The Design Arguement Introductory Essay

The Design argument, also known as the teleological argument attempts to prove the existence of God/the designer by using empirical evidence therefore this makes it an inductive proof as all premises lead to a probable conclusion. Furthermore the design argument is a posteriori in its nature as all premises are knowable after experience. The design or teleological argument is a derivative from the Greek word ‘teleos’ which translates as meaning/end. The two main divisions for the design argument are design qua regularity and design qua purpose, ‘qua’ meaning through or pertaining to. The two main empirical philosophers that argue design qua regularity are St Thomas Aquinas and William Paley, both philosophers use analogical arguments such as the intricately designed watch (Paley) and the archer/arrow used by Aquinas to create a picturesque view of his analogical argument. William Paley also argued through design qua purpose and used the example of an intricately designed watch in order to present his argument.
St Thomas Aquinas initially came up with the analogical argument of the ‘archer’ and the arrow in order to argue through design qua regularity; something which he regarded to be the absolute proof of intelligent design, through his five ways theory he induced his form of the teleological argument. He cited that through the way ‘natural bodies’ act regularly to achieve their end/purpose the universe also acts in this regular way thus suggesting a designer ‘God’ directs us to our purpose. Aquinas’s analogical argument was that of an ‘archer’ and ‘arrow. He argued that an archer directs an arrow to its target. In this circumstance the archer is ‘God’ and all things created are the ‘arrow’. This is an inference to God being the Designer of our universe.   Aquinas believed that anything that lacks knowledge cannot perform their purpose unless they are directed, so he proclaimed that ‘some intelligent being by whom all natural things are directed to their end; and...