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    David-Hume-on-his-Criticisms-of-the-Analogy

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    Shadragon XxX

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    HUME, Criticisms of the Analogy 169 every mechanism, useful and useless, convenient and inconvenient, into which such like materials could be thrown? I cannot distinguish the hypoth- esis, as applied to the works of nature, from this solution, which no onewould accept as applied to a collection of machines. DAVID HUME Criticisms of the Analogy Not to lose any time in circumlocutions, said Cleanthes, addressing himself to Demea, much less in replying to the pious declamations of Philo, I shall briefly explain how I conceive this matter. Look round the world: Contem- plate the whole and every part of it: You will find it to be nothing but one great machine, subdivided into an infinite number of lesser machines, which again admit of subdivisions to a degree beyond what human senses and faculties can trace and explain. All these various machines, and even their most minute parts, are adjusted to each other with an accuracy which ravishes into admiration all men who have ever contemplated them. The curious adapting of means to ends, throughout all nature, resembles exactly, though it much exceeds, the productions of human contrivance—of human design, thought, wisdom, and intelligence. Since therefore the effects resem- ble each other, we are led to infer, by all the rules of analogy, that the causes also resemble, and that the Author of Nature is somewhat similar to the mind of man, though possessed of much larger faculties, proportioned to the grandeur of the work which he has executed. By this argument a posteriori, and by this argument alone, do we prove at once the existence of a Deity and his similarity to human mind and intelligence. I shall be so free, Cleanthes, said Demea, as to tell you that from the beginning I could not approve of your conclusion concerning the similarity of the Deity to men, still less can I approve of the mediums by which you endeavor to establish it. What! No demonstration of the Being of God! No abstract arguments! No proofs a priori! Are these which have hitherto been so much insisted on by philosophers all fallacy, all sophism? Can we reach no farther in this subject than experience and probability? I will say not that this is betraying the cause of a Deity; but surely, by this affected candor, you give advantages to atheists which they never could obtain by the mere dint of argument and resorting. From David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779), Parts II, V, and VIII. Scanned with CamScanner » FPARTTWO ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE DUSTENCEOF 29 What ehiey seep in this subj. sid Pil not so much # at au religous arguments te by Ceanths meced to experience, a at ‘Beyappear sotto be even he most certain and imengble of hatinferor ASSL TESts sone wil all that ie wil bur, thatthe earth has slit, trehaveobeerved 2 thousand and/a thouand tines snd When any ew "ince of ts nature is presented we draw without hesitation the (Srsstomed inference. The tact similarity ofthe cases gives usa perfect ‘Sicrance ofa similar even, and astonger evidence otever deste nor Scught fe: But wherever You depart in the least, from these ot eeases ou disinish ithe evidence and may atlat ing ittoa very weak analy whichis conferedyUable to eror and nce funy After having experienced the cmustion ofthe Blood in human (Geeta, we make no doubt that takes place in Tits and Nacsa but from its Greulation in frogs and fishes itis only a presumption, though {Seong one, rm analogy hat take place inmenand other animale The ‘Stipe resoning istuch weaker when weinfr the ccaltion ofthe spn regetabes from our experience tht te blood cialatesin animals ‘Euthae who hasty fllowed that imperfect analogy ae found, by more Secure experimen to have been mistaken. ‘Fore ave a house, Cleamhes we conclade, with the greatest eit, ‘haithad an aschtect or biler becuse hs ispncnly ht spose elect ‘ich we have experioncd to proceed frm tatopeceso tse Duta Sowden at tho univensbear sucha moamblaesio house at Srvcan withthe same contain infer a sim cae rat the anclogy is ‘Basen and perfect The dasimlide vo king hat the wtnost you ‘Ga here peta! toa pure, a conecure a presumption conceming & ‘Sar cae and how thet pretension wil be eeived i the Word eave yout consider would surly be very il ceive, replied Cleanthes and I should beceservedly bamed and detested dd {alow Uat the prous of Dll Seanad ono more than a gues or conjecture. But isthe whole ads ‘Sent of mene to end in Mouse and in he universes slight a eve ‘lance? the economy of final causes? the order, proportion, and sangemest of every part? Steps of slr re plany contived th Fl iegpmay ue Zemin meaning nd thin neon crn ane {nfalibe Humaa eg ar alo conve fr walling and mounting and {his inference I allow, is ot atogether a0 certain because ofthe isi- ley which you remark: bt des therefore deservethe name only of pretumption or conjecture? “Gaod Cod ced Dame, interupting i, where aze we? Zeslous

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