William Paley's Argument from Design:
William Paley's "argument from design" is one of the best arguments used to discuss about the existence of God. Although, this argument was stated by Thomas Aquinas as the fifth of his "Five Ways", it is evident that William Paley used it to explain things do not simply exist; they appear to have been designed with some form of purpose in mind.
William Paley's "argument of design" had a profound influence on popular English religious thought in the first half of the 19th century. Paley in fact was impressed by Newton's discovery of the regularity of nature, especially in relation to the area usually known as "celestial mechanics." It was clear that the entire universe could be thought of as a complex mechanism, operating according to regular and understandable principles. From this Newton's principle, Paley suggested the metaphor of a clock or watch, raising the question of who constructed the complex mechanism which was so evidently displayed in the functioning of the world.
Paley's most significant arguments is that mechanism implies "contrivance", that is something that is cleverly planned with complex mechanism. And to put this in perspective, Paley thought to exploit the apologetic potential of the growing interest in machinery at that period of time within England's literate classes. The most famous machinery included "watches, telescopes, stocking-mills and steam engines." At that point of time, England was experiencing the Industrial Revolution, in which machinery was coming to play an increasingly important role in industry. Paley argue that only someone who is mad would suggest that such complex mechanical technology came into being by purposeless chance.
Mechanism presupposes contrivance- that is to say, a sense of purpose and an ability to design and fabricate. Both the human body in particular, and the world in general, are to be seen as mechanisms which have been designed and constructed in such a manner as to achieve harmony of both means and ends. The world, Paley argues, may therefore be compared to a watch - to something that has clearly been constructed with a specific purpose in mind.
My Opinion:
My opinion is that Willam Paley's argument is quite constructive in explaining the purpose of our existence and that there is a creator who created us. We don't exist by ourselves.
The cup was made with a purpose in mind by the designer; it was basically created by man. It was designed by man to fulfill some purpose; cup didn't give itself some purpose. Similarly, God created man and it is God who gave purpose for man. We don't exist by ourselves. Why is exists? The answer lies within the question of why God created us. In same context, the watch doesn't exist by itself; rather it was built with a common purpose of telling the time.
Also it is true that a painted picture doesn't exist without a painter who designed it. A photographed picture doesn't exist if there is none to have clicked the picture with a camera. That is true with creation of this world.
Putting it a perspective of a story, there were two scientists who were working in a laboratory. One scientist made a replica of the globe with clay. The scientist who made the clay was a believer. However, the other scientist who was a non-believer came the next day and saw the replica of globe created in clay and wondered who created this beautiful globe. Simply speaking, the globe didn't exist in itself. Rather it was planned, designed and carefully crafted. In same perspective, it is to be understood that, the world exists not by itself but here is a designer who is God, there is a creator whom we know as God.
William Paley's "argument from design" is one of the best arguments used to discuss about the existence of God. Although, this argument was stated by Thomas Aquinas as the fifth of his "Five Ways", it is evident that William Paley used it to explain things do not simply exist; they appear to have been designed with some form of purpose in mind.
William Paley's "argument of design" had a profound influence on popular English religious thought in the first half of the 19th century. Paley in fact was impressed by Newton's discovery of the regularity of nature, especially in relation to the area usually known as "celestial mechanics." It was clear that the entire universe could be thought of as a complex mechanism, operating according to regular and understandable principles. From this Newton's principle, Paley suggested the metaphor of a clock or watch, raising the question of who constructed the complex mechanism which was so evidently displayed in the functioning of the world.
Paley's most significant arguments is that mechanism implies "contrivance", that is something that is cleverly planned with complex mechanism. And to put this in perspective, Paley thought to exploit the apologetic potential of the growing interest in machinery at that period of time within England's literate classes. The most famous machinery included "watches, telescopes, stocking-mills and steam engines." At that point of time, England was experiencing the Industrial Revolution, in which machinery was coming to play an increasingly important role in industry. Paley argue that only someone who is mad would suggest that such complex mechanical technology came into being by purposeless chance.
Mechanism presupposes contrivance- that is to say, a sense of purpose and an ability to design and fabricate. Both the human body in particular, and the world in general, are to be seen as mechanisms which have been designed and constructed in such a manner as to achieve harmony of both means and ends. The world, Paley argues, may therefore be compared to a watch - to something that has clearly been constructed with a specific purpose in mind.
My Opinion:
My opinion is that Willam Paley's argument is quite constructive in explaining the purpose of our existence and that there is a creator who created us. We don't exist by ourselves.
The cup was made with a purpose in mind by the designer; it was basically created by man. It was designed by man to fulfill some purpose; cup didn't give itself some purpose. Similarly, God created man and it is God who gave purpose for man. We don't exist by ourselves. Why is exists? The answer lies within the question of why God created us. In same context, the watch doesn't exist by itself; rather it was built with a common purpose of telling the time.
Also it is true that a painted picture doesn't exist without a painter who designed it. A photographed picture doesn't exist if there is none to have clicked the picture with a camera. That is true with creation of this world.
Putting it a perspective of a story, there were two scientists who were working in a laboratory. One scientist made a replica of the globe with clay. The scientist who made the clay was a believer. However, the other scientist who was a non-believer came the next day and saw the replica of globe created in clay and wondered who created this beautiful globe. Simply speaking, the globe didn't exist in itself. Rather it was planned, designed and carefully crafted. In same perspective, it is to be understood that, the world exists not by itself but here is a designer who is God, there is a creator whom we know as God.
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