Paley Flashcards
Which analogy does palsy use to demonstrate design qua purpose
The watch analogy
What is the purpose of a watch
To tell the time
3 examples Paley uses for design qua purpose
A birds wing, designed to fly
Fins of a fish, designed for swimming
Mammals lacteal system, designed to feed the correct number of young
What does Paley compare with things in the universe
The complexity of the design of the watch
What things within the universe did Paley compare the watch too
The eye, claiming that that too was a complex piece of ‘machinery’
Who is the designer for Paley?
God
What is impossible?
To think of the complexity and purpose of the eye without thinking of a designer
Examples of design qua regularity
The relationship between planets in the solar system
Gravity
Seasons
Why does design qua regularity point to a designer?
Because there must be a calculating being who purposefully created then universe according to a well constructed plan, this is God
What if we have never seen a watch before?
Paley responded to this by saying that: even if you had not seen a watch before, you could still infer a designer (just as we have not seen God or another world)
What if the watch didn’t work properly?
Paley responded to this by saying: even if the watch didn’t work properly (just as there are faults in the world), there is still evidence of design. Paley is not addressing the quality of design merely the fact there is design
