Laws of nature as a concept emerged in the 17th-18th centuries with the language of a divine legislator or deus ex machina, but paradoxically, as widespread belief in God declined in the 19th-20th centuries, the concept of laws persisted as the foundation of materialism
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James OrrEvidence Quote
“One of the great paradoxes of the 17th and 18th century, is while the language of laws of nature begin to emerge and with it this sort of idea of a divine legislator or ex machina... At the very time when widespread commitment to the existence of God is beginning to wane. And yet, the laws of nature as a notion, keep persisting all the way through into the 20th century”
Source
The Magician’s Twin, with David Berlinski, Stephen Meyer, and James Orr | Uncommon Knowledge— Hoover InstitutionCreated: 8/11/2026, 1:45:57 AM
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