A teleological argument (or a design argument) is an argument for the existence of God or a creator based on perceived evidence of design in nature. The word "teleological" is derived from the Greek word telos, meaning end or purpose. Teleology, the supposition that there is purpose or directive principle in the works and processes of nature, is concerned only with natural phenomena and is thus distinct from similar arguments such as the formerly common argument that extraterrestrials built the Egyptian pyr ...

Including:

• Teleological argument - The argument
• Teleological argument - Objections and counter-argument
• Teleological argument - First and Second premise
• Teleological argument - Third premise
• Teleological argument - History
• Teleological argument - The watch argument
• Teleological argument - The eye argument
• Teleological argument - The anthropic principle
• Teleological argument - Controversy
• Teleological argument - References and further reading

Read more here: » Teleological argument: Encyclopedia - Teleological argument

See also:

Teleological argument, Teleological argument - The argument, Teleological argument - Objections and counter-argument, Teleological argument - First and Second premise, Teleological argument - Third premise, Teleological argument - History, Teleological argument - The watch argument, Teleological argument - The eye argument, Teleological argument - The anthropic principle, Teleological argument - Controversy, Teleological argument - References and further reading

Read more here: » Teleological argument: Encyclopedia II - Teleological argument - The argument

Cicero made one of the earliest teleological arguments. He was writing from the cultural background of the Roman religion. In Roman mythology the creator goddess, Gaia was borrowed from Greek mythology. The Romans called her Tellus or Terra. When you see a sundial or a water-clock, you see that it tells the time by design and not by chance. How then can you imagine that the universe as a whole is devoid of purpose and intelligence, when it embraces everything, including these artifacts themselves and their artificers? (Gjertsen 19 ...

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Teleological argument, Teleological argument - The argument, Teleological argument - Objections and counter-argument, Teleological argument - First and Second premise, Teleological argument - Third premise, Teleological argument - History, Teleological argument - The watch argument, Teleological argument - The eye argument, Teleological argument - The anthropic principle, Teleological argument - Controversy, Teleological argument - References and further reading

Read more here: » Teleological argument: Encyclopedia II - Teleological argument - History

Teleology is the supposition that there is design, purpose, directive principle, or finality in the works and processes of nature, and the philosophical study of that purpose. Teleology stands in contrast to philosophical naturalism, and both ask questions separate from the questions of science. While science investigates natural laws and phenomena, Philosophical naturalism and teleology investigate the existence or non-existence of an organizing principle behind those natural laws and phenonema. Philosophical naturalism asserts that there are no su ...

Including:

• Teleology - Classical Greek teleology
• Teleology - Extrinsic and intrinsic finality
• Teleology - Teleology and modern philosophy

Read more here: » Teleology: Encyclopedia - Teleology

The cosmological argument is an argument for the existence of God. It is also known as the first cause argument for the existence of God, or the prime mover argument. There are three versions of this argument: the argument from causation in esse, the argument from causation in fieri, and the argument from contingency. Cosmological argument - Origins of the argument. Thomas Aquinas, the most famous philosopher of the Middle Ages, adapted an argument he found in his reading of Aris ...

Including:

• Cosmological argument - Origins of the argument
• Cosmological argument - The argument
• Cosmological argument - A more detailed version of the argument
• Cosmological argument - Critique and Objections
• Cosmological argument - Scientific positions

Read more here: » Cosmological argument: Encyclopedia - Cosmological argument

Many arguments for the existence of God have been made over the years. Arguments for the existence of God - Arguments for the necessity of God. These arguments can be classified under two headings. First are the strictly logical or metaphysical arguments; these arguments seek to prove that the existence of a being with at least one attribute that only God could have is logically necessary. Arguments for the existence of God - Metaphysical arguments. The chief such argumen ...

Including:

• Arguments for the existence of God - Arguments for the necessity of God
• Arguments for the existence of God - Metaphysical arguments
• Arguments for the existence of God - Empirical arguments
• Arguments for the existence of God - Arguments for the belief in God
• Arguments for the existence of God - The theological status of the arguments

Read more here: » Arguments for the existence of God: Encyclopedia - Arguments for the existence of God

Telic, i.e. a purposeful or defined action may refer to: Grammatically, indicating telicity A central argument of Teleology says that the world has clearly been constructed in a purposeful telic rather than a chaotic manner, and must therefore have been made by a rational being, i.e. God Operation Telic, the codename for the British military participation in the 2003 Iraq War. the TELIC Movement: Teaching Everyone Love In Community A movement to create a community based on love and unity with ...

