The Teleonomic Worldview of Atheism vs. The Teleological Worldview of Theism

[Gambit]

The atheist has a teleonomic view of the world. This is in contradistinction to theist who has a teleological one. In the teleonomic worldview of the atheist, there is no purpose; there is just the appearance of purpose which can be explained away (at least, in theory) by blind mechanism. In the teleological worldview of the theist, there is a real (as opposed to an apparent) purpose. Everything is seeking the good where the ultimate good is God (a.k.a. the uncaused cause, the final cause).

"The good is what everything desires." - St. Thomas Aquinas

 

[averageJOE]

The atheist has a teleonomic view of the world. This is in contradistinction to theist who has a teleological one. In the teleonomic worldview of the atheist, there is no purpose; there is just the appearance of purpose which can be explained away (at least, in theory) by blind mechanism. In the teleological worldview of the theist, there is a real (as opposed to an apparent) purpose. Everything is seeking the good where the ultimate good is God (a.k.a. the uncaused cause, the final cause).

"The good is what everything desires." - St. Thomas Aquinas

Quite a claim. Got anything to back it up?

 

[leibowde84]

The atheist has a teleonomic view of the world. This is in contradistinction to theist who has a teleological one. In the teleonomic worldview of the atheist, there is no purpose; there is just the appearance of purpose which can be explained away (at least, in theory) by blind mechanism. In the teleological worldview of the theist, there is a real (as opposed to an apparent) purpose. Everything is seeking the good where the ultimate good is God (a.k.a. the uncaused cause, the final cause).

"The good is what everything desires." - St. Thomas Aquinas

You are erroneously equating atheism with materialism. They are not synonymous.

 

[LuisDantas]

@Gambit , very few people take Atheism to be nearly as influential and consequential as you do.

It is too bad that you do not understand it at all.

 

[leibowde84]

@Gambit , very few people take Atheism to be nearly as influential and consequential as you do.

It is too bad that you do not understand it at all.

He seems to be under the false impression that "atheism" and "materialism" are the same thing.

 

[LuisDantas]

One of these days I will have to find out if this aura of atheification of mine is powered by Gambit's devotion to atheism.

 

[Sunstone]

In the teleological worldview of the theist, there is a real (as opposed to an apparent) purpose. Everything is seeking the good where the ultimate good is God (a.k.a. the uncaused cause, the final cause).

On what grounds, if any, do you assert that your God is the ultimate good?

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

The atheist has a teleonomic view of the world. This is in contradistinction to theist who has a teleological one. In the teleonomic worldview of the atheist, there is no purpose; there is just the appearance of purpose which can be explained away (at least, in theory) by blind mechanism. In the teleological worldview of the theist, there is a real (as opposed to an apparent) purpose. Everything is seeking the good where the ultimate good is God (a.k.a. the uncaused cause, the final cause).

"The good is what everything desires." - St. Thomas Aquinas

Whoa... talk about deja vu.

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

He seems to be under the false impression that "atheism" and "materialism" are the same thing.

And nihilism, for that matter.

 

[Covellite]

Atheists are people who are too busy to read books they don't need to.

 

[Sapiens]

Teleonomy and teleology both relate to purpose, granted ... in different ways. Purpose is imaginary, it results from humans' pattern detection abilities that run overtime since with respect to danger a type one error could be fatal while a type two error would just waste a little time and energy.

Atheists are people who are too busy to read books they don't need to.

We are all atheists, I just carry it one god farther than do the deists and theists,

 

[Gambit]

On what grounds, if any, do you assert that your God is the ultimate good?

On the grounds that I am predisposed to seek the good. And based on "intersubjective validation," I am inclined to believe that others are also predisposed to seek the good.

 

[Willamena]

Teleonomy and teleology both relate to purpose, granted ... in different ways. Purpose is imaginary, it results from humans' pattern detection abilities that run overtime since with respect to danger a type one error could be fatal while a type two error would just waste a little time and energy.

That is the teleonomic view.

 

[Sapiens]

That is the teleonomic view.

Then perhaps I am misunderstand the word. I do not want to turn this into a discussion of semantics.

... the quality of apparent purposefulness and of goal-directedness of structures and functions in living organisms brought about by natural laws (like natural selection). The term derives form two Greek words, telos (end, purpose) and nomos (law), and means "end-directed"[1] (literally "purpose-law"). Teleonomy is sometimes posited instead of teleology, where the latter is understood as a purposeful goal-directedness brought about through human or divine intention. Teleonomy is thought to derive from evolutionary history, adaptation for reproductive success, and/or the operation of a program. Teleonomy is related to programmatic or computational aspects of purpose.

I do not see Natural Selection, or other natural laws, as purposeful or goal-directed.

 

[Gambit]

Teleonomy and teleology both relate to purpose, granted ... in different ways. Purpose is imaginary.

Right. In the teleonomic worldview of atheism, anything that appears to exhibit purpose (that would also include human behavior) must necessarily be deemed imaginary or illusory. All apparent signs of purpose can be explained away through blind mechanisms. What this means is the atheist is forced by the logical dictates of his or her worldview to deny his or her own creative intelligence

“Scientists animated by the purpose of proving that they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study.” - Alfred North Whitehead (source: pg. 12, "The Function of Reason")

 

[viole]

The atheist has a teleonomic view of the world. This is in contradistinction to theist who has a teleological one. In the teleonomic worldview of the atheist, there is no purpose; there is just the appearance of purpose which can be explained away (at least, in theory) by blind mechanism. In the teleological worldview of the theist, there is a real (as opposed to an apparent) purpose. Everything is seeking the good where the ultimate good is God (a.k.a. the uncaused cause, the final cause).

"The good is what everything desires." - St. Thomas Aquinas

Not all atheists reject all sort of teleology. Naturalists like me do. I would actually identify naturalism with the total absence of any telos.

Now, having said that, I am not sure what you want to debate.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Gambit]

That is the teleonomic view.

Right.

 

[Jumi]

Atheists are people who are too busy to read books they don't need to.

That is wrong.

 

[Gambit]

I do not see Natural Selection, or other natural laws, as purposeful or goal-directed.

Right. In the teleonomic world of atheism, nothing exhibits purposeful or goal-directedness because science itself eschews all teleological explanations. Everything must be explained through blind mechanisms.

 

[Gambit]

Not all atheists reject all sort ps of teleology. Naturalists like me do. I would actually identify naturalism with the total absence of any telos.

Now, having said that, I am not sure what you want to debate.

Then you will have to deny your own intelligence.