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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Teleologiske smuler : Søren Kierkegaards kritikk av det teleologiske argumentet for Guds eksistens

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Master's thesis in Religion (REL500) This master thesis explores Søren Kierkegaard’s critique of the teleological argument, as it is presented in Philosophiske Smuler (1844/2014). The main purpose of the thesis revolves around exploring the question of whether this critique can contribute to illuminate and reveal important weaknesses and potential fallacies found in modern versions of teleological arguments. By looking at William Paleys teleological argument and Robin Collins’ fine-tuning argument,both historical and modern versions of the teleological argument are being considered and accounted for. Kierkegaard’s arguments shed light on the difficulty of proving the existence of something. This applies to both arguing for something on the basis ofits actions, such as the design of the universe, but also in general terms. Additionally, Kierkegaard points to the problem of defining God based on human assumptions. When these critiques have been applied to Collins' teleological argument, the weaknesses appear to be particularly tied to human assumptions about God and God's actions, which precede the argument itself.