1. ‘Assess the weaknesses of the design argument for the existence of God’ (12 marks)
Intro
Order and Purpose
Outline opinion
Not convincing
Idea
Dawkins – purpose
Evil and suffering
Argument Against
Aquinas – beneficial order
Paley – poor design is still design
Counter Argument
Big leap
Not consistent with loving God
Conclusion

2. Assess the weaknesses of the design argument for the existence of God
Assess the weaknesses of the design argument for the existence of God. 12 marks
The design argument for the existence of God is largely based upon the idea that the cumulative effect of all of the order and purpose that exists within the universe is proof that it could not have come about by chance, it must have been designed and the only thing powerful enough to do this is God.
I believe that the weaknesses of the design argument are too significant to overcome and therefore it is not a convincing argument to demonstrate the existence of God.
A major weakness of the argument was highlighted by Dawkins, who argued that although it may be unlikely that the universe would be created by a single chance, it is not impossible that it would be the result of a series of chances and thus not the work of God. Dawkins criticised the theist for looking at the world through ‘purpose coloured spectacles’ wanting to see divine design and purpose when really we should simply appreciate how lucky we are to exist in the first place. Arguably the most significant challenge to the argument comes from the dysteleological argument advocated by Hume and Mill that questions if the world was designed, why is there evil and suffering? Surely if the world had been designed by an all powerful and all loving God, He would not have designed a universe that would cause his creations to suffer through natural disasters and disease.
Supporters of the argument would argue that these weaknesses are not overwhelmingly significant and can be overcome. Aquinas asserted that non-rational beings can be observed as working towards an end goal or purpose; he called this ‘beneficial order’. For example, grey whales migrate from the cold waters of Alaska to the warmer climate of Mexico during breeding season to give their newborns a better chance of survival. He believed that as non-rational beings lacked the required intelligence, they could not be doing this by themselves and so must be being guided by a superior intelligent being and concluded that this must be God. Additionally, Paley defended the challenge from evil and suffering and asserted that these do not prove the absence of design, they may be part of a design by God that we do not understand or else are evidence of poor design, but design nevertheless.
Despite these defences, I still believe that the weaknesses are more convincing than the argument’s strengths. In relation to Aquinas’ argument from beneficial order, even if we accept that non-rational beings are being guided by some more intelligent force, it is still a big leap to say that this force is in fact God. Furthermore, Paley’s defence that evil and suffering may be the result of poor or unrevealed design, is ultimately unconvincing as it still does not address the fact that they are inconsistent with the idea of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God.
Taking into account the vast amount of flaws with the argument, I am compelled to believe that the weaknesses are too significant to overcome and as such, the argument fails to offer credible proof for the existence of God.