Welcome to this deck on the philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God. For your GCSE Religious Studies exam, you need to understand and evaluate some of the oldest and most profound questions in human thought. We'll explore arguments that try to prove God exists, like the Design argument, and arguments that challenge God's existence, like the problem of evil. Let's begin with the first argument for God.

The first argument for God's existence we'll look at is the Design Argument. This argument claims that the universe is so complex and orderly that it must have been designed by an intelligent creator, which believers identify as God. Think of the intricate workings of the human eye or the perfect conditions for life on Earth. The philosophical term for an argument based on purpose or design is the teleological argument.

The most famous version of the Design Argument comes from the philosopher William Paley. He used an analogy. Imagine walking across a field and finding a stone. You might think it has always been there. But if you found a watch, you would conclude it must have had a maker because of its complex parts working together for a purpose. Paley argued the universe is like the watch, full of complexity and purpose, and therefore must also have a maker: God.