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Six of Clubs
the moral, experiential and pragmatic family

The Argument from the Unity of the Moral and Natural Orders

William Ritchie Sorley
Moral Values and the Idea of God

The Argument from the Unity of the Moral and Natural Orders, card face
EvidentialConcludes that a feature of the world is better explained by one hypothesis than by a named rival.
Argument form
Inference to the best explanation (unconscious law cannot hold the two orders as one; a purposing mind can)
Concludes to
Better explanation (discord of the moral and natural orders; explanans is a Supreme Mind purposing good)
Premise ground
Epistemic (unconscious law cannot hold the two orders as one; a nature working out a purpose can)
Modal strength
None (comparative explanation)
What it licenses
  • None (a Supreme Mind purposing good is the explanans)
Period
Twentieth Century (1918)
Tradition
Idealist (British)

Further reading

This formulation is ours, composed from the primary source and compressed to fit the card; the argument admits of other statements. Objections have been made to every argument in the deck; where one is linked above, it is chosen by us, not written by us.

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