0
"In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone and were asked how the stone came to be there, I might possibly answer that for anything I knew to the contrary it had lain there forever; nor would it be very easy to show the absurdity of this answer. But suppose I had found a watch upon the ground, and it should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place. I should hardly think of the answer which I had given before, that for anything I knew the watch might have always been there. Yet why should not this answer serve for the watch as well as for the stone? Why is it not as admissible? When we come to inspect the watch, we perceive-what we could not discover in the stone-that its parts are framed and have been put together. We notice more: we find a series of wheels, the teeth of which catch in, and apply to, each other, conducting the motion to the balance and from the balance to the pointer. Further, we notice that the wheels are made of brass to prevent rust; the sprinsg of steel (no other metal being so elastic); that over the face of the watch there is placed a glass, a material employed in no other part of the work, and without which the hour could not been seen without opening the case. This mechanism being observed, the inference, we think is inevitable: the watch must have had a maker, and been designed for a purpose.Every observation which was made concerning the watch may be repeated with strict propriety concerning the eye, animals, plants, - indeed all the organised parts of the works of nature. The eyewould be alone sufficient to support the conclusion which we draw from it, as to the necessity of an intelligent Creator" (Natural Theology 1802)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, the Teleological argument, or argument from design, is an argument for the existence of God or a creator based on perceived evidence of order, purpose, design and/or direction in nature. The word "teleological" is derived from the Greek word telos, meaning end or purpose. For Paley, if it is nonsense to say the watch came about by chance, or has always existed, then is equally nonsensical to say the Universe came about by chance, or has always been; the Universe (like the watch) is much too complicated , and shows evidence of design and purpose for that to be the case. It may be summed up in the following simple formulation: # Complexity implies a designer. # The Universe is highly complex. # Therefore, the Universe has a Designer
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What does the word teleological mean?
The word teleological means of or pertaining to ends, goals or purposes.The teleological argument is an argument for the existence of God, which begins with the allegedly empirical premise that there is order in the universe and that there must be a cosmic intelligence to account forthis order. This argument was popularised by William Paley, who said that if we found a watch we would expect it to have been designed by a watchmaker.
What was William paleys theory?
he Analogical Teleological Argument of Paley: If I stumbled on a stone and asked how it came to be there, it would be difficult to show that the answer, it has lain there forever is absurd. Yet this is not true if the stone were to be a watch.
What is the William Paley watch theory?
The William Paley watch theory, also known as the argument from design, posits that the complexity and order found in the natural world suggest the presence of a designer (God) much like how a watch implies the existence of a watchmaker. Paley's argument is often used to support the idea of intelligent design in the universe.
What common day item does William Paley use?
He used a pocket watch.
Who was behind the watch theory?
The eighteenth century theologian, William Paley originated the analogy of the Watchmaker.
How can you know that God exists by looking at creation from order?
Seeking to prove the existence of God by looking at the order in creation, is known as the Teleological Argument. It was proposed by William Paley, who compared the universe to a watch. His argument was that when we see a watch, we know that it had a designer; so when we look at the universe we know that it also had a Designer. He pointed to the human eye and said that this could not have come about but by design. In fact, modern creationists say that the eye must have been created originally just as it is, and could not have evolved. The Teleological Argument is now considered an unsound argument which can not be used to prove the existence of God. It has even been shown how the human eye would have evolved from simpler forms that actually do exist in nature, all the way back to patches of light sensitive skin, the most primitive eye possible. It is not possible to know that God exists by looking at creation from order.
What does watchful mean?
When talking about religion references to a watch are often influenced by William Paley's philosophical argument that, for Paley, proves the existence of a supernatural deity that created the world by explaining the discovery of a watch, and subsequently a watchmaker - analogous to the world's complex structure and therefore the likelihood a complex maker having played a role in its construction. During periods of colonialism, watches represented an empire's superiority and may have been exhibited specifically to remind the indigenous peoples of this relationship. A watch may be used relatively easily in many metaphors that reflect the temporary nature of life and its inevitable demise. Although this might be seen as largely unoriginal and problematic due to the vast philosophical differences between organic and synthetic artifacts that may render Paley's argument invalid.
What does a watch mean?
When talking about religion references to a watch are often influenced by William Paley's philosophical argument that, for Paley, proves the existence of a supernatural deity that created the world by explaining the discovery of a watch, and subsequently a watchmaker - analogous to the world's complex structure and therefore the likelihood a complex maker having played a role in its construction. During periods of colonialism, watches represented an empire's superiority and may have been exhibited specifically to remind the indigenous peoples of this relationship. A watch may be used relatively easily in many metaphors that reflect the temporary nature of life and its inevitable demise. Although this might be seen as largely unoriginal and problematic due to the vast philosophical differences between organic and synthetic artifacts that may render Paley's argument invalid.
Does the design argument prove that God exists?
The "design argument" is simply that anything complex must have a designer. For example, if you take apart a computer, and examine all of it's parts, you must conclude that it was designed by an intelligent source. Computers don't randomly appear; there must be a designer. A human life, for example, is much more complex than any computer. If a computer demands a designer to exist, how much more must human life demand a Designer.
How did Paley prove there is a God?
A:Paley never proved there is a God, although he was one of many who tried to do so. He most famously enunciated the Teleological Argument, which says there can not be design without a designer. He observed that whenever we see something that "its various parts are framed and put together for a purpose," for example a watch, we must conclude that it has been devised for this purpose by an intelligent designer. This is a true statement, but a flawed argument for the existence of God, since it assumes that what we see in nature is "purpose."His favourite example of design in nature is the eye. He said that its delicate and intricate nature could only have come about by design. Others have suggested that the eye could not have evolved because there is no reason to have an organ that does not yet see - either you have an eye or you do not. However, more recent scientific research does indeed show that there are intermediate stages in the formation of primitive eyes and there is no longer reason to believe eyes did not evolve.
Why is William Wallace famous and why?
watch braveheart
Who developed the watchmaker analogy?
William Paley argued in 1802, that there was purposeful perfection in the world, and that this was analagous to finding a watch, and knowing that natural forces could not have created it. It is the forerunner of the modern Intelligent Design movement's argument of irreducible complexity. However "Paley never provided a rigorous standard for detecting design in nature." from What is Intelligent Design? by Mark Hartwig Modern ID however looks for sequence specificity and complexity. Darwin himself wrote: 'If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.'This is what modern ID proponents claim to have evidence of--organs that are so complex, they could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight variations, because such variations would not provide any individual benefit for natural selection.
