Assessment Questions 1.5

1. What is the concept of uniformitarianism, and how did Hutton view the world?

Uniformitarianism is the belief that the appearance of the Earth could best be understood as resulting from the slow action of known processes over a very long period of time. Hutton viewed the world as a marvelously constructed, perfectly synchronized machine that continually readjusts and recreates itself through slow and steady processes.

2. How did Hutton challenge the idea of a young Earth proposed by Bishop Ussher?

Hutton indirectly criticized Bishop Ussher's calculation of a young Earth by asserting that "time, which means everything in our ideas and is often deficient in our schemes, is to nature, endless." He argued that the slow and steady processes of decay and rejuvenation, observed in everyday phenomena like erosion and weathering, could account for Earth's alteration over an infinite span of time.

3. What were the processes that Hutton suggested were responsible for Earth's alteration since creation, and how did he propose determining the Earth's actual age?

Hutton suggested that ordinary processes like erosion and weathering, observable in rivers cutting their channels, tides sculpting the shore, or wind carving canyons, were responsible for Earth's alteration since creation. He proposed determining Earth's actual age through the careful scientific study of the rates and patterns of these ordinary processes, concluding the time necessary for the formation of modern features.