Atheistic Teleology

Croatian Journal of Philosophy 1 (1):5-19 (2001)
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Abstract

Wesley Salmon and Michael Martin argue that scientific considerations about the order in the universe justify atheism. After sketching Salmon’s argument, I examine the nature of begging the question and argue that Martin takes a sufficient condition of that fallacy to be a necessary condition. After a pragmatic account to the fallacy is recommended, I point out how Salmon’s and Martin’s beg the question against all save those who already adhere to atheism and that the crucial considerations that they take to be distinctly scientific are really extra-scientific considerations, giving a specious impression that they are uncontroversial to all who accept mainstream science.

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Scott Shalkowski
University of Leeds

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References found in this work

Circular arguments.Kent Wilson - 1988 - Metaphilosophy 19 (1):38–52.
Unbeggable questions.R. A. Sorensen - 1996 - Analysis 56 (1):51-55.
Experimental atheism.Wesley C. Salmon - 1979 - Philosophical Studies 35 (1):101 - 104.

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