Shedding a Different Spotlight on the Argument from Design :: Essays Papers

Shedding a Different Spotlight on the Argument from Design "Author is to book, as painter is to __________." Anyone who has taken the SAT is familiar with analogies similar to this one. The significance of analogies relies on the fact that analogies not only tell us about the meaning of words, but they tell us about the relationships of the world. In discussing our world, a well-known, much-debated topic has been the existence of God. Many arguments have been presented on both sides of this issue, the teleological argument (the argument from design) is one of the most discussed. This argument is better understood and supported using analogies. The key is to find an analogy that is grounded and plausible enough to stand up to sharp critiques. The teleological argument is a valid and plausible argument, because it allows enough evidence for the relationship of the Creator and the world to be analogous to that of a director and a musical. The basics of the teleological argument include the statement that the apparent design of the world suggests a Designer. William Paley, the populizer of this argument, uses an analogy that states the relationship of the Creator to creation is like that of a watch-maker to a watch (Rowe & Wainwright 155). The core of this argument is the claim that the design of the world suggests an intelligent designer. It further states that "something suggests intelligence if (1) it serves the sorts of ends that human minds typically propose to themselves†¦ and (2) the results are achieved in a reasonably effective manner" (Wainwright 52). This is the ground where this paper will begin to formulate an analogy that increases the plausibility of the design argument. The analogy I prefer is theatrical. The participants in a musical play include the musicians, actors, singers, dancers, stage and crew members. Each of these members is an integral piece in the body of the production. The director is the heart-beat of the production. Without the director, there would not be a musical. The director begins the formation of the musical with an end in mind-- a vision. The director uses a variety of methods to convey this vision to the players involved while guiding them in making that vision a reality. The players must cooperate with each other throughout the process and follow the director's instructions in order for the production to even resemble the director's vision.