The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism

by Edward Feser

Its main problem is that it is just false, and demonstrably so.

The universe is filled with natural regularities; this is uncontroversial.

But the reason he is able to do this is that the effect, the house, exists as an idea in his intellect before it exists in reality.

That is precisely how the not-yetexistent house can serve as a final cause

that is, if it exists in an intellect.

Yet it is impossible for anything to be directed toward an end unless that end exists in an intellect which directs the thing in question toward it.

And it follows, therefore, that the system of ends or final causes that make up the physical universe can only exist at all because there is a Supreme Intelligence or intellect outside that universe which directs things toward their ends.

that would suffice for the Fifth Way.

All that matters is that there are various causes here and now which are here and now directed to certain ends, and the argument is that these couldn’t possibly exist at all if there were not a Supreme Intellect here and now ordering them to those ends.