1. Can you think of any arguments against the inductive argument for God?

2. Alternative scientific explanations
The Big Bang
Question 1 What was the Big Bang?
Stephen Hawkings

3. At the point of creation . . .
The entire Universe was inside a bubble that was thousands of times smaller than a pinhead.
It was hotter and denser than anything we can imagine.
Then it suddenly expanded/exploded.

4. Most astronomers believe that this expansion started with a Big Bang about 14 billion years ago.
In fact the words ‘big’ and ‘bang’ don’t even begin to express the enormity

5. The Universe that we know was born.
Time, space and matter all began with the Big Bang.
In a fraction of a second, the Universe grew from smaller than a single atom to bigger than a galaxy.
And it kept on growing at a fantastic rate.
It is still expanding today.

6. Question 2 Evidence
Things I expect to see in your answer
Evidence of the Big Bang is found in the ratio of hydrogen to helium
In 1929, astronomer Edwin Hubble made his greatest discovery
It was that the light coming from other galaxies was redder than expected
He took this to mean that the galaxies were all moving away from us

7. He observed this because of something called the ‘Red Shift’
It’s about wave length
Something moving away very fast looks red while something moving towards us looks more blue

8. It’s the same sort of thing as the Doppler effect with sound waves
Which means that a sound coming towards us is different from a sound going away from us.
This leads to the believe that the whole universe is expanding

9. Summary
Although this is a scientific theory, it can also be used to either support or deny the existence of God
The debate is based on whether or not the cause for Big Bang Theory was natural or divine in origin
In other words, was it a completely random event, or- a deliberate action by God?

10. Evolution by natural selection
Does this queue appear to have order?
What might the order appear to be?
Would Darwin believe the apparent order came about from agency or mechanisation?
Write a summary paragraph to explain the ideas of agency and mechanisation
Darwin song

11. 8. What evidence did Paley use for design

12. 9. Explain the ideas suggested before Darwin?

13. 10. What evidence was used to support Darwin’s ideas

14. The first life form arose from inanimate matter
11. Explain how Darwin’s theory of evolution challenges inductive arguments for the existence of God.
Evolution claims . .
The first life form arose from inanimate matter
All life forms originated from this single organism
There was a gradual development of increasingly complex life-forms
There is variation in nature, evolution is continuing
Not as described in Genesis

15. Charles Darwin ( )
On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection 1859
Darwin proposed that organisms produce more offspring than can actually survive - pigs
Offspring are not identical, there are variations - finches

16. Darwin cont.. Survival depends on adapting to the environment
The offspring that prosper produce more offspring than those who don’t
Over time this increases the number of offspring, with more variations
This in turn increases the survival of the species
It’s a process of “natural selection”

17. Evolutionary theory
Each species has a limited supply of food so there is competition for nutrition within species and between other species who share the same habitat – NATURE IS ‘RED IN TOOTH AND CLAW’
There will be winners and losers
Those who survive predators and get enough food to eat are the ones with the strongest characteristics
“survival of the fittest”
Their offspring in turn then inherit the best characteristics needed to survive e.g. speed, ability to climb or think

18. So did Darwin murder God
So did Darwin murder God? The challenge to religious belief from evolution
Darwin’s theory did undermine the biblical account of creation
He showed living things might develop in small steps – challenges fixity of species
Life could be the result of random chance – Dawking ‘random genetic mutation.’
Not created by a creator/designer

19. Darwin on God cont..
Evolution states that species had to change to fit in with their environment
Adaptation- rather than God creating the environment for the benefit of various life-forms
Darwin concluded; “all human characteristics are by natural selection of other life forms; we are descended from apes” (The Descent of Man, 1871)

20. Dawkins – useful for AO2 What can you see?
What would you like to know?
What can you infer?

21. Dawkins – introduction Listen, think and jot down key
Richard Dawkins has written several books that support Darwinian evolution and reject God and the design argument
For Dawkins the appearance of design is an illusion.
There is no God masterminding the process, only the ‘blind, unconscious automatic process that Darwin discovered’

22. A famous book by Dawkins is called ‘The Blind Watchmaker’
Explain the significance in the choice of the title

23. Relevant information
Dawkins has redefined the principles of evolution by introducing the concept of random genetic mutation
Living organisms have complex genetic codes
When a new organism is formed through evolution sometimes random genetic mutations creep in
This genetic make up causes each living thing to develop in the way that it does

24. The Selfish Gene
Dawkins believes that our genes are ‘selfish’: by this he means that genes are engaged in a struggle for survival
The most ‘selfish’ genes survive using the human body which is a kind of ‘survival suit’
The sole purpose is that genes survive to benefit themselves primarily, rather than the organism as a whole

25. Supporting evidence/examples
Why do you think this bird is singing?
Why might it be dangerous for the wren?
‘A student of wren biology claimed that one of his wild males sang itself literally to death. Any utility function that had the long term welfare of the species at heart, even the long term survival of this particular individual male, would cut down the amount of singing, the amount of displaying, the amount of fighting amongst males. Yet, because what is really being maximised is DNA survival, nothing can stop the spread of DNA that has no beneficial effect other than making males beautiful to females’ Dawkins

26. What are memes?
Meme – unit of cultural inheritance Memetics applies evolutionary principles to ideas. Ideas can mutate and compete for survival

27. Memes and beauty
Music
Why might some people think this song is ‘beautiful’?
Do our opinions affect/have an impact on anybody else? Who? Why?
Art
Why would many people consider this to be a ‘beautiful’ picture?
Where do we learn our ideas about what is good, fashionable or beautiful?
Fashion
How do we know what is stylish?
Who or what influences us?

28. Memes
What aspect of the teleological argument can be challenged by memetics?
Why does Dawkins describe religion as a successful meme?