Hume's Question that leads me, for one, to Fideism:?

Question

If a well-ordered natural world requires a special designer, then God's mind (being so well-ordered) also requires a special designer. And then this designer would likewise need a designer, and so on ad infinitum. We could respond by resting content with an inexplicably self-ordered divine mind; but then why not rest content with an inexplicably self-ordered natural world?

Answer 1

I'm not going to try to pursuade you against Fideism... when reason fails us, it's a worthy alternative!

But you might consider the implications of St. Thomas Aquinas' "first cause" argument. If everything that exists (including an inexplicably ordered natural world), was caused, then there must have been a first cause.

I intentionally removed the "self" from your ordered natural world. If indeed your natural world is "Self-ordered", then it follows that the natural world possesses the qualities of godliness.... that is, it is onmipresent or ubiquitous (existing timelessly, everywhere), and having the capacity to produce itself from itself, it would also be omnipotent, and Godly

So you could argue that your self-ordered natural world -- or a belief in it -- is, by it's nature, an acknowledgment of the presence of a self-ordered divine mind, or, God.

Answer 2

You are correct, Ockham's razor. To postulate anything more is pure speculative and unessasary. To postulate, investigate then see if a theory holds up is fine, but if its un-testable or does not stand up to Ockham's razor then it is pure speculation, just as I can speculate that it was a giant inverse black-hole that gives birth to planets. That's a more more testable hypothesise than the "special designer" hypothesise. Because it would leave evidence, but it is still a completely ridiculous idea.

The so called "fine-tuning" of the physics of the universe do not mean design, or an intelligent interference or guidance/ The most we can say with confidence is "We don't know, lets try and find out". But to suggest a designer, is wild WILD speculation, beyond reasonable. Just because something is a more common belief does not suggest the truth of such a belief if there is no evidence.

So one cannot hold such a belief and base it on reason.

Answer 3

The world would not exist without balance -- equilibrium. There has to be a force greater than ourselves to create such harmony. It is the free will of man that throws off the natural order of thing.