Argument from Design(William Paley, Stephen Jay Gould)

Question 1

Paley’s argument by analogy

Answer 1

The watch argument-if you find a watch and see it’s complexity you assume someone created it and you should apply that same logic to the universe and it’s complexity

Question 2

4 main differences between the watch and universe/organism addressed by Paley

Answer 2

Complexity and Function-the watch has a clear function while people and the universe do not; Paley argues that the complexity still suggest design even if the purpose isn’t apparent.

Origins and Material Composition- The materials used in creation are natural;Paley says that even if they’re natural they can still be used by a creator

Human Intervention- A human clearly was involved in the creation of the watch;Paley says that the intricacy of the universe shows the same thing for it

The Designer’s Role-the watch designer is directly involved in it’s creations and given purpose while a creator of the universe would not be involved in several of the possesses of creation(child birth, evolution, etc…) ; Paley says the intricacy of the universe still points towards a creator even if they aren’t directly involved with every process

Question 3

Gould’s Darwinian objection to the argument from design

Answer 3

1.Natural Selection-Gould argues that Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection offers a better explanation for the complexity and apparent design of life forms.

2.Misleading Appearance of Design-Gould contends that the apparent design in nature does not require an intelligent designer. Instead, it is the product of a blind, undirected process (evolution) that shapes organisms based on their ability to survive and reproduce.

3.Evidence of Non-Design-Gould points to the imperfect nature of many biological features as evidence against the argument for design. If a divine designer were responsible for life’s complexity, he argues, we would expect organisms to be perfectly designed for their environments.

4.Vestigial OrgansGould also uses the concept of vestigial structures (e.g., the human appendix or the pelvis in whales) as evidence that natural selection works with existing structures and repurposes them rather than designing new, perfect solutions from scratch.

5.Design Without Intentionality -Gould emphasizes that Darwin’s theory explains how apparent design can emerge without a conscious designer. Through evolutionary processes, complex organisms can arise without the need for external direction, simply through the survival of the fittest and gradual modifications over generations.

Question 4

Gould’s conception of the ‘designer’

Answer 4

Gould uses “design” metaphorically to describe the outcomes of evolutionary processes, not as evidence of a divine or intentional designer; He doesn’t believe in a divine entity

Question 5

Evolution and God

Answer 5

don’t coexist and Gould implicates that evolution disproves the designer