Natural Theology: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Natural Theology, credited to William Paley, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Natural Theology by William Paley. Read in English by Barry Ganong In this early nineteenth-century classic, William Paley assesses how our understanding of nature reflects characteristics of its creator. First published in 1802, the book went through more than twenty editions, remains in print, and is still a reference point in the ongoing conversation about evolution or creation as the better explanation for the appearance of order and design in our universe. - Summary by Barry Ganong

Recording facts

• Recording title: Natural Theology
• Author credits: William Paley
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 32
• Listed recording duration: 11:17:31

Catalogue topics

• nature
• creation
• design
• natural theology
• creator

Opening tracks: first 24 of 32

1. 01 - Dedication and Chapter 1: State of the Argument — 12:06
2. 02 - Chapter 2: State of the Argument Continued — 11:37
3. 03 - Chapter 3: Application of the Argument, part 1 — 25:33
4. 04 - Chapter 3: Application of the Argument, part 2 — 13:10
5. 05 - Chapters 4 and 5: Of the Succession of Plants and Animals, and Application of the Argument Continued — 30:04
6. 06 - Chapters 6 and 7: The Argument Cumulative, and Of the Mechanical and Immechanical Parts and Functions of Animals and Vegetables — 20:15
7. 07 - Chapter 8: Of Mechanical Arrangement in the Human Frame – Of the Bones, part 1 — 21:44
8. 08 - Chapter 8: Of Mechanical Arrangement in the Human Frame – Of the Bones, part 2 — 16:07
9. 09 - Chapter 9: Of the Muscles — 31:21
10. 10 - Chapter 10: Of the Vessels of Animal Bodies, part 1 — 21:21
11. 11 - Chapter 10: Of the Vessels of Animal Bodies, part 2 — 24:54
12. 12 - Chapter 11: Of the Animal Structure Regarded as a Mass — 32:30
13. 13 - Chapter 12: Comparative Anatomy, part 1 — 20:39
14. 14 - Chapter 12: Comparative Anatomy, part 2 — 16:57
15. 15 - Chapter 13: Peculiar Organizations — 14:22
16. 16 - Chapters 14 and 15: Prospective Contrivances, and Relations — 28:18
17. 17 - Chapter 16: Compensation — 19:12
18. 18 - Chapter 17: The Relation of Animated Bodies to Inanimate Nature — 10:13
19. 19 - Chapter 18: Instincts — 24:08
20. 20 - Chapter 19: Of Insects — 33:21
21. 21 - Chapter 20: Of Plants — 29:24
22. 22 - Chapter 21: Of the Elements — 12:40
23. 23 - Chapter 22: Astronomy, part 1 — 19:08
24. 24 - Chapter 22: Astronomy, part 2 — 17:47

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.