rheswm & chred reason & belief - is faith wrong? · 08/01/2015 · b...

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Rheswm & Chred — Reason & Belief

Rheswm & Chred — Reason & BeliefIs faith wrong?

Dr. Clea F. Rees

[email protected]

Canolfan Addysg Gydol Oes Centre for Lifelong LearningPrifysgol Caerdydd Cardiff University

Y Gwanwyn/Spring 2015

mailto:[email protected]

[email protected]

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Outline

Outline

Terminology

Argumentation

Evaluation

Arguments for God’s Existence

Teleological Arguments

The Problem of Evil

Santa’s Flight

‘For the Love of Reason’

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Terminology

Terminology

Question 2:

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Argumentation

Argumentation

Questions 1 & 3:

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Evaluation

Evaluation

Question 4:

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I Ontological argumentsArguments based on reason alone e.g. the very idea of God

necessitates God’s existence.

I Cosmological arguments

I Teleological arguments i.e. Arguments from designArguments based on experience (as well as reason) which

deduce the existence of a creator or designer from specific

features of the observed world.

I Moral arguments

I Pragmatic arguments

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A Simple Argument from Design1. The universe has certain features F (e.g. the human eye,

wings for flight, the values of physical constants).

2. A watch has features G which are relevantly similar to F .

3. The best explanation for G is the (past or present) existence

of an intelligent designer of the watch.

——

4. The best explanation for F is the (past or present) existence

of an intelligent designer of the universe. (1, 2 & 3)

5. No designer could create something with F unless omnipotent,

omnibenevolent, omniscient, eternal and immutable.

6. A being is God iff the being is omnipotent, omnibenevolent,

omniscient, eternal and immutable.

——

7. God exists. (1, 4, 5 & 6)

AnalogyArgument by Analogy

X(maybe)

??

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A Simple Argument from Design1. The universe has certain features F (e.g. the human eye,

wings for flight, the values of physical constants).




——







——

7. God exists. (1, 4, 5 & 6)

Analogy

Argument by Analogy

X(maybe)

??

b



A Simple Argument from Design1. The universe has certain features F (e.g. each of various

physical constants lying within the range required for life).




——







——

7. God exists. (1, 4, 5 & 6)


X(maybe)

??

b



Objection: Alternative Explanations

I Hume objected to teleological arguments for two reasons:

1. The universe, he thought, might have grown organically.2. The features of the universe which are supposed to constitute

evidence of a designer establish at most the existence of animperfect one.

I Evolution offers a more sophisticated version of (1).

I These two objections work by offering alternativeexplanations for the features F of the universe.

i.e. They argue that there is a better explanation for F .

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‘Fine-Tuning’ Arguments

How compelling a teleological argument is depends on the

availability of alternative explanations for the features F to which

it appeals as evidence of design.

Scientific understanding, especially the theory of evolution, have

tended to undermine traditional arguments from design.

I If we can explain the existence of complex organisms as the

result of natural selection, we don’t need God to explain their

existence.

So the way in which living things seem adapted to their

environments no longer requires a designer.

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‘Fine-Tuning’ Arguments‘Fine-tuning’ arguments present a greater challenge1.

I It has long been appreciated that the possibility of lifedepends on certain conditions being met.

e.g. The existence of planets with water.

I More recently, scientists have established that conditions mustfall within an extremely narrow range.

I A number of physical constants must be very close to theiractual values.

I The probability of all of those constants being within therequired ranges just by chance is vanishingly small.

I Conditions for planets occurring by chance: 1 in 10124

(Penrose).I Chance of critical enzymes emerging: 1 in 1040000 (Hoyle)

I So the chance of a universe with the possibility of life is

‘utterly outrageously tiny’ (Ratzsch).1Details and statistics based on Ratzsch 2014.

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A Simple Argument from Design1. The universe has certain features F (e.g. each of various

physical constants lying within the range required for life).




——







——

7. God exists. (1, 4, 5 & 6)


X(maybe)

??

b


The Problem of Evil

The Problem of Evil

1. There is evil in the world.

2. An omnibenevolent being would desire to prevent evil.

3. An omniscient being would know of the existence of evil.

4. An omnipotent being would be able to prevent evil.

5. One who knows evil exists, desires to prevent evil and is able

to prevent evil, will prevent evil.

——

6. There is no omnibenevolent, omniscient and omnipotent

being. (From 1–5.)

Question 6:

I Are philosophers who believe in God just kidding themselves?

Image Credit: Wild Retina, Santa Sleigh in Night Sky

Question 5:

I Is Antony committed to the claim that we should tell our

children the truth about Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy?

I Should we?

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Image credit:Philosophers Against Irrationality! in London,

10th November, 2010. Photograph posted 12th November.

Question 7:

I Can a life lived ‘for the love of reason’ be meaningful?

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References

References

Antony, Louise M. (2007). ‘For the Love of Reason’. In Philosophers WithoutGods: Meditations on Atheism and the Secular Life. Ed., with an introd., by

Louise M. Antony. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.

Chap. 4, 41–58.

Philosophers Against Irrationality! (2010). 12th Nov. 2010. url:

http://phil.dept.shef.ac.uk/news/?m=201011 (visited on 15/01/2015).

Photograph taken 10th November, 2010, London.

Ratzsch, Del (2014). Teleological Arguments for God’s Existence. In StanfordEncyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. by Edward N. Zalta. Fall 2014. Stanford,

California: The Metaphysics Research Lab, Center for the Study of Language

and Information, Stanford University. url: http:

//plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2014/entries/teleological-arguments/.

Santa Sleigh in Night Sky. Wild Retina. url:

http://www.science-centrum.ph/the-science-of-santas-sleigh-2/.

http://phil.dept.shef.ac.uk/news/?m=201011

http://phil.dept.shef.ac.uk/news/?m=201011

http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2014/entries/teleological-arguments/




http://www.science-centrum.ph/the-science-of-santas-sleigh-2/

http://www.science-centrum.ph/the-science-of-santas-sleigh-2/

rheswm & chred reason & belief - is faith wrong? · 08/01/2015 · b...

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