William Paley | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by George Romney | |
| Born | July 1743 Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England |
| Died | 25 May 1805 (aged 61) Bishopwearmouth, County Durham, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Alma mater | Christ's College, Cambridge |
| Known for | Contributions to moral philosophy, political philosophy, ethics and philosophy of religion |
| Awards | Members' Prize, Cambridge (1765) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Natural theology |
| Institutions | Giggleswick Grammar School, Christ's College, Cambridge, Giggleswick Parish, Carlisle Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, Durham Cathedral |
William Paley (July 1743 – 25 May 1805) was an English Anglican 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 his work Natural Theology or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, which made use of the watchmaker analogy.