design argument

• paleys observations include the human eye, earwigs and milk
• “there is precisely the same proof that the eye was made for vision, as there is that the telescope was made for assisting it.” Paley
• “The hinges in the wings of an earwig, and the joints of its antennae, are as highly wrought, as if the Creator had nothing else to finish." Paley
• “The lacteal system is a constant wonder: that the number of teats or paps in each species is found to bear a proportion to the number of the young.” Paley
• paley argued that even on the smallest scale there's evidence of craft and skill. everything in the world has been taken care of and by that logic god will care for us too
• the universe has order, purpose and regularity

  the complexity of the universe shows evidence of design

  such design needs a designer

  this designer is god
• if we found a watch we could see from the fact that it's parts are put together for a purpose that it must have a maker. the watch hasn't always been there
• paleys pre emptions

  1. biological entities reproducing. considers possibility of a watch which could reproduce, this means we would admire the designer more and not doubt them
  2. evil in the world - creatures in the world are so happy they dont know what to do with themselves
• the watchmakers analogy in detail

  • a watch has parts which are ordered and work together to fulfil a purpose
  • the design of the watch tells us there is a designer and they must be smart
  • the universe is mechanistic with parts put together designed to achieve purposes
  • the design of the universe tells us there is a designer and they must be smart
  • they only one smart enough is god
• the existence of the watch implies the existence of the watchmaker. analogously, the existence of the world implies the existence of a world maker
• hume died before paley. he's objecting to the design argument, not paley's argument specifically
• humes objections

  weak analogy, epicurean thesis and effect to cause
• weak analogy objection

  not similar enough to be compared.

  hume argued that a vegetable eg a cabbage may be more like the universe. but from a cabbe, we do not infer a cabbage-maker. by choosing something manmade we determine the outcome
• hume claims there's nothing in the universe to which a universe can be compared
• order by chance objection

  order is part of the world's existence. if everything was random and nothing suited it's purpose then the world wouldn't be here

  it's not enough to show the world is orderly to conclude god designed it. we cannot prove the order isn't chance and therefore we cannot prove it had to be god
• epicurean thesis objection

  with a finite number of particles and infinite time, everything that can happen, will happen

  freely moving around particles will undergo every possible combination

  it's just the stable order we live

  • we don't have infinite time
• effect to cause objection

  hume criticizes the design argument for assuming if we look at the effects we can infer the cause.

  he uses the example of a pair of scales with one end hidden from view - we don't know how much the other end outweighs it

  could therefore not be judeochristian god, could be a team, a stupid god, an infant, a demon etc
• status as a proof

  not 100% certain

  • jurors, beyond reasonable doubt?

  inductive arguments are probabilities, not proofs.

  uses an analogy, similar not the same

  informative, not demonstrative
• value for religious faith

  supports faith by reasoning. natural theology

  religious defence against atheism

  basis for belief?

  cumulative argument

  • leaky bucket counterargument

  faith doesn't depend on proof

  h.h price