Plato, Pao And Hume's Argument For Design

Register to read the introduction… Firstly, Plato said that mind orders all things; this is shown through the fifth of Aquinas’ five ways. An analogy was made between the universe and a man-made machine; Paley used this through his philosophy of the watch. He claimed that anyone finding a watch for the first time might not understand its functions yet would be able to recognise that it is not a result of chance, but the creation of an intelligent being. The watch demands a watchmaker. In the same way the universe demands a designer, it simply could not be the product of chance. Thus, there must be a superior being, big enough to create a supreme artefact such as the universe. Finally, David Hume likened the world to ‘one great machine subdivided into an infinite number of lesser machines’. This theory however leads to the philosophy that similar effects require a similar cause. Through the thrust of Hume’s argument, he introduces us to two characters that express the argument for design; whilst a third, namely Philo, criticises the …show more content…
He states that the universe exhibits very precise chemical, thermal and astronomical features, such that there is an unimaginably low possibility that the composition, which is the world, could be merely the result of chance; this directs Tennant to the belief that there must be a guiding hand behind the process. It is no coincidence that the earth and its formations are logically and scientifically perfect for the production, reproduction and development of human existence, but instead, the earth functions in the way God intended it to. There is of course a counter argument for this, otherwise known as the Anthropic Principle. Through this, Brandon Carter expresses the principle that we should not be surprised that the universe is as it is, because simply, if it were not, one would not be in existence to be surprised or furthermore, to question such motions. He goes on to say the universe had to evolve one way or another, and one may examine that although it was not entirely impossible for the universe to turn out in the way it did, it was exceedingly unlikely; however this doesn’t mean one could not turn around and claim that it happened through chance. Carter believed this to be entirely possible. The problem with the Anthropic argument is that it treats human existence of prime importance and thus, does not consider the other wonderful creations; one could also claim that had the world turned out entirely differently, we as humans may have not been a superiority within the minute realms of the physical