PHL 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Anthropomorphism, Theism, Natural Selection
4 Dec 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Evan Reed
PHL 101
Introduction to Philosophy
Fall 2018
Professor Herman
● Evolutionary Theism
○ It is interesting to note that some theistic philosophers, for example Richard
Swinburne and Keith Ward, suggest that Evolution by natural selection
strengthens arguments for the existence of a designer, saying that the entire
evolutionary process is another instance of nature operating to achieve an
end and could be the means by which God intends creation to unfold.
○ ‘Surely the evolutionary process requires direction and to have been set up by
a pretty sophisticated designer?’ such theistic philosophers would suggest.
● Recognizably God?
○ Is the God of the Design Argument recognisably the God worshipped
by adherents of religion?
○ Is this God all-powerful, all-good and all-knowing?
○ If yes, why is their evil and suffering and imperfection in the world? What
about the apparent cruelty of nature? (Cf. Hume and Mill)
○ Does this God care? Or does this God withdraw (cf. Deism)?
○ Consideration of these issues brings us very quickly into the area of the
problem of evil.
The Design Argument The Design
Argument Challengers
● David Hume
○ Imperfections, evils
● John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
○ Morality
● Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
○ Natural selection
● The Design Argument Potential Strengths
○ 1) It seeks to be empirical, to observe ‘facts’ about the world
○ 2) It is a useful analytic tool in the work of philosophy of religion to
Document Summary
It is interesting to note that some theistic philosophers, for example richard. Surely the evolutionary process requires direction and to have been set up by a pretty sophisticated designer?" such theistic philosophers would suggest. What about the apparent cruelty of nature? (cf. Consideration of these issues brings us very quickly into the area of the problem of evil. 1) it seeks to be empirical, to observe facts" about the world. 2) it is a useful analytic tool in the work of philosophy of religion to analyze and critique religious beliefs. 3) it enables step-by-step argument building which affords the philosopher the opportunity of examining premises and conclusions and the assumptions behind them. 4) it can learn from and respond to developments in science. 6) difficulty of identifying how and to what extent god might be involved as a designer. 7) perhaps the cosmological argument is better at asking the fundamental philosophical question of being or existence itself.
