Cleanthes’ Two Illustrative Analogies in Part 3 of Hume’s Dialogues

Abstract

In Part 2 of David Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Cleanthes presents the analogical Argument from Design, through which he attempts to prove that there are sufficient resemblances between the design of the world and the design of machines to countenance the conclusion that the cause of the design of the world resembles human intelligence. Philo puts forth several criticisms of Cleanthes’ argument, none of which moves Cleanthes to reject the Design Argument. In Part 3, Cleanthes urges that Philo’s reluctance to accept the Design Argument is due to his prejudice against arguments supporting religion, and that, therefore, Philo’s criticisms ought to be refuted “by illustrations, examples, and instances, rather than by serious argument and philosophy”. In this regard, Cleanthes puts forth two illustrations - the Articulate Voice speaking from the clouds, and the Living Vegetable Library. In this paper, I attempt to understand why Cleanthes chooses these two illustrations to try to convince Philo of the Design Argument, and I evaluate each of these illustrations in terms of their potential to unprejudice Philo in regard to the analogical Argument from Design.1