Argument of design and fifth way of St. Thomas

Argument from design and St Thomas' fifth way: small similarities and big differences

seminar from group Science, Reason and Faith.
Santiago Collado. Pamplona, January 22, 2020

News

Santiago Collado González is graduate in Physical Sciences, and PhD in Philosophy. In addition to being Professor of Philosophy of Nature at the School Ecclesiastical Philosophy of the University of Navarra, he is professor in charge of the subjects on Science and Faith taught at the University of Navarra ("Questions on Science, Reason and Faith" and "Dialogues between Science and Faith") and the online subject "Questions on Science, Reason and Faith" of the high school Superior of Religious Sciences (ISCR). He is active in research on questions of science and faith, and is Deputy Director of group Science, Reason and Faith.

summary:

It is relatively frequent, even in the scientific literature, that an identification is made between the so-called argument of design and the fifth way of St. Thomas. However, a careful reading of both reasoning sample tells us that there are enormous differences between them. subject It is true that they both start from the order present in nature, but in each case it is a question of a different order. In the same way, the two arguments differ in the subject of finality on which they are based, in the resource to the principle of causality and even in the conclusion they reach. Such differences allow us to say that the arguments are not at all comparable and can even be seen as opposites.