William Paley

Argumentative Essay # 99218

English > Argument
Religion and Theology

William Paley

A review of William Paley's arguments of the divine design of the Universe.

867 words () | 4 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at William Paley's conception that the design and purpose of the universe is such that it is impossible for anything other than an omniscient designer to be responsible for its formulation. Specifically, the paper argues that Paley's theory about a divine creator falters for the reason that the teleological arguments upon which it is based depends upon a number of assumptions that are both un-provable and arbitrary.

From the Paper:

"In closing, it seems clear that Paley's argument is fraught with difficulty. Not least of all, he rests it upon a number of complacent, subjective and anthropomorphic assumptions that are ultimately un-provable and therefore unsatisfactory as defenses for intelligent design. Not to be overlooked, Cline argues that Paley simply "takes it for granted" that human beings can actually divine that there is a purpose to the universe; such a view is problematic inasmuch as we really have no way of knowing what purposes were in the "mind" of the "creator" who brought the universe into being (assuming such a thing happened) whereas we are all aware that watch-makers who put watches together are clearly guided by the design purpose of building a watch. In the final analysis, Mr. Paley's work is a noble effort, but it cannot be supported after a careful review."

Sample of Sources Used:

Cline, Austin. "Rebuttal to the Argument to Design". Agnosticism/Atheism. 2006. The New York Times Company. 7 Aug. 2006 <http://atheism.about.com/od/argumentsforgod/a/design_2.htm>
Cline, Austin. "Teleology and Design". Agnosticism/Atheism. 2006. The New York Times Company. 7 Aug. 2006 <http://atheism.about.com/od/argumentsforgod/a/design.htm>
"Teleology". Teleology: Definition and Much More from Answers.com. 2006. Answers Corporation. 6 Aug. 2006 <http://www.answers.com/topic/teleology>
Weiss, P.L. "Paley's Teleological Argument for the Existence of God". Christian Philosophy Made Simple. N.d. P.L. Weiss. 7 Aug. 2006 <http://members.aol.com/plweiss1/paley.htm>