Skip to content
Carmelics
TopicsThinkersChangesContributorsLoading account…

    Carmelics

    A reasoning platform. Break down any belief into clear reasons, explore both sides, and weigh the evidence honestly.

    Navigate

    • Topics
    • Search
    • Recent Changes
    • Contribute
    • How It Works
    • Glossary
    • Thinkers
    • Contributors
    • About
    • Statistics
    • Terms
    • Privacy

    Database

    Statements
    —
    Perspectives
    —
    Topics
    —

    Press ? for keyboard shortcuts

    LoyalLoyalJusticeJustice
    Made withinDC&Austin
    We can rationally infer the existence of God and God's si... — Carmelics
    Statements
    321,452
    Perspectives
    108,905
    Topics
    42
    Home/Divine Attributes
    HistoryEditSee Inverse

    We can rationally infer the existence of God and God's similarity to human mind and intelligence

    Divine AttributesNatural Theology
    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.There is an analogy or resemblance between the world and man-made machines in respect of their shared features of order, structure, harmony, and the evident way that their parts are suited to perform some function or serve certain ends
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.When we discover an object that has features of order, structure, and harmony, we infer that these objects have not come together by chance, but rather that there is an original principle of order in mind, not in matter
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.Similar effects must arise from similar causes
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.The analogy between the world and man-made machines is too weak and disanalogous to sustain confident causal inference, as Hume argues in Dialogues Part II.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.When analogical reasoning is applied to a singular, unique object like the universe, the inference loses the inductive strength derived from repeated observed instances.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.A weakened analogy yields only a proportionally weakened conclusion, making any inferred designer radically unlike the omnipotent, omniscient God of theism.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reason against 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.The principle that order requires an intelligent cause leads to infinite regress, since the designer's mind must itself exhibit order requiring explanation.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.Positing an necessarily ordered divine mind as a brute fact is no more parsimonious than positing the world's order as a brute fact, as Philo argues in Dialogues Part IV.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.If matter can be conceived as capable of self-ordering through natural selection or Epicurean chance configurations, the design inference loses its claim to explanatory superiority.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Sign in or register to share your perspective on this statement.

    Next step

    Based on where you are in your exploration

    Strongest counterpoint
    Explore the most compelling reason on the other side.

    Topics

    Divine AttributesNatural Theology

    Connections

    1 topic

    Causation1 linked

    Related

    A weakened analogy yields only a proportionally weakened conclusion, making any ...If matter can be conceived as capable of self-ordering through natural selection...Positing an necessarily ordered divine mind as a brute fact is no more parsimoni...Similar effects must arise from similar causes
    +5 moreShow less
    The analogy between the world and man-made machines is too weak and disanalogous...The principle that order requires an intelligent cause leads to infinite regress...There is an analogy or resemblance between the world and man-made machines in re...When analogical reasoning is applied to a singular, unique object like the unive...When we discover an object that has features of order, structure, and harmony, w...

    Similar

    There is little or no basis for assuming that the cause of the univers...83%There must be an eternal intelligence realized in the related facts of...81%Motion and intelligence exist in the world and require explanation78%There is a vast and reasonable difference between God and human minds.78%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: hume-religion
    View source passageHide passage
    The structure of this argument seems clear. (1) There is an analogy or resemblance between the world and man-made machines in respect of their shared features of order, structure, harmony and the evident way that their parts are suited to perform some function or serve certain ends. (2) When we discover an object that has these features (i.e. order, structure, harmony, etc.) we infer that these objects have not just come together by chance. For example, if we discover a watch or a house our expe
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit