Clockmaker hypothesis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Clockmaker hypothesis is a tenet of deism that states that some higher power, such as God, created the universe (for example, in the Big Bang) and then stepped aside after the moment of creation. According to this hypothesis, since the creation of the universe, God has not interfered with its inner workings in any manner; instead, the universe has been left to its own devices. The name of the hypothesis derives from the analogy that the universe is a clock, and God is the Clockmaker – the clockmaker does not do anything other than make the clock, wind it up, and let it run.
As this hypothesis deals with events that take place outside of the universe, it is not testable; therefore, it is unfalsifiable. Falsifiability is essential in forming a scientific hypothesis, so the Clockmaker hypothesis is not a hypothesis in the scientific sense of the word.
In particular, the Clockmaker hypothesis is compatible with the scientific theory of evolution (for example, evolution through natural selection might be a process pre-ordained by God in order to carry through His act of creation).
