Paley's Natural Theology (Volume 2) [Paperback]

William Paley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2012

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1836. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... We never discover a train of contrivance to bring about an evil purpose. No anatomist ever discovered a system of organisation calculated to produce pain and disease; or, in explaining the parts of the human body, ever said, this is to irritate; this to inflame; this duct is to convey the gravel to the kidneys; this gland to secrete the humour which forms the gout: if by chance he come at a part of which he knows not the use, the most he can say is, that it is useless; no one ever suspects that it is put there to incommode, to annoy, or to torment." The Two Cases which appear to me to have the most difficulty in them, as forming the most of the appearance of exception to the representation here given', are those of venomous animals, and of animals preying upon one another. These properties of animals, wherever they are found, must, I think, be referred to design; because there is in all cases of the first, and in most cases of the second, an express and distinct organisation provided for the producing of them. Under the first head, the fangs of vipers, the stings of wasps and scorpions, are as clearly intended for their purpose, as any animal structure is for any purpose the most incontestably beneficial. And the same thing must, under the second head, be acknowledged of the talons and beaks of birds, of the tusks, teeth and claws of beasts of prey; of the shark's mouth, of the spider's web, and of numberless weapons of offence belonging to different tribes of voracious insects. We cannot, therefore, avoid the difficulty by saying, that the effect was not intended. The only question open to us is, whether it be ultimately evil. From the confessed and felt imperfection of our knowledge, we ought to presume, that there may be consequences of this ceconomy which ar...

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

William Paley (1743-1805), a British Christian apologist, uses metaphors, analogies, and examples from medicine, natural history and astronomy to show that God is the intelligent creator of the world. This, his last book, was an influential bestseller throughout the nineteenth century, and inspired many later works including the Bridgewater Treatises. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

First published in 1803, this title should be on the shelf of anyone interested in the history of the origins controversy. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: General Books LLC (January 13, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1458895645
• ISBN-13: 978-1458895646
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,881,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > History & Philosophy > History of Science

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic of Science & Religion, May 1, 2005

By 

Chad Arment (PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Natural Theology (Paperback)

Paley's argument for a designer is relevant to any historical discussion on the origins debate. The Coachwhip Publications 2005 reprint edition (ISBN 1930585217) is inexpensive and contains an additional bibliography of more recent teleological arguments.

19 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historically relevant, February 18, 2003

By 

Sergio A. Salazar Lozano (Tampico, Tamaulipas Mexico) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Natural Theology (Hardcover)

William Paley sure was an intelligent man. His reasoning was flawless and his knowledge ample (he knew a lot considering the knowledge of his time). Unfortunately , Paley lived before Darwin published "The origin of species" and like any other priest of his time (and the vast majority of the people in his time too) he believed God had nicely fix every little detail so he and all human kind would live in a perfectly "fit for human" world. He believed in the design of the "superior being" (God, of course) and he nicely explained it at the beginning of Natural Theology. This is a must to anyone interested in the evolution of evolutionary thought, and wants to know about one strong theological basis Victorians had opposing evolution.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Usable Edition of an Historically Significant Text, July 20, 2010

By 

Kevin T. Keith "KTK" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Paley's Natural Theology (Paperback)

This is a good readable edition of Paley's classic work. It is not a scholarly edition, but is fine for anyone who wants to read this surprisingly sophisticated text in its entirety, or for students or scholars who simply need an affordable complete edition.

As to the work itself, natural theology is greeted with well-deserved ridicule by modern philosophers, but it is worthwhile to understand just what Paley was trying to accomplish and what contemporary intellectual trends and arguments he was responding to. Though his general line of argumentation is now solely the province of religious cranks, it was in his time a respectable attempt to understand natural philosophy and early modern science in light of the omnipresent religious mythology of the day. In offering his infamous "watchmaker" analogy, he was not (as today's creationists do) jumping to pre-determined conclusions by simple indulgence of his own incredulity, but rather making the point that actual observational evidence, as opposed to mere scripture, could be upheld as a standard of evaluation of theories about the natural world. He also found in this a basis for utilitarian - and thus rationalized - ethics. Given that religious dogma could not have been evaded in any real sense, this was a move toward evidence-based scientific theories and non-dogmatic ethics, and a contribution to the debate between natural philosophy and dogmatic religion - on the side of rationalism - that stands in ironic contrast to the use that is usually made of this work today.