Share this Article on Facebook Twitter Submit this article to Reddit Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Teleological argument

Teleological Argument

Encyclopedia of Science and Religion | 2003 | | Copyright

Teleological Argument


According to the teleological argument, the order and complexity exhibited by the world are properly attributed to a purposive cause rather than a blind, undirected process. Historically, in looking for evidence of purpose, the argument has focused on the world as a whole, its laws, and structures within the world (notably life). The teleological argument has two recent incarnations. One employs the Anthropic Principle and focuses on the fine-tuning or "just-so" aspects of the physical universe required for human observers. The other constitutes a revival of design-theoretic reasoning in biology and is known under the rubric "intelligent design."


See also Design

william a. dembski

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

DEMBSKI , WILLIAM A.. "Teleological Argument." Encyclopedia of Science and Religion. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DEMBSKI , WILLIAM A.. "Teleological Argument." Encyclopedia of Science and Religion. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404200504.html

DEMBSKI , WILLIAM A.. "Teleological Argument." Encyclopedia of Science and Religion. 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404200504.html

Learn more about citation styles

Teleological argument

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Teleological argument. A type of argument for God's existence starting from signs of order or purpose in the world; also known as the Argument from Design and the Physico-Theological Argument. St Thomas Aquinas' Fifth Way (Summa Theologiae, 1a, ii. 3) is an example of such an argument.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

JOHN BOWKER. "Teleological argument." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Teleological argument." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Teleologicalargument.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Teleological argument." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Teleologicalargument.html

Learn more about citation styles

argument from design

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

argument from design in Christian theology, the argument that God's existence is demonstrable from the evidence of design in the universe.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "argument from design." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "argument from design." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-argumentfromdesign.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "argument from design." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-argumentfromdesign.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Interrupting inevitability: globalization and resistance.(Report)
Magazine article from: Alternatives: Global, Local, Political; 1/1/2010
Darwin and Design: Does Evolution Have a Purpose.(Book Review)
Magazine article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life; 10/1/2003
Revisiting the God of the Gaps.(Essay)
Magazine article from: Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith; 3/1/2009

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of Teleological argument

Related topics

  Be the first to connect related topics with this page!