Deism

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/deism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key figures (influenced by/associated with)?Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson
2. How does Deism explain the existence of God?Deists say that the order, harmony, and laws we see in nature—like the way planets orbit or the design of a human eye—show that an intelligent designer built the universe. By studying these natural patterns, anyone can see evidence of that creator.
3. Why do Deists reject miracles?Deists think miracles are unlikely because the universe follows steady natural laws. They believe that what we see as miracles are just misunderstandings or stories made by people, not real supernatural events.

Deism: A theological and philosophical position asserting that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of a creator.
Empirical Reason: Knowledge acquired through sensory experience and observation, forming the basis of scientific inquiry and Deist theology.
Natural Theology: The study of God's existence and attributes through the examination of the natural world, rather than through divine revelation.
Revelation: The divine disclosure of knowledge or will, typically through scriptures or prophets, which Deists reject as a primary source of religious truth.