Explain Paley's teleological argument Paley's version of the teleological argument argues that structure or order or purpose in the universe

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The Teleological Argument-June 2003

  1. Explain Paley’s teleological argument

     Paley’s version of the teleological argument argues that structure or order or purpose in the universe is evidence for the idea of a creator or a designer. Paley says this designer is God. Paley’s argument works by analogy, this is when 2 cases are compared and what is true about one is then claimed to be true of the other. Similar effects imply similar causes, this is argument from analogy. The argument is based on goals or ends or purposes and a designer is needed to explain the goal-orientated structure of such objects in the universe.

     Paley uses the idea of a watch created by a designer and compares this with the eye. This analogy of the watch is used to argue for the existence of a designer- who is God. The following example is used to explain the teleological argument. A watch has a complex structure, it has cogs, hands etc. An eye also has a complex structure, the retina, pupil etc. The complex structure of the watch allows it to display the time of day. The complex structure of the eye allows us to see. Without the structure of the watch it could not display the time. Similarly without the complex structure of the eye, it would not be able to see. The structure of the watch is the result of an intelligent designer. The structure of the eye is also the result of an intelligent designer, this is God. So the goal- orientated design of the watch led us to claim that it is made by a designer, so the goal- orientated design of objects in the universe eg. Eyes should also lead us to claim they were also the product of a designer. Paley also says that because natural objects display an even greater degree of intricate and sophisticated design than man- made objects, the designer of these natural objects must be even more intelligent and have even greater creative powers than man.

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      From experience and observation we can conclude that wherever an object (or system) has parts ordered, arranged, and inter- related in a complex, delicately balanced way, so a certain purpose can be achieved, then the object (or system) is the product of an intelligent designer. Paley’s argument is inductive; this is when there is no guarantee between the truth of the premise and the truth of the conclusion. The conclusion is probable and it is an aim to persuade the audience rather than to offer conclusive proof. It is also a synthetic proposition (existential proposition), this ...

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