Philo's Arguments Of Cleanthes
In Part II Section 143 of Hume’s Dialogues, Cleanthes argues that the world is a big ‘machine’ which is subdivided into smaller ’machines’ whose parts are so intricately designed to function together. The natural world seems to be orderly in many ways. He explains that this massive distribution of order in nature references posteriori to an intelligent designer. It is thus evident that nature makes the existence of an intelligent designer probable. Cleanthes argument could be extended to explain the appearance and consistency of the Fibonacci numbers in various ‘family trees’ and patterns leaves and seeds and nature by a being whose faculties are incomprehensible to the human mind; thus proving the existence of an intelligent designer. In Part
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He raises criticisms about Cleanthes argument by analogy. In Part II Section 147, Philo argues that the analogy between the universe and a machine is a very weak analogy. He deems the comparison between the operations of a part cannot afford a conclusion the origin of the whole, for the world does not resemble a machine perfectly. He further expands on the failure of the analogy by stating that the universe and a machine cannot be compared because they are separately existing entities. His argument shows that our knowledge comes from experience. We know that watches come are made by intelligent watchmakers; but we do not have a parallel experience with regard to the universe. Thus by drawing an analogy between a machine and the universe would resemble the futile efforts of trying to learn the generation of a man from observing the growth of a hair. Philo also refutes Cleanthes claims of existence of a creator. In Part III Section 146 he highlights the possibility that the universe is self-caused. If we assume all things require a cause, we must apply that to the creator. He points out that matter contains an intrinsic self-order originally within itself. The example of ideas in the human mind design a watch while intrinsic processes are responsible for the order and adaptation in animal and vegetable reproduction, not design. He adds that while there exists principle of order in mind, design is not evident in matter. Therefore, the universe could be a unique effect, self-caused, just like natural order of organic bodies and not designed like man-made
He raises criticisms about Cleanthes argument by analogy. In Part II Section 147, Philo argues that the analogy between the universe and a machine is a very weak analogy. He deems the comparison between the operations of a part cannot afford a conclusion the origin of the whole, for the world does not resemble a machine perfectly. He further expands on the failure of the analogy by stating that the universe and a machine cannot be compared because they are separately existing entities. His argument shows that our knowledge comes from experience. We know that watches come are made by intelligent watchmakers; but we do not have a parallel experience with regard to the universe. Thus by drawing an analogy between a machine and the universe would resemble the futile efforts of trying to learn the generation of a man from observing the growth of a hair. Philo also refutes Cleanthes claims of existence of a creator. In Part III Section 146 he highlights the possibility that the universe is self-caused. If we assume all things require a cause, we must apply that to the creator. He points out that matter contains an intrinsic self-order originally within itself. The example of ideas in the human mind design a watch while intrinsic processes are responsible for the order and adaptation in animal and vegetable reproduction, not design. He adds that while there exists principle of order in mind, design is not evident in matter. Therefore, the universe could be a unique effect, self-caused, just like natural order of organic bodies and not designed like man-made