What Philosophy Is

The Teleological Proof of God’s Existence

As you read the material for the next class, keep the questions below in mind. To answer these questions you will have to reflect critically on what you have read and possibly re-read important passages. Keep in mind that there are two basic kinds of information that you need to look for in the readings.

  1. What are the main points or conclusions that an author accepts with respect to a particular issue?
  2. What are the reasons or important considerations that lead the author to accept that conclusion?

For our purposes, it is information of the latter sort (2) that will be our primary concern since our most basic task is to evaluate the reasons that are offered to support accepting one possible conclusion about an issue, rather than another.

Although I strongly suggest that you write out brief answers to these questions, you do not have to turn in written responses. You do, however, need to be prepared to speak intelligently to these issues in the next class meeting. Also, it is reasonable to assume that the final exam’s questions will be drawn from these questions—particularly those in bold.

Readings:

  • David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Parts II, V, and XI, from Stephen M. Cahn (ed.), Philosophy for the 21st Century, pp. 40-42, 50-52, 67-71.
    • Start on page 40, with the paragraph beginning with “Not to lose any time in circumlocutions...” and continue to page 42, ending with the short paragraph that begins “When Cleanthes had assented...”.
    • Resume again on page 50 and read the entirety of Part V, ending on page 52.
    • Resume once more on page 67, with the paragraph beginning with “My sentiments, replied Philo...” and continue to page 71, ending with the paragraph that concludes “...without discernment or parental care, her maimed and abortive children!”

Questions:

In this dialogue, Cleanthes is a religious person who believes that he can prove the truth of theism. Demea is also a person of faith, but who denies that religion is a matter of scientific knowledge. And Philo is a skeptic who denies that anything, including religion, is knowable.

  1. In Part II, Cleanthes claims to prove the existence of God and His “similarity to human mind and intelligence. What is the structure of this argument?
  2. In Part V, Philo argues that Cleanthes’ argument does not prove that God has the “physical” attributes that most Christians ascribe to Him. What are these attributes and why does Cleanthes’ argument fail to demonstrate that God has them?
  3. In Part XI, Philo argues that Cleanthes’ own argument refutes the “moral” attribute of God that most Christians ascribe to Him. What is this attribute and how does Philo show that Cleanthes’ argument refutes God’s possession of it?
  4. Given that they reach different conclusions, Cleanthes and Philo cannot both be right. Where exactly in their respective arguments do they disagree? Which position is supported by the strongest and most compelling argument?

 

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