William Paley
A watch found on the ground implies a watchmaker; the eye and living things imply a Creator.
Life
English theologian and philosopher (1743-1805), archdeacon of Carlisle. He wrote a textbook of utilitarian moral philosophy grounded in God's will and, above all, Natural Theology (1802), where the image of a watch found on a heath illustrates the argument from design. Darwin read and admired his reasoning before proposing another explanation.
Main works
The order of living things (the eye, the watch) shows an intelligent Creator.
A moral textbook grounding duty in God's will and general happiness.
A historical argument for the truth of Christianity.
In his own words
« The marks of design are too strong to be gotten over. Design must have had a designer. That designer must have been a person. That person is GOD. »
« when we come to inspect the watch, we perceive (what we could not discover in the stone) that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose »
Positions
click a row to see the evidenceThe order and fitness of living things prove an intelligent, personal Designer, as a watch implies a watchmaker.
Paley, Natural Theology (1802)
Actions are right when they tend to promote general happiness, according to the will of God.
Paley, The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy (1785)
He argues that reason, from nature and from historical testimony, supports Christian belief.
Paley, A View of the Evidences of Christianity (1794)