In this early nineteenth-century classic, William Paley assesses how our understanding of nature reflects characteristics of its creator. First published in 1802, the book went through more than twenty editions, remains in print, and is still a reference point in the ongoing conversation about evolution or creation as the better explanation for the appearance of order and design in our universe. - Summary by Barry Ganong
Chapters
1 Dedication and Chapter 1: State of the Argument 12 min 2 Chapter 2: State of the Argument Continued 12 min 3 Chapter 3: Application of the Argument, part 1 26 min 4 Chapter 3: Application of the Argument, part 2 13 min 5 Chapters 4 and 5: Of the Succession of Plants and Animals, and Application of the Argument Continued 30 min 6 Chapters 6 and 7: The Argument Cumulative, and Of the Mechanical and Immechanical Parts and Functions of Animals and Vegetables 20 min 7 Chapter 8: Of Mechanical Arrangement in the Human Frame: Of the Bones, part 1 22 min 8 Chapter 8: Of Mechanical Arrangement in the Human Frame: Of the Bones, part 2 16 min 9 Chapter 9: Of the Muscles 31 min 10 Chapter 10: Of the Vessels of Animal Bodies, part 1 21 min 11 Chapter 10: Of the Vessels of Animal Bodies, part 2 25 min 12 Chapter 11: Of the Animal Structure Regarded as a Mass 32 min 13 Chapter 12: Comparative Anatomy, part 1 21 min 14 Chapter 12: Comparative Anatomy, part 2 17 min 15 Chapter 13: Peculiar Organizations 14 min 16 Chapters 14 and 15: Prospective Contrivances, and Relations 28 min 17 Chapter 16: Compensation 19 min 18 Chapter 17: The Relation of Animated Bodies to Inanimate Nature 10 min 19 Chapter 18: Instincts 24 min 20 Chapter 19: Of Insects 33 min 21 Chapter 20: Of Plants 29 min 22 Chapter 21: Of the Elements 13 min 23 Chapter 22: Astronomy, part 1 19 min 24 Chapter 22: Astronomy, part 2 18 min 25 Chapter 23: Of the Personality of the Deity, part 1 16 min 26 Chapter 23: Of the Personality of the Deity, part 2 26 min 27 Chapters 24 and 25: Of the Natural Attributes of the Deity, and Of the Unity of the Deity 16 min 28 Chapter 26: Of the Goodness of the Deity, part 1 22 min 29 Chapter 26: Of the Goodness of the Deity, part 2 23 min 30 Chapter 26: Of the Goodness of the Deity, part 3 25 min 31 Chapter 26: Of the Goodness of the Deity, part 4 27 min 32 Chapter 27: Conclusion 16 min
