Introduction
Some theists of the Abrahamic persuasion claim that the harmony of the universe is proof of an intelligent designer. This argument is known as the teleological argument and has evolved from classical philosophy to modern theology. In addition, subscribers of the Abrahamic religions also hold that God has attributes that include omniscience, omnipotence, and benevolence. Fundamentally, God is all knowing, all-powerful, and all good. In contrast, God created a perfect universe that is in harmony, but occasionally practices miracles. Can the teleological argument, miracles, and God’s attributes coexist in a rational universe? This essay’s goal is …show more content…
These three main arguments include the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments. The teleological argument has evolved from antiquity and has been termed the physico-theological argument, argument from design, intelligent argument design, and the fine-tuned universe argument. The basic concept of the argument states that the world shows evidence of a designer because of its perfection, harmony, and consistency. The World Library defines teleological as:
A "teleological" argument or explanation is one that explains the cause of things or events in terms of the aims, intentions, ends, or "designs". The word "design" in these discussions is used in the sense of a "pre-arranged purpose". Intelligence is implied in any being with plans and designs, and when "intelligent design" is proposed as a cause for anything, this means that something can not have happened purely by chance or "dumb luck" The concept of harmony within the universe begun in classical philosophy and evolved throughout time. …show more content…
Although he was not arguing for an Abrahamic God, future followers of the Abrahamic religions adopted his analogy and adapted it to suit their beliefs. One of these followers was William Paley. In The Evidence of Design, he compounded the thought of the Anaxagoras’ nous and Cicero’s analogy of a sundial to deliver an argument for an intelligent designer. He claims that if an individual was walking on a beach and encountered a rock, the person would think that the rock was natural and had laid there forever. In contrast, if one were to find a watch laying in the sand, they would not doubt that an intelligent designer created it. He claims that we can look at the universe just as we would view the watch, and comprehend that an intelligent designer drafted the universe. He asserts that this understanding would be self-evident and