Scientific Theories Lesson 21/03/23

Deductive

Inductive

The premises support the conclusion, but doesn't logically guarantee it - they are probable - based on experience not human reason - a prosteriori approach

If the truth of the conclusion is fully established by the premises, then the argument is valid and certain - true or false based on reason - a priori approach

What is the biggest reason why some people claim why God does not exist?

  • Big Bang Theory
  • Evolution/Natural Selection

Charles Darwin

  • Studied medicine before deciding he wanted to be ordained
  • Offered a place abroad HMS beagle in 1831 to explore wildlife in South America
  • He returned convinced that by studying the animals he had observed, that one species must develop out of another
  • This led to his theory of Natural Selection - his famous paper 'On the origins of the species'

Theory of natural selection

  1. If you make adulthood, they are able to breed so characteristics are then passed onto the next generation
  1. Over generations, characteristics which improve the chance of survival will be found in more individuals within the species
  1. Some species have particular characteristics to help them survive better than others
  1. Overtime, the characteristics of a species are gradually modified to help reach survival in a specific environment

Charles Darwin

  • Animal/plant reproduction rates are always controlled by the lack of food/space
  • Only those with the best adapted characteristics would go on to survive - the mechanism of natural selection
  • People had long bred domestic animals to encourage particular characteristics
  • This challenged the notion of purpose in creation

Comparing nineteenth-century christian responses to Darwin's theory of evolution

Church of England:

  • Scientific representatives generally ridiculed the theory
  • They claimed it was simply a way of turning humans into beasts, which of course it was because it is now rather obvious that humans are beasts:genetics show incontrovertibly that humans are apes + share ancestors

Liberal Anglicans:

  • Most Liberal Anglicans admired the theory
  • God initiated evolution of species by means of evolution + natural selection with the specific aim of producing beings such as ourselves - most favored christian response

Creationists:

  • Christians who reject scientific account of the origins of the world = creationists
  • Six day (young earth) Creationism - appeal to their own brand of science, which are statements within the Bible - modern science findings = false + Bible is the 'true' science
  • Scientific evidence shows that the age of the universe is around 13.8 billion years ago
  • Belief that God created the earth in 6, 24 hour days - Genesis
  • Species = created by God + humans descended from Adam + Eve
  • Progressive Creationism - this account accepts the view of geology - universe is aprox 4.8 billion years old + cosmology - universe = 13.8 billion years old
  • God had bursts of creative activity, followed by long periods of equilibrium
  • Rejects evolution