Aquinas, Design Arguments, and the Problem of Evil

This page delves into Thomas Aquinas' contribution to philosophy, particularly his adaptation of Aristotelian ideas to Christian theology. It also explores teleological arguments for God's existence and the problem of evil.

Aquinas, heavily influenced by Aristotle, argued for the existence of God using rational arguments. His Five Ways, including the argument from motion and the argument from design, remain influential in philosophical theology.

Example: Aquinas' argument from motion states that since everything that moves is moved by something else, there must be an unmoved first mover, which he identifies as God.

The page discusses the teleological argument or argument from design, which suggests that the order and complexity of the universe imply an intelligent designer. William Paley's watchmaker analogy is mentioned as a classic formulation of this argument.

Quote: "Design qua purpose: universe was designed"

The problem of evil is introduced as a significant challenge to theistic beliefs. This philosophical issue questions how an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God could allow evil and suffering in the world.

Highlight: The problem of evil is a central topic in OCR Religious Studies A Level and continues to be debated in contemporary philosophy of religion.

Various responses to the problem of evil are briefly mentioned, including Augustine's free will defense and John Hick's soul-making theodicy. These ideas are often explored in OCR Philosophy and Ethics A Level courses.

The page also touches on critiques of design arguments, including David Hume's skeptical approach and Darwin's theory of evolution, which provided an alternative explanation for the apparent design in nature.