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