Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Aquinas' Teleological Argument
- Based on observation of
world, thus posteriori +
inductive (based on
assumptions not logical
certainty.
- Telos= end goal/purpose
- Looking for a
purpose or end to
suggest that there is
a divine creator
- Fifth way- Characterised as a "Design qua
regularity of succession" argument as he
outilnes that natural things regularly follow
the same order.
- Everything in the universe
appears to be working in
some sort of order
- Particularly, "natural bodies"
behave in a regular way.
- Daffodils flower in spring time
- Natural bodies may "lack intelligence"
in the sense that they are not conscious
beings but even so they move/act with
regularity
- Aquinas suggests that these
things cannot provide their own
movement due to a lack of
intelligence.
- He suggests this
movement does not occur
"fortuitously but
designedly"
- This means that their movement, regularity and
purposefulness has not come about by chance but
something else has caused these "natural bodies" to
behave in a regular manner.
- Analogy of arrow-
Arrow can only fulfil
it's purpose of hitting
the target if it is
guided by an archer
- Similarly the
movement/regularity of
things is directed by an
intelligible being.
- The analogy of the arrow is
used to demonstrate the link
God to creation.
- Unintelligent beings could not achieve
their purpose without being directed by an
intelligent being. (E.g an acorn could not
grow into an oak tree)
- Aquinas concludes; God is the
intelligent being that provides the
regularity of movement and
guarentees the fulfilment of purpose.
- Like Aquinas' 1st and 2nd Way, Aquinas' fifth way can be
connected to Aristotle.The idea of everything fulfilling a
purpose is similar to Arisotle's Final Cause as it is ultimately
the prime mover that makes things reach their purpose.
- There is a big difference. Aquinas' archer makes the arrow
reach it's target deliberately; i.e the theistic God has a purpose
for all things. Aristotle's Prime Mover is not interested in the
world+ can only think about himself. Aquinas is thus a theist
rather than simply a follower of Aristotle.
- Can also be seen as a "qua
purpose" argument as he says that
natural bodies achieve their
END/PURPOSE by being directed
by an intelligent being.