Author Topic: Feser on Paleyen Design Arguments  (Read 198 times)

ClassicalLiberal.Theist

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Feser on Paleyen Design Arguments
« on: February 22, 2020, 09:23:35 pm »
I am working through Fesers book Neo-Scholastic Essays and in chapter 7, he distinguishes the metaphysical assumptions made between the fifth way and the ID-style design arguments; the fifth way assumes that teleology is intrinsic, whereas the ID-style arguments assume that teleology is extrinsic. He then concludes (if I am understanding him correctly) that the consistent thomist would reject the ID-style arguments on the grounds that it assumes an incorrect view of teleology; however, I am inclined to think this is false. Take the following argument:

P1 The bacterial flagellum exists
P2 The probability the bacterial flagellum existing is more likely on theism rather than atheism
C Therefore, God exists

This doesn't seem to me to entail that biological organsims can't have intrinsic teleology, but I may be wrong. I think the mantra of "irreducible-complexity" may be the source of Feser's objection. I think if the claim ID-theorists make was that some natural phenomena can only be explained by theism (is literally irreducibly-complex), than perhaps Feser may have a point, but I am not even really sure if that stands in contradiction with the notion of finality.

I suppose the question I am trying to have answered is: Does finality falsify ID-style theistic arguments? Why or why not?

Atno

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Re: Feser on Paleyen Design Arguments
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2020, 11:44:03 am »
It is perfectly possible to have both immanent teleology and intelligent design arguments. Though I'm not particularly a fan of ID (I don't really know much about it, to be honest, just don't have much of an opinion on it), it would just be a matter of probabilities. Immanent teleology doesn't alter, for instance, the fine tuning argument. Neither does it have to alter biological complexity arguments; the matter is just whether the immanent teleology we have alters the probabilities significantly or not (seems like it doesn't).

For a thomistic defense of ID, check out Robert Koons's article, just google robert koons intelligent design, you should find it