Thesis –The design argument is an argument for God’s existence based off of
perceived temporal or spatial regularity in the world. They are empirical
arguments aiming to prove the existence of God, meaning that they are
determined by observation or experience rather than pure logic. However it
is extremely flawed as it does not prove God's existence.
P1- Hume argument from analogy of the machine
- Concerns spatial order.
- Analogy is a form of induction, which means that an argument from
analogy is never conclusive, but it is rather a matter of higher or lesser
degrees of probability.
- An argument from analogy is, therefore, an argument from
resemblances.
- These resemblances are then used to support additional claims that
the two things have other resemblances that are not immediately
observable. i.e, If X and Y significantly resemble each other, since X
has property Z, Y also PROBABLY has Z.
Hume's design argument from analogy can be formalised as follows:
P1. The universe resembles products of human design (the universe is
like a machine.)
P2. By the 'rule of analogy,' if X and Y resemble each other, their
causes resemble each other.
P3. The cause of the products of human design is an intelligent
designer.
C1. Therefore, the cause of the universe is, similarly, an intelligent
designer.
Since the products of human design are so similar to the effects that
we discover in the natural world, we may infer that the causes of these
effects are similarly alike: they are both designed by intelligent
designers.
Since the complexity of the universe vastly exceeds anything
manmade, we must further infer that the designer of the universe
vastly exceeds any human designer in intelligence. Thus, the designer
of the universe has divine intelligence, God.
P2 - reply weak analogy
Being an argument from analogy, its quality depends on the strength
of the resemblance between the universe and the products of human
design.
perceived temporal or spatial regularity in the world. They are empirical
arguments aiming to prove the existence of God, meaning that they are
determined by observation or experience rather than pure logic. However it
is extremely flawed as it does not prove God's existence.
P1- Hume argument from analogy of the machine
- Concerns spatial order.
- Analogy is a form of induction, which means that an argument from
analogy is never conclusive, but it is rather a matter of higher or lesser
degrees of probability.
- An argument from analogy is, therefore, an argument from
resemblances.
- These resemblances are then used to support additional claims that
the two things have other resemblances that are not immediately
observable. i.e, If X and Y significantly resemble each other, since X
has property Z, Y also PROBABLY has Z.
Hume's design argument from analogy can be formalised as follows:
P1. The universe resembles products of human design (the universe is
like a machine.)
P2. By the 'rule of analogy,' if X and Y resemble each other, their
causes resemble each other.
P3. The cause of the products of human design is an intelligent
designer.
C1. Therefore, the cause of the universe is, similarly, an intelligent
designer.
Since the products of human design are so similar to the effects that
we discover in the natural world, we may infer that the causes of these
effects are similarly alike: they are both designed by intelligent
designers.
Since the complexity of the universe vastly exceeds anything
manmade, we must further infer that the designer of the universe
vastly exceeds any human designer in intelligence. Thus, the designer
of the universe has divine intelligence, God.
P2 - reply weak analogy
Being an argument from analogy, its quality depends on the strength
of the resemblance between the universe and the products of human
design.
