Argument from Design from the Perspective of Kant's Critical Philosophy

The argument from design or teleological argument is one of the simplest and most general، at the same time the oldest argument for the proof of God’s existence. Of many philosophical arguments in favor or against this argument، Kant’s critique is very renowned. Kant’s stance is both favorable and critical. In his view argument from design has been always laudable، for it is the only argument that paves the way for understanding the belief in God، so it is a natural path. According to this argument، the existence of God can be reasonably substantiated by knowledge of nature without resorting to any transcendental argument. But practically it fails to do so، for in a stage of the argument it overlooks experience and takes recourse to cosmological and ontological arguments. As a result، the argument from design apart from its flaws it commits the fallacies of other arguments as well. By restricting the arguments of God’s existence to three arguments، Kant disproves all of them and holds that theoretical reason is unable to prove God’s existence، and finally he asserts that belief in God should be based on ethical principles