Teleological Argument Analysis

There are many different sides to the argument about how the universe was created; one of the most prominent of these arguments is the Teleological argument, also known as the argument from design. The argument from design is based around the idea that the universe is too complex to have just appeared. William Paley uses a wrist watch as an example to describe this idea in more depth. Although there are many other idea that attempt to prove that there is not a creator, such as Darwin’s theory of evolution, the Teleological argument makes a very strong argument towards the existence of a God. The teleological argument has a very strong argument when discussing the existence of a creator due to its design argument about the complexity of the universe. The Teleological argument, or argument of design, is an inductive argument for the existence of a higher power. This means that the arguments main goal is to
convince the audience that its conclusions are logical and believable.
In the specific theory of the Teleological argument, the main goal is not to prove that a creator does exist, but rather to persuade the reader to believe that a creator exists. This argument uses items from the environment that the audience would be familiar with to persuade the audience. Another aspect of the Teleological argument is to use analogies that would make the theory easier for the audience to understand.
Paley’s design argument is a powerful argument that helps defend the idea that a creator does exist and that the universe was made by this creator. The Teleological argument is explained, by Paley, using a wrist watch as an analogy to the universe. He states that if a person was walking through a meadow and happened upon a rock, that person would be able to assume that the rock was not made by a creator. This assumption is valid because the rock is so simple. If a person happened upon a wristwatch in that
meadow they would be able to assume that is was made by a creator due to its complexity. Paley describes something that is complex as being made from specific materials, having specific working parts, having a distinct purpose, performing a regular and repeatable motion, and being constructed in such a way that if any of the parts was replaced the overall functionality of the item would be reduced to nothing. The watch has many different parts put together to make it work, such as the glass face, the hands, the gears, and the springs. These parts work together to perform a specific task by telling time, and without one of the parts the watch would not be able to accurately track and display the time. Even if a person had never seen a watch before and had no prior knowledge about what a watch was or did, he/she would still be able to assume that there was a creator that made the watch. The Teleological theory works by relating the ideas about the watch to the universe. The universe works because each and every aspect is positioned in the correct place to function. For example, if the sun was too close or too far away from the Earth life would not be sustainable. There are many philosophers that want to find a problem with this argument and say that it is not valid; but one philosopher, named Van Inwagen, came up with his own theory, the Goldilocks principle, that helped support Paley’s argument. The Goldilocks theory, created by Van Inwagen, was one theory which was in support of Paley’s argument of design. In Inwagen’s theory, one must imagine that the universe is expanding somewhat faster than it currently is. If this were to happen then the universe would not be able to form starts in the galaxies. This would make it impossible to have life in these galaxies. If the universe were to be expanding any slower than it is currently, then the universe would implode on itself. This would make it that no life exists. Inwagen believes that everything worked out perfectly, the universe is expanding at just the right rate for life to be able to form in it. This theory attempt to answer the question “how can everything work out so perfect?” by explaining that it works so well because the universe was designed by an all knowing creator. Inwagen says that someone or something had to fine tune the universe to fit and work perfectly to form life. He explains that believing that the universe just happened to be and work out perfectly on its own is harder to believe than believing in a God creating it. Inwagen and Paley’s argument are similar in many ways and further each other arguments because they both support the belief of an ultimate creator. Inwagen’s Goldilock principle relates to Paley’s argument because both theories are theistic arguments relating to the universe being created by a creator rather than just happening. If the universe is thought of as a machine then everything seems to have been made perfectly to exist and work just right. Everything works together to form a fully functional unit such as the example of finding a watch in a meadow. The watches purpose is to tell time while the universe’s purpose is to create and sustain life. Based on the complexity of both of these things, it is safe to assume that they were made by a creator, possibly not the same creator however. When one examines the evidence brought up in the arguments it is clear to see that Van Inwagen’s theory succeeded in establishing its claim while supporting Paley’s Teleological argument. When examining the different theories behind the creation of the universe one will come upon Paley’s Teleological argument. This argument attempts to explain the universe by comparing it to a watch, another complex functional thing. The complexity of the watch is the main connection to the complexity of the universe in Paley’s argument. The teleological argument, along with the Goldilocks theory, has a strong and valid argument when discussing the existence of a creator due to its design argument about the complexity of the universe.