PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERSTANDING OF CLASSICAL THEISM AND THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

This paper provides a philosophical examination of the teleological argument as a justification for the existence of the God of Classical Theism. It begins by defining Classical Theism, with its tenets of an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent creator who exercises providential control over the universe. The traditional teleological argument, which infers a divine designer from the perceived order and harmony in nature (the "watchmaker" analogy), is presented and analyzed, with a focus on the intricate design of the human body and eye. Subsequently, the paper critically evaluates significant challenges to this argument. These include the difficulty of discerning divine purposes, the problem of disharmony and suffering in the natural world (e.g., predation, natural disasters), and the powerful rival hypothesis of Darwinian evolution, which explains apparent design through natural selection and random variation. Alternative explanations for evil and disorder, such as the "devil hypothesis," are also considered. Finally, the paper assesses the "Wider Teleological Argument," which focuses on the universe's general capacity to support life and moral development. The analysis concludes that the teleological argument, in both its traditional and wider forms, fails to provide sufficient support for the omnipotent God of Classical Theism and may instead point toward a limited deity or no deity at all.