THE DESIGN ARGUMEN T DESIGN ARGUMENT IGN ARGUMENT DESIGN ARGUMENT DESIGN ARGUMEN DESIGN ARGUMENT IGN ARGUMENT DESIGN ARGU DESIGN ARG DESIGN AR DESIGN

KINDS OF DESIGN ORDER *THE UNIVERSE IS ARRANGED* Quantitative sequences (orderly arrangements) Regularities of spatial compresence Regularities of temporal succession

KINDS OF DESIGN PURPOSE ARRANGEMENT REFLECTS A PLAN OF THE DESIGNER Biological vs. Nonbiological e.g. body functions, eyes, etc. = biological e.g. freezing point of water, answer to prayer = nonbiological

KINDS OF DESIGN SIMPLICITY THE UNIVERSE IS A RESULT OF A SINGLE, RATIONAL, EFFICIENT MIND The Grand Unified Theory = one simple theory which unifies forces e.g. an apple falling and the galaxy rotating all because of the Law of Gravity

KINDS OF DESIGN COMPLEXITY THE UNIVERSE IS COMPLEX Simple unity with complex diversity shows great design EXAMPLES: Snowflakes Organic compounds and DNA

KINDS OF DESIGN BEAUTY BEAUTY POINTS TO A GRAND ARTIST BEAUTY IN MATH POINTS TO A GRAND MIND The world demonstrates objective beauty (e.g. sunsets) Beauty is not necessarily connected with survival This leads to a Creative Designer

KINDS OF DESIGN SENSE & COGNITION WE CAN PERCEIVE AND THINK ABOUT THE WORLD Our senses did not evolve out of survival value 1. We dont need to know truth from falsity to survive 2. Senses we use to accurately think about our world go beyond what we need to survive

KINDS OF DESIGN INFORMATION INFORMATION EXISTS OUT OF AND PRIOR TO THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE PARTS- MEANING EXISTS IN THE AUTHOR High order, little information = snowflakes High order, high information = living organisms, DNA

KINDS OF DESIGN COSMIC CONSTANTS *ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE* The universe unfolded with life in mind CONSTANTS: 1. 1:1million million chance the big bang expansion rate would be accurate % accuracy in material of observable universe being evenly distributed 3. No life could be possible had all the forces in the world been slightly smaller or larger 4. 1: ten billion chance of balance of matter to anti-matter 5. Only on earth is life possible and probable 6. Formation of life from non-life is 1x chance

KINDS OF DESIGN COSMIC CONSTANTS PROPER USE OF DATA: Christians supposedly argue that… -It is amazing that life is here and not somewhere else -It is amazing that factors necessary for life came before us instead of something else They are really saying… -It is amazing that life came about at all

KINDS OF DESIGN COSMIC CONSTANTS It is hard to resist the impression that the present structure of the universe, apparently so sensitive to minor alteration in the numbers, has been rather carefully thought out... the seemingly miraculous concurrence of [these] numerical values must remain the most compelling evidence for cosmic design. - theoretical physicist Paul Davies

FORMS OF THE DESIGN ARGUMENT SYNTHETIC A PRIORI ARGUMENT This argument takes truths, and makes logical arguments from them e.g. meaning and information must come from a mind = a statement, so… If DNA has information and meaning, it must come from a mind

FORMS OF THE DESIGN ARGUMENT ARGUMENT FROM ANALOGY Argued by generalizations e.g. = living organisms are like machines, machines are made by a mind, so… organisms must be made by a mind

FORMS OF THE DESIGN ARGUMENT PROBABILITY ARGUMENTS Possibility View: outcomes must be equally possible Frequency View: Probability statements are essentially statistical summaries Evidential View: Focuses on how, and to what extent evidence confirms a proposition There needs to be a plan behind the formation of bodies

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