70%
Confidence
Belief overview
Existence of a creator
The universe is understood as the work of a creative intelligence.
2
Supportive
0
Contrary
2
Neutral
What it is: Deism affirms the existence of a creator or intelligent cause of the universe.
How the position understands it: This creator is recognized mainly through reason, through the order of the cosmos, and through philosophical arguments, without necessarily depending on particular revelations.
Basis and context: The belief appears in natural religion treatises and in modern debates on first cause and rational design of the world.
Debates and variations: Some currents speak of a personal God in a minimal sense; others prefer more abstract language about supreme intelligence.
Documentary evidence
Supportive
Herbert of Cherbury, De Veritate
A work often associated with the foundations of English deism.
Reference: Edward Herbert of Cherbury, De Veritate.
Content: The work defends common notions of religion universally accessible to human reason.
Use in debate: It is a classic reference for natural religion and rational knowledge of God.
Matthew Tindal, Christianity as Old as the Creation
A central work of English deism on religion as old as creation.
Reference: Matthew Tindal, Christianity as Old as the Creation.
Content: Tindal argues that true religion is as old as creation and accessible to reason, not dependent on exclusive late revelations.
Use in debate: It is one of the most important classical formulations of deistic natural religion.
Neutral
Thomas Aquinas, Five Ways
Classical arguments for God without initial dependence on particular revelation.
Reference: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, First Part, question 2, article 3.
Content: The Five Ways offer philosophical arguments for the existence of God from the created world.
Use in debate: They function as a partial support for natural theology, though in a framework much broader than deism.
William Paley, Natural Theology
A classic natural theology with conclusions more theistic than deistic.
Reference: William Paley, Natural Theology.
Content: Paley argues from order and purpose in nature in favor of an intelligent designer.
Use in debate: It is useful as a source of proximity to deism at the point of natural theology, although it does not share all its conclusions.