{"product_id":"natural-theology-william-paley-first-edition","title":"Natural Theology, William Paley. First Edition.","description":"\u003ch2 align=\"center\"\u003eNatural Theology: Or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 align=\"center\"\u003eWilliam Paley\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-large;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 align=\"left\"\u003eFirst edition of this foundational work in Christian apologetics and the philosophy of religion. Paley famously uses the Watchmaker Analogy to argue that the immense complexity, order, and purpose found in the natural world serve as definitive empirical evidence for the existence of an intelligent, benevolent Creator. Charles Darwin took its arguments seriously and responded to them; evolutionary biologists such as Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins also responded to such ideas by referencing Paley's book. In November 1859, the month that the Origin was published, Darwin wrote to John Lubbock: \"I do not think I hardly ever admired a book more than Paley's 'Natural Theology'. I could almost formerly have said it by heart\". Appropriately, Darwin prefixed to the Origin a quotation from Paley. A very important volume in the history of science, religion and ideas, rare in the trade. \u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv align=\"left\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch4 align=\"left\"\u003eLondon: Printed for Robert Faulder, 1802. Contemporary calf boards, rebacked in calf with two spine labels, lettered and ruled in gilt, gilt turn-ins, new endpapers; pp. xii, 586, [2 ads]. Binding remains tight and square, boards rubbed and scratched, spine in very nice condition. Scattered foxing to pages, else remarkably clean internally. \u003c\/h4\u003e","brand":"The Rare Book Sleuth","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46994419908783,"sku":null,"price":6500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0515\/8846\/4815\/files\/IMG_8467.jpg?v=1780413862","url":"https:\/\/rarebooksleuth.com\/products\/natural-theology-william-paley-first-edition","provider":"The Rare Book Sleuth","version":"1.0","type":"link"}