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10 - Loose ends

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2014

Benjamin C. Jantzen
Affiliation:
Virginia College of Technology
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Summary

Overview

In our survey of the first twenty centuries or so of design arguments, we covered a lot of ground. In the process, many issues worth considering were raised but quickly set aside. This chapter collects a number of these issues together and gives each due consideration. The reader in a hurry can skip this motley collection without losing the thread of debate. But for those with nagging questions about the idea of purpose in nature, how much natural theology can establish about the attributes of God, or the connection between William Paley and Bernard Nieuwentyt, what follows will be of interest.

Purpose in nature

In Cicero’s dialogue De natura deorum, there appears an argument that rests on the observation of ‘purpose’ in the universe. This argument resurfaced centuries later in the great compendia of natural history such as Derham’s Physico-Theology. Despite the longevity of this sort of argument, we quickly passed over it with little scrutiny when it came up in our survey. It’s time we rectified that oversight.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2014

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  • Loose ends
  • Benjamin C. Jantzen, Virginia College of Technology
  • Book: An Introduction to Design Arguments
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511793882.012
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  • Loose ends
  • Benjamin C. Jantzen, Virginia College of Technology
  • Book: An Introduction to Design Arguments
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511793882.012
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Loose ends
  • Benjamin C. Jantzen, Virginia College of Technology
  • Book: An Introduction to Design Arguments
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511793882.012
Available formats
×