THEME 1C- CHALLENGES TO INDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS

• cosmological argument


  inductive, aposteriori argument based on the observation of everything in the universe having a cause, being in motion or being contingent
• who is david hume

  an enlightenment philosopher (1711-1776) enlightenment period was when scientific discoveries were taking place, taking over religious theories of the origins of the universe
• why did hume have challenges of the cosmological argument 


  he was uncomfortable with the reasoning behind the argument. specifically relating to causes
• how many challenges did hume have to the cosmological argument

  4
• what was humes first challenge to the cosmological argument 


  fallacy of composition (what is true to one isn’t true of all)
• what is humes second challenge to the cosmological argument 


  we have no experience of the universe so we can’t make true meaning or conclusion of it
• what is humes third challenge to the cosmological argument 


  not enough evidence to say whether the universe has cause, let alone what caused it
• what is humes forth challenge to the cosmological argument 


  we don’t know what kind of characteristics god would have even if he did exist
• what does hume criticise specifically

  the use of analogies to demonstrate the design of the universe. there is no analogy sufficient enough to its origins
• in humes ’dialogues concerning natural religion’ what does he suggest 


  that there is a fallacy (mistaken belief) in assuming the universe has been designed
• what does hume suggest about the universe

  that there are most likely other better universes out there, the design of our universe is poor. he uses a shipbuilder analogy to suggest this
• what is the big bang theory

  scientific theory. often uses as proof that it was a random action that caused the beginning of the universe, not god. caused by a singularity that cooled down and expanded
• what is darwins theory of evolution by natural selection 


  found in his magnum opum ‘origin of species’. natural selection works best as the survival of the fittest where weak characteristics of an organism are bred out to allow it to adapt and survive to fit in its environment (studied the finches on the Galapagos island)
• whether scientific explanations are more persuasive than philosophical for the universes existence 


  scientific arguments are always more persuasive. religious explanations should be accepted as valid because science can’t disprove them entirely. scientific evidence can only talk about the big bang, not before it so many god caused it?=philosophical more persuasive. overall science=how religion=why
• the effectiveness of the challenges to the teleological argument for gods existence

  the modern mind has more access to scientific explanations so more effective. science is often proved wrong so seen as not effective (einstein was religious himself). hume makes valid point on arguing use of analogies (strong argument). depends on personal belief