Analyzing Hume's Critique of the Design Argument by Michael Lacewing
The design argument contends that the intricate order in the universe suggests a designer. Michael Lacewing delves into Hume's objections to this argument, highlighting how the analogy between human-made objects and the universe falls short in establishing a similar cause. Hume questions the logic of inferring an intelligent mind as the creator of the universe based on the limited nature of human thought. Through detailed analysis, Lacewing explores the weaknesses in the design argument and challenges the notion of design in nature.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Hume on the design argument Michael Lacewing enquiries@alevelphilosophy.co.uk (c) Michael Lacewing
Life Isn t life amazing? Organs serve a purpose heart pump blood, eye seeing We understand parts of an organ in relation to serving this purpose A living organism requires huge coordination of tiny parts each functioning well (c) Michael Lacewing
Design The universe didn t have to be like this there could have been no order, no regularity Order of this kind, the way parts work together for a purpose, can indicate design If life involves design, by definition, there must be a designer (c) Michael Lacewing
Humes version The intricate fitting of means to ends throughout all nature is just like (though more wonderful than) the fitting of means to ends in things that have been produced by us products of human designs, thought, wisdom, and intelligence (c) Michael Lacewing
Humes version Since the effects resemble each other, we are led to infer by all the rules of analogy that the causes are also alike, and that the author of nature is somewhat similar to the mind of man, though he has much larger faculties to go with the grandeur of the work he has carried out. (c) Michael Lacewing
Humes argument from analogy In the organization of parts for a purpose (the fitting of means to ends), nature resembles the products of human design. Similar effects have similar causes. The cause of the products of human design is an intelligent mind that intended the design. Therefore, the cause of nature is an intelligent mind that intended the design. (c) Michael Lacewing
Humes objections The analogy between man-made, designed objects and the universe is weak. There is a great disproportion between parts of the universe and the whole universe So we cannot infer that the cause of nature is similar to a human mind. Thought is a tiny, weak, limited cause which moves the bodies of animals why use it as a model for the whole universe? (c) Michael Lacewing
Humes objections to the analogy The arrangement of parts for a purpose does not, on its own, show that the cause is a designer We can only make this inference where we have further experience of a designer bringing about such order We can t make inferences about causes of single instances, such as the universe We can only establish what causes what through repeated experience of cause and effect (c) Michael Lacewing
Is the designer the best explanation? A designer may not be the best explanation E.g. Suppose matter is finite and time is infinite. Then all arrangements of matter will occur, by chance, over time Neither this explanation nor a designer is clearly better, so we should suspend judgment (c) Michael Lacewing
Arguing from a unique case Causation: whenever you have the cause, you get the effect Constant conjunction So you can t know from a single instance, what causes what. Repeated experience is necessary to infer a causal relation. The universe is unique. So we cannot infer its cause. We can only infer a designer in cases in which we have repeated experience of something being brought about by a designer The arrangement of parts for a purpose on its ownisn t sufficient (c) Michael Lacewing
