teleological argument
nounUK /ˌtiːliəˈlɒdʒɪkəl ˈɑːɡjʊmənt/
US /ˌtiːliəˈlɑːdʒɪkəl ˈɑːrɡjəmənt/
The idea that the world looks designed, so someone must have made it.
The teleological argument says a watch needs a watchmaker, so the universe needs a maker too.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A way of proving God exists by pointing to order and purpose in nature.
Philosophers debate the teleological argument in books about religion.
3. Any reasoning that explains something by the goal or purpose it seems to serve.
Her essay used a teleological argument to explain why birds have wings.
4. The classic watchmaker comparison used to argue that the universe had a designer.
In class we studied the teleological argument and the watchmaker analogy.