reconsidering william paley's natural theology: an analysis of arguments from design to intelligent

212 Pages·2010·1.07 MB·English

RECONSIDERING WILLIAM PALEY’S NATURAL THEOLOGY:
AN ANALYSIS OF ARGUMENTS FROM DESIGN
TO INTELLIGENT DESIGN

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
OF
MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BY

GÜNCEL ÖNKAL

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR
THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN
THE DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

JULY 2010
Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences

Prof.Dr. Meliha Altunışık
Director

I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy.

Prof.Dr. Ahmet İnam
Head of Department

This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully
adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Doç.Dr. Ayhan Sol
Supervisor

Examining Committee Members

Prof. Dr. Yasin Ceylan (METU, PHIL)

Doç.Dr. Ayhan Sol (METU, PHIL)

Prof. Dr.Mehmet Bayrakdar (YEDİTEPE UNI., PHIL)

Prof.Dr. Mustafa Yıldırım (ATA.UNI., PHIL)

Prof.Dr. David Grünberg (METU, PHIL)
I hereby declare that all information in this document has been
obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and
ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules
and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and
results that are not original to this work.
Name, Last name : Güncel Önkal
Signature :

iii
ABSTRACT

RECONSIDERING WILLIAM PALEY’S NATURAL THEOLOGY:
AN ANALYSIS OF ARGUMENTS FROM DESIGN
TO INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Önkal, Güncel
Ph.D., Department of Philosophy
Supervisor: Assoc.Prof.Dr. Ayhan Sol

July 2010, 201 pages.

The aim of this study is to analyze the arguments from design to
intelligent design and to present the main philosophical aspects of design
arguments. Without examining the conceptual background of design
arguments, it is not possible to understand their roles in philosophy,
theology and science. To this aim, first the philosophical usage of the
argument is explained into three categories: argument from design,
argument to design and intelligent design. Next, in order to provide a
deeper analysis, William Paley’s Natural Theology in its closer relation of
the natural sciences and theological discourse are examined. Lastly,
through the philosophy and metaphysics of design, the framework of
intelligent design is discussed. Consequently, the process of design
arguments can be analyzed through the concept of intelligence rather than
design in the history of philosophy since it is closely related to the religious
and scientific way of understanding of nature. William Paley’s argument to
design is, thus, a fragile point between the classical and contemporary
versions of design arguments.
Keywords: William Paley, Natural Theology, Intelligent Design, God.
iv
ÖZ

WILLIAM PALEY’IN DOĞAL TEOLOJİ’SİNİN YENİDEN ELE ALINIŞI:
TASARIM ARGÜMANLARINDAN, ZEKİ TASARIMA BİR ANALİZ

Önkal, Güncel
Doktora, Felsefe Bölümü
Tez Yöneticisi: Doç.Dr. Ayhan Sol

Temmuz 2010, 201 sayfa.

Bu çalışmanın amacı tasarımdan zeki tasarıma kadar tasarım
argümanlarını analiz etmek ve felsefi özelliklerini ortaya koymaktır.
Tasarım argümanlarının kavramsal arka zeminini açıklamadan, bunların
felsefede, teolojide ve bilimdeki rollerini anlamak mümkün değildir. Bu
amaçla argüman üç kategoride açıklanmıştır: tasarım argümanı, tasarımcı
argümanı ve zeki tasarım. Daha sonra daha derin bir analiz için William
Paley’in Doğal Teoloji’sinin doğal bilimler ve teolojik söylemle sıkı bağları
açıklanmıştır. Son olarak, tasarımın metafiziği ve felsefesi zeki tasarımın
kavramsal çerçevesi bağlamında tartışılmıştır. Nihayetinde tasarım
argümanlarının aşamalarının tasarım kavramından değil de zeka kavramı
üzerinden felsefe tarihinde analiz edilebileceği sonucuna varılabilir; çünkü
argüman doğayı dinsel ve bilimsel içerikli sıkı ilintiler yoluyla kavrar.
William Paley’in tasarımcı argümanı, dolayısıyla, tasarım argümanlarının
klasik ve çağdaş biçimleri arasında bir kırılma noktasıdır.
Anahtar Sözcükler: William Paley, Doğal Teoloji, Zeki Tasarım,
Tanrı.
v
To My Mother and Grandma
vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Assoc.Prof. Dr.
Ayhan Sol, for his guidance and invaluable contributions for the preparation
of this dissertation.
I owe thanks also to the members of the Examining Committee,
Prof.Dr. Yasin Ceylan, Prof.Dr. Mehmet Bayrakdar, Prof.Dr, Mustafa
Yıldırım, Prof.Dr. David Grünberg for the time they spend to examine to
this thesis.
Finally, an honorable mention goes to my mother and grandma.
Despite the tragic disruptions, they kept extraordinary and permanent
patience along the preparation process of this dissertation. Without their
encouraging existence and support the present thesis would hardly come
into being.
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

PLAGIARISM………………………………………………………………….... iii
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………iv
ÖZ……………………………………………………………………………….…v
DEDICATION………………………………………………………………….…vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS…………………………………………………….….vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………….viii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS……………………………………………….….....x
LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………xi
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………….……..1
2.THE ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN.........................................................12
2.1. Design Notion in Antiquity……………………………………………..18
2.2.The Religious-Oriented Argument from Design:
The Medieval Period…………………………………………………....37
2.3.Hume’s Objection………………………………………………..……..46

3. ARGUMENT TO DESIGN……………...…..………………………………61
3.1.Natural Theology……………………………..…...…………………….61
3.2.William Paley’s Natural Theology…………………………………..…73
3.2.1.Paley’s Argument: Watch and Telescope Analogies………. .76
3.2.2.Paley on the Mechanical and Immechanical Parts and
Functions of Animals and Vegetables…………...………..…..82
3.2.3.Paley on the Personality of the Deity………………………….92
viii
3.3.Remarks on Paley’s Method………………………………………...106

4. AFTER PALEY: INTELLIGENT DESIGN………………………………..118
4.1. Design Revisited...........................................................................118
4.2. Naturalism Revisited………………………………………………….129
4.3. Intelligent Design ……………………………………………………..148
4.3.1.Behe’s Irreducible Complexity………………………………...151
4.3.2. Dembski and the Agency of Intelligent Design……………..158

5. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………..164
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………..172
APPENDICES
A. TURKISH SUMMARY………………………………………………….180
B. CIRRICULUM VITAE…………………………………………………..197
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Dialogues: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion.
Natural Theology: Natural Theology or Evidences of the Existence and
Attributes of the Deity: Collected from Appearances of Nature.

AD: Argument from design.
NT: Natural theology.
IBE: Inference to the best explanation.
ID: Intelligent Design.

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