Kerri Schlicher PHI102 Dr. Hoffman March 14, 2001 SUBJECT: The Design Theory in Hume’s Dialogues TOPIC: Skepticism of the Design Theory PAPER TITLE: “On the Inadequacy of the Design Theory” THESIS: That using the design theory to prove the existence of God is philosophically inaccurate. The design argument is a proof for the existence of God. Hume uses this idea in the Dialogues. Cleanthes is defending this argument. He states that: 1.)Machines are produced by intelligent …showed first 75 words of 1204 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1204 total…the world. 2. The vastness of the universe weakens any comparison with human artifacts: although the universe is orderly here, it may be chaotic somewhere else. 3. Natural design may be accounted for by nature alone, insofar as matter contains within itself some particular order. 4. Even if the design of the universe is of divine origin, we aren’t justified in saying that this divine cause is a single, all powerful, or all good being. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**