Criticisms Of Paley’s Design Argument From David Hume

Question 1

Who is David Hume?

Answer 1

• Born in 1711, Died in 1776
• Scottish
• Empiricist
• Most likely an atheist- critical of religion
• Exceptionally intellectual

Question 2

Criticism 1.

Answer 2

Even if we grant that the universe was designed there is no evidence that this was the God of christian theism. A lesser being could have designed the universe.
- A course must be proportional to its effect
- A wise man proportions his belief his evidence

He explores this further..
- Intelligent minds are attached to intelligent bodies
- Complex designed are usually created by teamwork

Question 3

Criticism 2.

Answer 3

The existence of evil and imperfection in the world does indeed suggest a limited designer
- Uses Epicurus’ inconsistent triad (How can God be omnipotent and omnibenevolent if evil exists)

• Hume states a long list of worldly ailments (wrongful thing) that afflict (done to) both humans and animals
• The universe could have been designed by an infant or senile God, but not a perfect creator

Question 4

Critcism 3.

Answer 4

Analogies between the way the universe works and the way machines work are unsound
- Comparisons between a watch and the world are not flawed
- The world is like a vegetable, and vegetables can grow themselves without a designer
-Hume anticipates Charles Darwins theory of evolution (evolutionists and biologists agree to an extent)

Question 5

Criticism 4.

Answer 5

To make an analogy between the designers of human machines and the designer of the universe is just anthropomorphism - we are trying to explain the universe in or own image

• Humans have no experience of universe-making
• Human experiences is limited to machines we design
• Comparing the designer of the watch, to the designer of the universe is extreme anthropomorphism

Question 6

Criticism 5.

Answer 6

The universe could have developed into a comparatively ordered state by chance
- ‘Epicurean hypothesis’ - Epicures taught that the basic constituents of the world were indivisible atoms
- The world is nothing more or less than atoms, changing over time
- Inevitable that at same point they would appear in an ordered state. This not the consequence of a creator
- Modern day physics suggests a multiverse, whereby multiple universe have a variety of structures - chaotic, semi-ordered, highly-ordered etc.
-Hume has not stated that God does not exist
- He states that the idea of a perfect creator is unrealistic
- There are other options/ideas which come in play