BrandonTieng

Philosophy153
ProfG.Mellema
June28,2016
TheArgumentfromDesign
InanexcerpttitledTheArgumentfromDesignby,WilliamPaleydepictedfromthebook
ReasonandResponsibility,Paleyaddresseshisargumentsforthecreationofobjects.Paleyfirst
givesanexampleaboutastoneandwatch.Heproclaimstheideathatthestoneisnaturaland
formedbyitself,whilethewatchwasonlycreatedtoserveapurpose.Thecontrivanceofthe
watchisshowedthroughtheusageofthewatchasatimepiece.Theexpressionofhowthewatch
cametobe,issolelyonadesigner.Beforethiswatchwascreated,therehadtobeacreatorfor
thewatch,andevenifcreatorsareonemaninamillioninfinitelycontinueon.But,whathe
knowsisthatthewatchnomatterhowitlookslikeisaproductthatisstillconceived.Also,
Paleytalksabouttheprincipleoforder.Theprincipleoforderishowthepartsgotogetherin
ordertogenerateorfufllthatpurpose.AsastrongbelieverofGod,Paleyreflectstothisagent
thatprecedesthisobjectthatiscreated.GoingbacktothepremisesofGodistheonethatcreates
things.However,sometimesyoucantprovethings,butyouarestillabletoconformthingssuch
asthewatchhavingacreatororthewatchspurpose.Inchapter5,thedesignandsupremeartis
whatthepurposeofanobjectcanappealto.Thereisacauseandeffectrelationshipbetweenthe
makerandtheideaexpressed.Forexample,theoldwatchwhichisthecausetheneffectsthenew
watchinthefuture.Thepurposeofthingsarealwayskeptthesame,butthedesign,theprocess,
andeverythingelse,isthesame.Atheismlackstheconclusionofcontrivancebecause,withouta

purposeanobjectwouldneverhaveformed.Paleyappliesthatobjectscreatedarealwaysknown
tohaveapurpose,butnotallproductsarefulfillingbecausetheproductisalwaysjudged.
Overall,PaleyisabelieverthattheexistenceofGodisthecausationofmanythingsinthe
world.