OCR A-Level Philosophy | Essential Videos for Exam Success - Aquinas’ Teleological Argument | The Fifth Way vs. Darwin (and Kant!)

👉 https://untanglephilosophy.com Is Aquinas’ design argument for God’s existence still successful today? If an arrow needs an archer, do natural things need God? In this video, we explore whether Aquinas’ teleological argument for the existence of God still holds in light of Darwinian evolution and modern scientific explanations. Aquinas argued that everything in nature acts towards an end, and that such order requires an intelligent designer — namely, God. The Fifth Way focuses on natural objects and their apparent purpose, asserting that acorns grow into oaks because of divine guidance. However, evolutionary theory and the work of philosophers like Kant challenge this view. Natural selection can account for the apparent purposefulness of living things without invoking a designer, and humans may impose teleology where none exists. Yet, some argue that purpose might exist at a fundamental physical level, such as in the behaviour of electrons and other physical entities. Perfect for University Courses & A-Level Philosophy and Ethics / Religious Studies (OCR, AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas, or equivalent). 🔬 Recommended Reading 📘 Aquinas — Summa Theologiae 👉 https://amzn.to/3LNSOI5 (Aquinas’ famous text in a readable translation — highly recommended for serious students!) 📙 Kenny — A New History of Western Philosophy 👉 https://amzn.to/3XKpp3X (My favourite “history of philosophy” book — highly rated!) We earn a small commission on affiliate links at no extra cost to you. 🌐 https://untanglephilosophy.com 📷 https://instagram.com/untanglephilosophy 🎵 https://tiktok.com/@untanglephilosophy 📖 Chapters 00:00 Aquinas’ Fifth Way Explained 01:22 Darwin & the Challenge of Modern Science 02:18 Could Evolution Be Guided by God? (Problem of Evil) 03:10 Kant & the Problem with Teleology 04:15 Is There Teleology in Physical Entities? 🔔 If you enjoyed this video, don’t forget to subscribe for more philosophy content! 👍 Like and share to help others find this video. 🗨️ Have thoughts or questions? Drop a comment below! 🔬 Other Sources Pawl, T. (2012) ‘The Five Ways’, in, B. Davies (ed) The Oxford Handbook of Aquinas. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 115-134. 👉 https://amzn.to/4ocOHCK (Electron example.) Peterson, M. L. & Venema, D. R. (2021) Biology, Religion, and Philosophy: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 👉 https://amzn.to/3XIl3ub (William Harvey and Kant examples.) #fifthway #teleologicalargument #aquinas Copywrite Code: G5QTDHYNFDH6KL2V UQGPP9MH9HTDILLP