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Historical and modern Deism is defined by the view that reason, rather than revelation or tradition, should be the basis of belief in God. Deists reject both organized and revealed religion and maintain that reason is the essential element in all knowledge. For a "rational basis for religion" they refer to the cosmological argument (first cause argument), the teleological argument (argument from design), and other aspects of what was called natural religion. Deism has become identified with the classical belief that God created ...

Including:

• Deism - Overview
• Deism - Deism and prayer
• Deism - 18th century popularity
• Deism - Appellations for divinity
• Deism - Decline in popularity
• Deism - Current status

Read more here: » Deism: Encyclopedia - Deism

The watchmaker analogy is often used as a teleological argument (argument from design) in support of the view that the universe (or features of it) are the product of a conscious designer or designers. Watchmaker analogy - History. Monotheists have suggested: if we find a watch in a field, it is too complex to have appeared there by natural process so they assume that there must be a watchmaker responsible for its creation. Similarly, the argument goes, life is extremely complex and requires a creato ...

Including:

• Watchmaker analogy - History
• Watchmaker analogy - The watchmaker analogy before Paley
• Watchmaker analogy - William Paley
• Watchmaker analogy - After Paley
• Watchmaker analogy - Solar System Analogy
• Watchmaker analogy - The case against the watchmaker analogy
• Watchmaker analogy - Bad Design

Read more here: » Watchmaker analogy: Encyclopedia - Watchmaker analogy

A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. A modern watchmaker is more likely to repair a wristwatch or a pocketwatch than to actually create a watch from scratch. A skilled watchmaker can typically manufacture many of the parts found in a watch. Historically, in England, watchmakers would have to undergo a seven year apprenticeship and then join a guild, such as the Clockmakers' Company ...

Including:

• Watchmaker - Watchmaker as metaphor

Read more here: » Watchmaker: Encyclopedia - Watchmaker

The argument from evolution is an argument against the existence of God, specifically against the existence of a creator God. It is based upon the premise: Science provides sound explanations for the origin and diversity of life, and the origin of the Universe. Theistic explanations for the origins of life can be criticised. Therefore, by Occam's Razor, it is more likely that the universe is a result of naturalistic processes rather than being created. Modern creationism can be seen as a reaction to this argument, since some creationists criticise accepted scientific ex ...

Including:

• Argument from evolution - Overview
• Argument from evolution - Criticisms
• Argument from evolution - Evolution has not been proven
• Argument from evolution - Evolution can co-exist with a creator

Read more here: » Argument from evolution: Encyclopedia - Argument from evolution

The Critique of Judgment (Kritik der Urteilskraft, 1790), also known as the third critique, is a philosophical work by Immanuel Kant. Critique of Judgment - Foundations. Immanuel Kant's Critique of Judgment (Kritik der Urteilskraft, 1790), also known as the third critique, simultaneously completes Kant's Critical project and lays the foundations for modern aesthetics. The standard English translation is the one made by James Creed Meredith, though recently Paul Guye ...

Including:

• Critique of Judgment - Foundations
• Critique of Judgment - Aesthetics
• Critique of Judgment - Teleology
• Critique of Judgment - Influences

Read more here: » Critique of Judgment: Encyclopedia - Critique of Judgment

Many arguments about the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, and other thinkers. This article lists some of the more common arguments, especially those covered in the area of philosophy of religion. In philosophical terminology, this article introduces schools of thought on the epistemology of the ontology of God. Existence of God - What is God? Definition of God's existence. See main articles: Definition, God, Deity, Ontology What does it mean to ass ...

Including:

• Existence of God - What is God? Definition of God's existence
• Existence of God - The problem of the supernatural
• Existence of God - How do we know?
• Existence of God - Positions on the Existence of God
• Existence of God - Theism
• Existence of God - Atheism
• Existence of God - Agnosticism
• Existence of God - Arguments for the existence of God
• Existence of God - Inductive arguments for
• Existence of God - Subjective arguments for
• Existence of God - Arguments against the existence of God
• Existence of God - Notes

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A Christian theological definition of Teleological argument according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Teleological argument

See also: Teleological argument, Christianity, Body Mind and Soul)

TAG argues that the Christian worldview alone provides the necessary preconditions that can account for the facts of human experience and knowledge because the triune God of the Bible, being completely logical, uniform, and good, exhibits his character in the created order and the creatures themselves (especially in man). This reasoning implies that all other worldviews (Atheism, Buddhism, Islam, etc), if carried out to their logical ...

