William Paley was an English clergyman, Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. He is best known for his natural theology exposition of the teleological argument for the existence of God in ...

What was William Paley known for?

William Paley, (born July 1743, Peterborough, Northamptonshire [now in Cambridgeshire], England—died May 25, 1805, Lincoln, Lincolnshire), English Anglican priest, Utilitarian philosopher, and author of influential works on Christianity, ethics, and science, among them the standard exposition in English theology of the ...

What century did William Paley live in?

William Paley (1743—1805) English theologian; born at Peterborough (37 miles northeast of Northampton) July, 1743; died at Lincoln May 25, 1805. His mother was a keen, thrifty woman of much intelligence, and his father was a minor canon at Peterborough and a pedagogue.