Question

The Watchmaker analogy. (philosophy)


What do we infer from the complicated machinery involved in the watch? What is the relationship between the watch’s telos and the watchmaker?

Answer 1

We infer the watch has a designer, the complicated machinery is designed by somebody... the watchmaker. So much so that the Watchmaker is to watch as God is to universe.

Answer 2

Answer:

William Paley's teleological argument, the inference is that, as the complicated machinery of a watch proves that it has a designer, the watchmaker, the complexity of the universe proves that it must have been created by God.

Explanation:

He uses this analogy as evidence of God´s existence, and if the watchmaker defines the purpose of his creation, likewise, it is God who defines humans' purpose (telos) in life.