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The Argument from Design is a classic a posteriori argument for the existence of God, focusing on the regularity and purpose observed in the world. It posits that the intricate organization seen in nature, from planetary motion to biological systems like the eye, suggests a designer. This argument contrasts with those that infer design from complexity in the world. By drawing analogies between designed objects, such as watches, and the natural world, we conclude that just as mechanical objects require a designer, so does the universe.
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The Argument from Design One of the classic arguments for the existence of God It is a posteriori and inductive Begins with two basic observations: The world seems to contain both REGULARITY and PURPOSE
Regularity and Purpose • Consider the regular motion of planets or the consistency of a beating heart • Very unusual for such perfect organisation to occur naturally – suggests it has been designed, and this designer could only be God • Consider also the wings of a bird or the gills of a fish • They have a specific purpose which they achieve very efficiently • Seems very unlikely they could simply have popped into existence – consider the complexity of the eye • Again – suggests they have been designed
Arguments FOR design vs arguments FROM design • Some arguments start by looking at the complexity in the world, eg the complexity of living beings • They argue that these observations of the world lead to the conclusion that there must be a designer - they are arguments FOR design • An alternative is to start with certain designed objects such as a watch • We then notice a certain analogy between mechanical objects and the world • So we conclude that just as the watch is designed, the world must be • This is an argument FROM design, as we start by looking at something which is designed
