to this argument?
A. They cast doubt on the truth of premise 2.
B. They cast doubt on the truth of premise 3.
C. They suggest that the inference from 4 to 5 is invalid.
D. They suggest that the inference from 1, 2 and 3 to 4 is invalid.
Answer: C
Topic:
Hume, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy.
Notes:
Hume’s discussion of the idea that the universe is the product of a complex plan in the mind of God is relevant to which aspect of the Design argument?
A. It casts doubt on Premise 1.
B. It casts doubt on Premise 2.
C. It casts doubt on Premise 3.
D. It suggest that the inference from 1, 2 and 3 to 4 is invalid.
Answer: B
Topic:
Hume, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy.
Notes:
"In a word, Cleanthes, a man who follows your hypothesis is able perhaps, to assert or conjecture that the universe arose from something like design; but beyond that position he cannot ascertain one single circumstance ...This world, for aught he knows is very faulty and imperfect ... and was only the first rude essay of some infant deity, who afterwards abandoned it, ashamed of his lame performance... "
How are these alternative hypotheses about the designer of the world relevant to the argument?
A. They cast doubt on the truth of premise 2.
B. They cast doubt on the truth of premise 3.
C. They suggest that the inference from 4 to 5 is invalid.
D. They suggest that the inference from 1, 2 and 3 to 4 is invalid.
Answer: C
Topic:
Hume, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy.
Notes:
For the alternative hypotheses canvassed by Hume (infinite regress, many worlds, brute fact) to provide a valid objection to the argument from design, which one of the following must be the case?
A. One or more of the alternative hypotheses is a better explanation than the ID hypothesis.
B. The ID hypothesis is not a better explanation than one or more of the alternatives.
C. All the alternative hypotheses provide a better explanation than the ID hypothesis.
D. The ID hypothesis is a better explanation than at least one of the alternatives.
Answer: B
Topic:
Hume, design argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy.
Notes:
Fine-tuning arguments
1. Tiny variations in fundamental values of physical constants would lead to total absence of nuclei, atoms, stars, and galaxies. (Premise)
2. (Therefore) Tiny variations would lead to the absence of life of (almost?) any kind, not merely to the absence of life as we know it. (From 1)
3. This fact is well explained if the universe was designed so as to support life. (Premise)
4. There is no better explanation of this fact. (Premise)
5. (Therefore) Probably, the universe has a designer. (From 2, 3 and 4)
6. (Therefore) Probably, God exists.
Consider the following hypothesis:
There is a very large number of universes. In all these universes the initial conditions are a matter of pure chance. By chance alone, a very small number of these universes ‘got lucky’ and developed in such a way as to support life.
Which aspect of the above argument would this hypothesis be relevant to?
A. Premise 1.
B. Premise 3.
C. Premise 4.
D. The inference from 2, 3 and 4 to 5.
Answer: C
Topic:
fine tuning argument
Course Level:
First year, intro. to philosophy.