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PALEY'S ANALOGICAL ARGUMENT - BASIS IN OBSERVATION - Coggle Diagram
PALEY'S ANALOGICAL ARGUMENT - BASIS IN OBSERVATION
AO1
A posteriori argument
- based on sense experience
Observe through the world, touch, taste, hearing, smell + sight
Therefore, can draw conclusions
Inductive reasoning
Where we use premises to supply evidence to provide truths to then reach a conclusion
What is probably true
Gives us new knowledge
Paley's conclusion is therefore at best probably true + that the universe was designed
Three particular observations about the world
Its regularity
- Paley observes the
complexity of the orbits of comets, moons, planets + seasons of the year
Its purpose
- Paley
observes the machines made
+ say they are
built for a purpose.
Complexity + regularity of the watch implies that it has a purpose
even if we don't know what it is
. This is used in relation to the world, it does have a purpose
Its complexity -
Paley observes the complexity of the natural world. e.g. looks at the
complexity of organisms + organs
such as the eye. He also looks at the
complexity of the laws of nature
by which everything is governed
Paley's further example, eye superbly adapted for vision which has the right arrangements to achieve its purpose, which is to allow individuals to see - just how a watch has all the right arrangements to be able to achieve telling the time
Paley's inductive argument summary
The
universe
appears to
show complexity + regularity
so we can then infer it
has purpose
So, it is
likely
that the
universe was designed
Some
objects in the world show clear evidence
that they were
designed to show complexity + regularity which infers it has a purpose
Watch analogy
Similarly, the universe has parts that have different functions which fufill a purpose
So, the universe must've been designed by a universe maker
So, the watch must've been designed by a watchmaker
The universe is a far more wonderful design than a watch, so the designer is much greater than any other human designer
A watch has complex parts with different functions + have a specific purpose
The universe designer is God
"The mechanism being observed... is inevitable ...the watch must've had a maker"
- PALEY
AO3
A broken watch could weaken his argument
- Paley then says even if it was broke, it still must've been designed in the first place
DAVID HUME
Hume died before Paley but many of his comments apply to Playe's argument
EVEN IF WE BELIEVED THAT THE UNIVERSE WAS DESIGNED, HOW DO WE KNOW IT WAS GOD OF CHRISTIAN THEISM - IT COULD BE A LESSER BEING
cause must be proportional to its effect
essentially , you assume something is possible, all you need is what accounts for it.
If there is a designer, a lesser being could be responsible
E.g. Paley infers that the designer of the universe is God , but, although this inference may be true, it is out of proportion to the evidence.
HUME also explores the idea of
more than one designer
Wherever we find intelligent minds, we find them attached to physical bodies
Hume speculated that the
designer may in fact have body,
possibly that the designer was
mortal + died a long time ago
Design is a result of team work, so there's no reason to assume it was one singular being that created the universe
Existence of evil in world = inconsistent triad
Would not expect this type of world from an infinite power
For all we know design could've occurred through an infant God
PALEY
ARGUED AGAINST DAVIDS HUME CRITICISM OF THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL + STATES THAT EVIL IS UNAVOIDABLE IN ORDER FOR GOD TO BRING ABOUT GOOD
Free will
- freedom to choose extreme evil which means there is also freedom available to choose extreme goods
Process Theology
- maintain s the idea that God is all loving but not all-powerful
SIMPLE, INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT
Based on induction - what we observe- and the world has the appearance of design
Immanuel accepted the argument, not for the existence of God but because the order of the heavens above him filled him with awe