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Full Idea
It is not necessary that a machine be perfect, in order to show with what design it was made.
Gist of Idea
Even an imperfect machine can exhibit obvious design
Source
William Paley (Natural Theology [1802], Ch 1)
Book Ref
'The Existence of God', ed/tr. Hick,John [Macmillan 1964], p.101
A Reaction
This encounters Hume's point that you will then have to infer that the designer contains similar imperfections. If you look at plagues, famines and mothers dying in childbirth (see Mill), you might wish the designer had never started.
21275 | Unlike a stone, the parts of a watch are obviously assembled in order to show the time [Paley] |
21276 | From the obvious purpose and structure of a watch we must infer that it was designed [Paley] |
21277 | Even an imperfect machine can exhibit obvious design [Paley] |
21278 | All the signs of design found in a watch are also found in nature [Paley] |
21357 | No organ shows purpose more obviously than the eyelid [Paley] |