Design arguments are called "teleological arguments." The word 'Teleos' is Greek for 'end' or 'purpose'. Design arguments say that the features of the natural world point towards the existence of a god who must have designed it. The quote from Socrates 'with such signs of forethought in the design of living creatures, can you doubt they are the work of choice or design' supports the design argument. Also, features of the natural world point towards an intelligent God who must have designed it like the water cycle which is hard to believe came about by chance. There is also evidence of design. There is order, regularity, purpose and beauty in our world, and that points towards an intelligent designer. .
The Inductive Argument means that the conclusion is possible or probable but there may be other possible conclusions. An inductive argument also includes a leap of faith between the premises and the conclusion, often having to be made by other philosophers or whoever is reading. In the middle ages, the inductive argument was used by Thomas Aquinas for his design argument for the existence of God in his five ways, based on observation and evidence. Aquinas presented the five ways that showed the existence of God because he was convinced that although God was not self-evident, he could be demonstrated through logical thought. The five ways were written about in his book Summa Theologica which he wrote for Christian believers rather than attempting to persuade atheists to convert. The inductive form of Aquinas' argument was based on the following premises:.
- There is beneficial order in the universe.
- His beneficial order could not happen by chance.
- Many objects do not have the intelligence to work towards an end or purpose.
- They must be directed by something which has intelligence.
- Therefore, God exists as the explanation for the beneficial order.
Design Qua Regularity can be found in Aquinas' 5th way.
