teleological argument

American  

noun

Metaphysics.

1. the argument for the existence of God based on the assumption that order in the universe implies an orderer and cannot be a natural feature of the universe.

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teleological argument British  

noun

1. Also called: argument from design.  philosophy the argument purporting to prove the existence of God from empirical facts, the premise being that the universe shows evidence of order and hence design Compare ontological argument cosmological argument

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Example Sentences

Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways is known as a teleological argument for the existence of God from the presence of design in experience.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

The "Critique of Pure Reason" of Kant demolished the ontological and the cosmological arguments for the existence of God and showed the weakness in the teleological argument.

From The Necessity of Atheism by Brooks, David Marshall

In modern times the existence of design in the world has been made the foundation of an argument for the existence of God, which is known as the teleological argument.

From A Critical History of Greek Philosophy by Stace, W. T. (Walter Terence)

But, looking to the "present state of our knowledge," this is merely to change the teleological argument in its gross Paleyian form, into the argument from the ubiquitous operation of general laws.'

From Thoughts on Religion by Gore, Charles

The absolute Idea is not only the first principle of the universe, but also its final purpose, and thus we have indicated in various places a teleological argument.

From The Basis of Early Christian Theism by Cole, Lawrence Thomas