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: I am a college student in Kansas and have been studying Hume in my Philosophy of Nature course. In reviewing his argument and the Teleology Problem, I have come up with the conclusion that there are several flaws. : In An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section XI, Hume states that "When we infer any particular cause from an effect, we must proportion the one to the other, and can never be allowed to ascribe to the cause any qualitites, but what are exactly sufficient to produce the effect." In other words, if we suppose that X causes Y, then on the presumption of Y it must be necessary that X. : A consequence of this theory is if we suppose that X causes Y, then on the presumption of X we must expect Y. : The first version of this argument can be stated thus: : 1. The universe possesses P. : 2. If P is the case, it is not necessarily the case that God exists. : 3. Therefore, God is not the cause of the universe (Referring to the quote above). : The second version of this argument can be stated thus: : 1. The universe possesses Q. : 2. On the presumption of God's existence, we would not expect Q. : 3. Therefore, by the consequence above, God is not the cause of the universe. : I believe both versions of the argument to be flawed. : First, the first version of the argument go against Hume's very teaching that just because X has caused Y before, does not necessarily mean it will do so in the future. Hume has told us that there is no such thing as causal explanation and that past experience is not adequate to base knowledge upon. We can never "presume" Y to be the effect of X. Therefore, the first version is flawed. : Second, the second version of Hume's argument can me played with on the basis of duality. Suppose that Q is evil. Supposing that God is perfect good, perfect knowledge, and perfect power, we would presume that because there is evil in the world and that God is perfect good, then God does not exist. However, what if through evil, God is working His good? This decimates the second version. Suppose that God is working good through evil. Good therefore exists in the evil, we suppose that God is perfect good, therefore evil can come from God, so God does exist. : Let me know if you think if I am way off base, or right on!

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