Atheism: A Guide for the PerplexedAtheism: A Guide for the Perplexed moves beyond the polemics to present an overview of atheism that is rigorous but still accessible to the educated layperson as well as to the undergraduate student in philosophy and theology. After a preliminary investigation of what atheists mean when they use the words 'atheism' and 'God'-a much more complex investigation than one might suspect-the book explores the differences and similarities between 'old' and 'new' atheism; places atheism of either variety in context by examining the naturalistic worldview that grounds it; provides a short historical sketch of atheism; examines a number of arguments against God-belief; investigates whether an atheist worldview is consistent with ethics and a sense of purposefulness; inquires into whether the current militancy against religious belief is pertinent or a red herring; and concludes with a few suggestions for continued dialogue between believers and nonbelievers. The goal throughout is to present a balanced, non-partisan introduction to the worldview, principles, and arguments of atheism that highlights the position's strengths as well as its weaknesses. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 9 | |
Chapter 2 The Atheist Worldview | 32 |
Chapter 3 Refuting Theistic Proofs | 53 |
Chapter 4 Why God Cant Exist | 74 |
Chapter 5 The Natural History of Religion | 95 |
Chapter 6 A Godless Morality | 117 |
Chapter 7 Sisyphus Question | 138 |
Chapter 8 An Atheist Spirituality? | 157 |
| 178 | |
| 189 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accept actually Anselm argue argument for God’s asserts assumption atheist atheist spirituality beauty behavior called Carneades cause Chapter Chet Raymo Christian Christopher Hitchens claim Comte-Sponville critics Daniel Dennett Darwin death debate defenders deism deity denial deny design argument divine doesn’t E. O. Wilson ethics everything evil examine example experience explanation exploring fact faith fear Flew Freud gene God-belief God’s existence gods Gould grounds Hitchens human Hume Hume’s insist isn’t Kurtz live logical Marx meaning meaningful metaphysical monotheism moral moral nihilism mystery natural selection naturalist necessarily necessary Nielsen NOMA nonbelief objection offers omnipotence one’s ontological argument Paul Kurtz philosopher physical position possible presume problem problem of evil proof question rational Raymo reality rejection religion religious belief response reveal Richard Dawkins says scientific seems sense simply Sisyphus skeptic suffering supernatural supernaturalist theistic theologians there’s there’s no reason things thinking traditional ultimately understanding universe what’s Wilson word