David Hume's criticisms of the Design Argument

• What does David Hume put forward in

  ‘Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion’?A similar analogy to Paley's that predates his by 20 years +. He did this to show what was wrong with the argument
• What is Hume?

  A sceptic
• What does Hume write in DCNR?

  The argument is said through Cleanthes

  1. All decision requires a designer

  2. Great design implies a great designer -> the greater the design, the greater the design

  3. The universe is like a great machine therefore there is great design in it

  4. Thus, the universe is designed by a greater designer

  It is criticised through Philo, who represents Hume's own view
• What is Hume's first criticism - limited knowledge?


  Humans don’t havesufficient knowledge and experience of the creation of the worldtoconcludethere is a designer. We only have experience of what we design and create ourselves- wecannot make comparisons between what we know and don’tTherefore, our limited experience isnot sufficientto come to similar conclusions about the universe
• What was Hume?

  An empiricist -> therefore doesn't accept judgements without evidence
• What is Hume's 2nd criticism - multiple gods?

  If the universe was designed, this would mean the teological argument existed, but doesn't prove that the designer is God

  - the design could have been the work of multiple more limited gods

  - also, it could have been a 'first attempt' by a being who has moved on to better things
• Multiple gods machine analogy

  Machines are usually designed and created by many different people, rarely just one person. Paley's analogy is therefore flawed as there is no reason to assume just 1 universe maker exists
• What is Hume’s 3 rd criticism -

  non-moral God?Our world is not perfect, yet people claim God is perfect and omnipotent. However, if a perfect God created the world why is it then not perfect?
• What is Hume’s 4th criticism -

  Anthropomorphism?Gods is beyond human understanding as theists say, therefore to discuss the universe in human terms is an incorrect analogy.

  - comparing God to a human is reductionist
• What is Hume’s 5th criticism -


  Unsound Analogy?The world is natural, like a plant, therefore it's a bad analogy to liken the world to a machine.

  It makes more sense to say it grew of its own accord than it was manufactured by a designer
• What is Hume’s 6th criticism -

  appearance of design?The argument starts from the premise that the universe is well designed. However, an animal or human would be unable to live unless it's various organs worked the way they did.

  So if the world didn't appear to be designed, we would be unable to experience it