See also:

Transcendental argument for the existence of God, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - Transcendental reasoning, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - The argument, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - TAG teleology, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - TAG ethics, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - TAG and Christianity, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - More information

Read more here: » Transcendental argument for the existence of God: Encyclopedia II - Transcendental argument for the existence of God - TAG teleology

Plato summarized the argument for teleology as follows in Phaedo, arguing that it is error to fail to distinguish between the ultimate Cause, and the mere means by which the ultimate Cause acts: "Imagine not being able to distinguish the real cause from that without which the cause would not be able to act as a cause. It is what the majority appear to do, like people groping in the dark; they call it a cause, thus giving it a name that does not belong to it. That is why one man surrounds the earth with a vortex to make the heave ...

See also:

Teleology, Teleology - Classical Greek teleology, Teleology - Extrinsic and intrinsic finality, Teleology - Teleology and modern philosophy

Read more here: » Teleology: Encyclopedia II - Teleology - Classical Greek teleology

The Transcendental Argument for the existence of God differs from the arguments offered by Aquinas who posits a God to avoid an infinite regress of causes or motions. TAG posits the existence of God to halt an endless inquiry into deeper and deeper precursors of natural or moral laws. One formulation of the TAG follows: We observe regularities of succession in the cosmos, such as the principles of biology, and we discern that biology is rooted deeper in the principles of chemistry. Probing further, we learn that chemistry is rooted in ...

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Transcendental argument for the existence of God, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - Transcendental reasoning, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - The argument, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - TAG teleology, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - TAG ethics, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - TAG and Christianity, Transcendental argument for the existence of God - More information

Read more here: » Transcendental argument for the existence of God: Encyclopedia II - Transcendental argument for the existence of God - The argument

The cosmological argument depends on several assumptions. Most objections center on two of them: Everything has a cause. A causal chain cannot be of infinite length. (and therefore also "5. There must be a first cause.") The cosmological argument attempts to prove that a First Cause exists, but does not even attempt to ascribe this First Cause with attributes necessary to call it "God," not even with extremely basic prerequisites such as self-awareness and will. It simply names the First Cause as "God" wit ...

See also:

Cosmological argument, Cosmological argument - Origins of the argument, Cosmological argument - The argument, Cosmological argument - A more detailed version of the argument, Cosmological argument - Critique and Objections, Cosmological argument - Scientific positions

Read more here: » Cosmological argument: Encyclopedia II - Cosmological argument - Critique and Objections

The cosmological argument depends on several assumptions. Most objections center on two of them: Everything has a cause. A causal chain cannot be of infinite length. (and therefore also "5. There must be a first cause.") The cosmological argument attempts to prove that a First Cause exists. One objection is that this does not even attempt to ascribe this First Cause with attributes necessary to call it "God," not even with extremely basic prerequisites such as self-awareness and will (though there are some ...

See also:

Cosmological argument, Cosmological argument - Origins of the argument, Cosmological argument - The argument, Cosmological argument - A more detailed version of the argument, Cosmological argument - Critique and Objections, Cosmological argument - Scientific positions

Read more here: » Cosmological argument: Encyclopedia II - Cosmological argument - Critique and Objections

The proof uses modal logic, which distinguishes between necessary truths and contingent truths. A truth is necessary if it cannot be avoided, such as 2 + 2 = 4; by contrast, a contingent truth just happens to be the case, for instance "more than half of the earth is covered by water". In the most common interpretation of modal logic, one considers "all possible worlds". If a statement is true in all possible worlds, then it is a necessary truth. If a statement happens to be true in our world, but is not true in all other worlds, then it is a contingent truth. A statement that is true in some world (n ...

See also:

Gödel's ontological proof, Gödel's ontological proof - Modal logic, Gödel's ontological proof - Axioms, Gödel's ontological proof - Derivation, Gödel's ontological proof - Critique of definitions and axioms

Read more here: » Gödel's ontological proof: Encyclopedia II - Gödel's ontological proof - Modal logic