From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Therefore, we can infer, since like causes resemble like effects, and both the watch and the world show signs of complex and intelligent mechanisms, both have been designed by an 'intelligent designger'; the watch by humans and the world by God. Statement of the Argument In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone, and were asked how the stone … The expression, “the law of metallic nature,” may sound strange and harsh to a philosophic ear; but it seems quite as justifiable as some others which are more familiar to him such as “the law of vegetable nature,” “the law of animal nature,” or, indeed, as “the law of nature” in general, when assigned as the cause of phenomena in exclusion of agency and power, or when it is substituted into the place of these. *Kaizen* interviews on entrepreneurship and ethics, Philosophy of Education — Course Lectures, From the Office of the Reproducer-General. Read William Paley's "The Watch and the Human Eye" (Feldman: 91-102). For, as to the first branch of the case, if by the loss, or disorder, or decay of the parts in question, the movement of the watch were found in fact to be stopped, or disturbed, or retarded, no doubt would remain in our minds as to the utility or intention of these parts, although we should be unable to investigate the manner according to which, or the connection by which, the ultimate effect depended upon their action or assistance; and the more complex is the machine, the more likely is this obscurity to arise. Here is my video-lecture discussion of the traditional Argument from Design. William Paley was an English clergyman, Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. Paley argued that just as the watch being designed necessitates a designer to explain why it exists.. By definition, a miracle is impossible.” Discuss. Paley’s teleological argument for the existence of God makes an analogy between a watch and the universe. One to one online tution can be a great way to brush up on your Religious Studies knowledge. William Paley (1743 - 1805) was a British philosopher whose writings on natural theology and moral/political philosophy were largely influential amongst British and American thinkers. Yet why should not this answer serve for the watch as well as for the stone? William Paley’s Watch maker argument The above are not the words Paley use. Paley’s teleological argument is: just as the function and complexity of a watch implies a watch-maker, so likewise the function and complexity of the universe implies the existence of a universe-maker.Paley also addressed a number of possible counterarguments Objection: We don’t know who the watchmaker is.Paley: Just … Watchmaker Analogy: A history of the teleological argument based on the watch analogy is sketched with quotations from the original sources in this entry from the Wikipedia. William Paley gave his watch analogy in an attempt to prove that the universe has an intelligent designer. II. that they are so formed and adjusted as to produce motion, and that motion so regulated as to point out the hour of the day; that, if the different parts had been differently shaped from size from what they what they are, if a different size from what they are, or placed after any other manner, or in any other order than that in which they are placed, either no motion at all would have been carried on in the machine, or none which would have answered the use that is now served by it. Required fields are marked *, The Watch and Watchmaker analogy for the existence of a god. The 'watch analogy' from William Paley is an 'a posteriori' (based upon experience, as opposed to the use of logic) argument for the existence of God. Introduction to Philosophy — Course Topics, Blamestorming and Environmental Problems (Part II) [Good Life series], Consciousness & Time: Part I: Vulcans, Zombies, & Desert Islands – The Orthosphere, Idea Festival 2020: Cuidad de Los Ideas (Mexico), Eton teacher Knowland fired for Patriarchy discussion, The Black Plague, and a political cautionary tale, A Conversation with Dr. Jordan Peterson [Open College transcripts], Arachne vs. Athena: Moral Philosophy Begins [Open College podcast], Press Release: People of Color and Gender Equality Working Group, Christian Socialism and C. S. Lewis [Open College transcript], Artists Need Free Minds and Free Markets [Colombia talk], Rioting over the truly important things in life, Stephen Hicks Interview with Glenn Beck [Open College transcript]. Therefore, by this argument, Paley concludes that an intelligent God exists and this God created the world. William Paley begins his “Argument from Design” by enumerating key differences between two obviously dissimilar objects—a stone and a watch. Does one man in a million know how oval frames are turned? Nor would it, I apprehend, weaken the conclusion, that we had never seen a watch made; that we had never known an artist capable of making one; that we were altogether incapable of executing such a piece of workmanship ourselves, or of understanding in what manner it was performed; all this being no more than what is true of some exquisite remains of ancient art, of some lost arts, and, to the generality of mankind, of the more curious productions of modern manufacture. These points being known, his ignorance of other points, his doubts concerning other points, affect not the certainty of his reasoning. The watchmaker analogy or watchmaker argument is a teleological argument which states, by way of an analogy, that a design implies a designer.The analogy has played a prominent role in natural theology and the “argument from design,” where it was used to support arguments for the existence of God and for the intelligent … He has in mind an old analog watch, since that is all there were in his time.   And not less surprised to be informed, that the watch in his hand was nothing more than the result of the laws of metallic nature. Design qua Regularity An argument that shows evidence of an intelligent designer by virtue of the order and regularity shown in the universe. For this reason, and for no other; viz., that, when we come to inspect the watch, we perceive (what we could not discover in the stone) that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose, e.g. The argument makes use of an anaology as Paley compares a watch and the Earth/universe. )Paley's teleological argument is based on an analogy: Watchmaker is to watch as God is to universe. We next observe a flexible chain (artificially wrought for the sake of flexure) communicating the action of the spring from the box to the fusee. Especially helpful on this site … And my article-length discussion of the argument is posted here.] Paley likens this to the complexity of the world and argues that the world exhibits similar, if not suprior complexity. The Watchmaker Analogy was mentioned by a Christian apologist and philosopher named William Paley(1743-1805). 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