Design Argument

Question 1

What type of argument is the design argument?

Answer 1

• A posteriori, meaning that it is based on sense experience
• Inductive, premises used to supply strong evidence for the truth of the conclusion.
• Teleological, explains the existence of God through the purpose of the universe.
• Analogical argument since it is based off of an analogy.

Question 2

What are Paley’s three observations about the world?

Answer 2

• Its complexity, complexity of the natural world, complexity of biological organisms and the eye.
• Its regularity, regularity of the orbits of the planets and the regularity of the seasons of the year.
• Its purpose, Paley observes the machines that we make and infers that they are built for a purpose. The complexity and regularity of a watch implies it has a purpose, even if we do not know what the purpose is. Our observation of the complexity and regularity of the world therefore implies the the world too has a purpose.

Question 3

Summarize Paley’s design argument?

Answer 3

• Some objects in the world show clear evidence that they were designed because they exhibit complexity and regularity, from which we can infer that they were made for a purpose.
• The universe appears to exhibit complexity and regularity, from which we can infer that it was made for a purpose.
• So, it is likely that the universe was designed. “The marks of design are too strong, design must have a designer, that designer is God.”

Question 4

Summarize Paley’s analogy?

Answer 4

• A man walks across a heath and finds a stone which he infers has “lain there forever” due to its simplicity.
• Suppose the man finds a watch upon the ground and it appears that its “several parts are formed and put together for a purpose”, it would be absurd to claim that the watch had lain there forever as well.
• So, Paley formulates his argument as such,
  o A watch has complex parts, each with a function, and the parts work together for a specific purpose.
  o So, the watch must have been designed by a watchmaker.
  o Similarly, the world has parts that function together for a purpose.
  o So, the world must have been designed by a world maker.
  o The world is a far more complex design than a watch, so its designer is much greater than any human designer.
  o This world designer is God.

Question 5

What are Hume’s criticisms of the design argument?

Answer 5

• 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 wise man proportions his belief to the evidence”.
• The existence of evil and imperfection in the world does indeed suggest a limited designer. Epicurus’ inconsistent triad. God is omnipotent, God is omnibenevolent, but evil exists. So, Hume comments, is God willing to prevent evil, but not able, then he is impotent. Is he able but not willing, then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing, when then is evil?
• Analogies between the way the universe works, and the way machines work are unsound.
• To make an analogy between the designers of human machines and the designer of the universe is just anthropomorphism.
• The universe could have developed into a comparatively ordered state simply by chance. Epicurean Hypothesis.

Question 6

What are the weaknesses of the design argument?

Answer 6

• 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 wise man proportions his belief to the evidence”.
• The existence of evil and imperfection in the world does indeed suggest a limited designer.
  o Epicurus’ inconsistent triad.
   God is omnipotent, God is omnibenevolent, but evil exists.
  o So, Hume comments, is God willing to prevent evil, but not able, then he is impotent. Is he able but not willing, then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing, when then is evil?
• Hume’s argument that the universe is more like a vegetable than a machine, and that vegetables do not need designers, is backed up strongly by the theory of evolution.

Question 7

What are the strengths of the design argument?

Answer 7

• Paley may be right to argue that the designer is the all-powerful Christian God, because this is the simplest explanation. ‘Simplicity is always evidence for the truth’.
• Paley argued that evil may be unavoidable in order for God to bring about good. Free will defence. Process theology. Hick’s Soul Making theodicy.
• Paley’s argument that ‘nature shows intention’ becomes stronger when supported by the anthropic principle.

Question 8

Evaluate the value of Paley’s design argument for religious faith?

Answer 8

• Supports faith by reasoning which matches Pope John Paull II’s argument that faith and reason should be mutually supportive and not exclusive. Natural Theologians view.
• Provides a reasoned argument which defends against atheists which has no more evidence for the non-existence of God than Paley has for God’s existence.
• Has no value for fideists.