Does God Exist
Design Argument--Does God exist?
I found William Paley’s design argument in The Watch and the Watch-Maker the most compelling and thought provoking because I thought he had an interesting point symbolizing the watch as the universe and the watch-maker as the universe-maker or God. Paley doesn’t give a scientific explanation, but instead bases his work on observation and logical thinking unlike Robin Collins’s argument in his work, A Scientific Argument for the Existence of God, which is supported by quantum physics etc. Paley comes up with eight main points that supports his view on the existence of God. Some of his points, however, are repetitive and is based on speculations rather than clear evidence. His ideas are based on the concept that the complexity of a watch should be made by a supernatural being since nature cannot make intricate designs on its own. As much as I find Paley’s design argument the most compelling, I do not share the same view as him regarding the existence of God because I believe that there isn’t enough scientific support for his argument. I do, however, agree with one of his statement “that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose--that they are so formed and adjusted…” (63-64) There really are certain things in the world that seems unnaturally adjusted and formed such as the golden ratios in nature and the fibonacci sequence which is a mathematical pattern found in nature.
Paley starts off by using a watch as analogy to the universe and the watchmaker to the universe maker or God. Paley argues that if we find a stone in a forest, we won’t think anything of it. But if we see a watch, we will immediately relate the object to a designer or some living power that made and brought the metallic pieces together. Using this as his basis, Paley builds up on his argument saying how just like the watch, our universe is made by a universe maker or a supernatural being. Paley believes that the complexity of the universe
I found William Paley’s design argument in The Watch and the Watch-Maker the most compelling and thought provoking because I thought he had an interesting point symbolizing the watch as the universe and the watch-maker as the universe-maker or God. Paley doesn’t give a scientific explanation, but instead bases his work on observation and logical thinking unlike Robin Collins’s argument in his work, A Scientific Argument for the Existence of God, which is supported by quantum physics etc. Paley comes up with eight main points that supports his view on the existence of God. Some of his points, however, are repetitive and is based on speculations rather than clear evidence. His ideas are based on the concept that the complexity of a watch should be made by a supernatural being since nature cannot make intricate designs on its own. As much as I find Paley’s design argument the most compelling, I do not share the same view as him regarding the existence of God because I believe that there isn’t enough scientific support for his argument. I do, however, agree with one of his statement “that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose--that they are so formed and adjusted…” (63-64) There really are certain things in the world that seems unnaturally adjusted and formed such as the golden ratios in nature and the fibonacci sequence which is a mathematical pattern found in nature.
Paley starts off by using a watch as analogy to the universe and the watchmaker to the universe maker or God. Paley argues that if we find a stone in a forest, we won’t think anything of it. But if we see a watch, we will immediately relate the object to a designer or some living power that made and brought the metallic pieces together. Using this as his basis, Paley builds up on his argument saying how just like the watch, our universe is made by a universe maker or a supernatural being. Paley believes that the complexity of the universe