Clockwork universe refers to the concept of the universe as a system that behaves in a manner as patterned and dependable as a mechanical clock. Like a clock, the universe could be thought of as something both designed and constructed—something both conceptualized by a divine artificer and made by a divine craftsman. Like a clock, the universe, once set in motion by its creator, could be visualized as something able to operate without corrections or interference from outside. The regular motions exhibited by the sun, moon, stars, and planets provided the basis for elaborate medieval clocks that could mimic the patterned motion of these celestial objects.

See also DEISM; DETERMINISM;