Explain the Teleological Argument with reference to Aquinas and Paley.

The Teleological Argument argues that due to the order of the Universe, there has to be a God. As an a posteriori argument, it is concerned with the end purpose. This argument also refers to the argument from design, and included ideas from St. Thomas Aquinas and William Paley.St. Thomas Aquinas founded the Teleological Argument by using his fifth way. Aquinas fifth way states that there is evidence of design from all natural occurrences. These natural occurrences suggest that there is something directing all things, as things that lack knowledge cannot achieve anything unless they are directed with knowledge (or by something intelligent.) Therefore, there has to be something intelligent directing all things, an intelligent being. For Aquinas, this being is God. Aquinas demonstrates this is his analogy of the archer. An arrow, an unintelligent object, cannot achieve its end goal, of hitting the target without something intelligent guiding it. Therefore, the archer (the intelligent being) has to direct the arrow to fulfil its end goal of hitting the target.