Single Idea 21276

[catalogued under 28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / b. Teleological Proof]

Full Idea

The inference is inevitable that the watch had a maker; that there must have existed, at some time, an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to answer, who designed its use.

Gist of Idea

From the obvious purpose and structure of a watch we must infer that it was designed

Source

William Paley (Natural Theology [1802], Ch 1)

Book Reference

'The Existence of God', ed/tr. Hick,John [Macmillan 1964], p.100


A Reaction

It rather begs the question to refer to an ordered structure as a 'design'. Why do we think it is absurd to think the the 'purpose' of the sun is to benefit mankind? Suppose we found a freakish natural sundial in the woods.

Related Ideas

Idea 21275 Unlike a stone, the parts of a watch are obviously assembled in order to show the time [Paley]

Idea 21278 All the signs of design found in a watch are also found in nature [Paley]