William Paley

From ResearchID.org

William Paley (July, 1743 – May 25, 1805) was an English theologian (divine) and philosopher. In Natural Theology (1802), Paley developed his famous watchmaker argument for the existence of God.

1 Watchmaker argument
2 Biographies
3 Paley's works
4 Reviewers
- 4.1 Charles Darwin
5 References
6 External Links
- 6.1 William Paley
- 6.2 Watchmaker argument

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Watchmaker argument

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Mechanism

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, e. g. that they are so formed and adjusted as to produce motion, and that motion so regulated as to point out the hour of the day; that, if the different parts had been differently shaped from what they are, of a different size from what they are, or placed after any other manner, or in any other order, than that in which they are placed, either no motion at all would have been carried on in the machine, or none which would have answered the use that is now served by it.^[1]

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Secret Spring

Paley observes that energy is essential to operating the watch. The mechanism alone is insufficient:

Mechanism, without power, can do nothing. . . .it cannot go without a weight or spring, i.e., without a force independent of, and ulterior to, its mechanism. . . . but in all cases, it is necessary that the spring act at the centre . . .there is a secret spring, or a gravitating plummet;--in a word, that there is force, and energy, as well as mechanism.
the watch in motion establishes to the observer two conclusions:
One; that thought, contrivance, and design, have been employed in the forming, proportioning, and arranging of its parts; and that whoever or wherever he be, or were, such a contriver there is, or was:
The other; that force or power, distinct from mechanism, is, at this present time, acting upon it.^[2]

Cornelius Hunter describes ATP Synthase as Paley's "secret spring."^[3] Jerry Bergman details: ATP: The Perfect Energy Currency for the Cell^[4]

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Conclusions

the watch in motion establishes to the observer two conclusions:
One; that thought, contrivance, and design, have been employed in the forming, proportioning, and arranging of its parts; and that whoever or wherever he be, or were, such a contriver there is, or was:
The other; that force or power, distinct from mechanism, is, at this present time, acting upon it.^[5]

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Biographies

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Paley's works

Paley, William, Natural Theology, with an introduction and notes by M D Eddy and D M Knight, Oxford University Press, 2005 ISBN 0192805843
Natural Theology; or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity: Contents(HTML): University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative
Natural Theology; or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity: Entire Text(HTML): University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative
Evidence of Christianity: Project Gutenberg

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Reviewers

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Charles Darwin

In order to pass the B.A. examination, it was, also, necessary to get up Paley's Evidences of Christianity, and his Moral Philosophy. . . The logic of this book and as I may add of his Natural Theology gave me as much delight as did Euclid. The careful study of these works, without attempting to learn any part by rote, was the only part of the Academical Course which, as I then felt and as I still believe, was of the least use to me in the education of my mind. I did not at that time trouble myself about Paley's premises; and taking these on trust I was charmed and convinced of the long line of argumentation.^[6]

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References

↑ William Paley, Natural Theology, p2
↑ William Paley, Natural Theology, p417
↑ Cornelius Hunter, ATP Synthase: Paley's Secret Spring, IDtheFuture Sept. 12, 2006
↑ Jerry Bergman, ATP: The Perfect Energy Currency for the Cell, Creation Research Society Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 1 (1999)
↑ William Paley, Natural Theology, p418
↑ Charles Darwin. Autobiography

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