In this essay you need to show you have read and understood Paley and Hume and understand the debate
over teleology and its implications.
You must include in your essay the following (in the order you think makes most sense) and you must
answer the question “Does Paley’s teleological argument succeed in proving God’s existence?”
Do not limit your discussion to the following (e.g. evolution isn’t mentioned below) so always feel free to
add relevant material you have learned, but you must cover these in your essay to pass.
(i)Explain Paley’s teleological argument for God’s existence.
(ii)Explain Paley’s first 3 replies to problems (begins p.10)
(iii)Explain the point(s) being made when he writes: “The watch is found, in the course of its
movements, to produce another watch similar to itself…”
(iv)Explain the point being made in Paley’s discussion of the corn and the mill (have a short quote
from the text).
(v)From Hume: quote a short passage that makes a good criticism against the teleological
argument and explain that point.
Explain the point(s) being made in the following edited passage from David Hume (e.g. what are they
arguing about and how it relates to Paley’s argument, is some of it supportive or critical etc.)