Atheism, Morality, and MeaningDespite the pluralism of contemporary American culture, the Judaeo-Christian legacy still has a great deal of influence on the popular imagination. Thus it is not surprising that in this context atheism has a slightly scandalous ring, and unbelief is often associated with lack of morality and a meaningless existence. Distinguished philosopher and committed atheist Michael Martin sets out to refute this notion in this thorough defense of atheism as a both moral and meaningful philosophy of life. Martin shows not only that objective morality and a meaningful life are possible without belief in God but that the predominantly Christian world view of American society is seriously flawed as the basis of morality and meaning. Divided into four parts, this cogent and tightly argued treatise begins with well-known criticisms of nonreligious ethics and then develops an atheistic meta-ethics. In Part 2, Martin criticizes the Christian foundation of ethics, specifically the Divine Command Theory and the idea of imitating the life of Jesus as the basis of Christian morality. Part 3 demonstrates that life can be meaningful in the absence of religious belief. Part 4 criticizes the theistic point of view in general terms as well as the specific Christian doctrines of the Atonement, Salvation, and the Resurrection. This highly informed and sophisticated defense of atheism is a stimulating challenge to religious believers and a serious contribution to ethical theory. |
Contents
Preface | 9 |
THE NONRELIGIOUS | 19 |
Objections to Morality without Religion | 27 |
Copyright | |
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absurd accept according action afterlife apologists arbitrary argued argument assume atheists atonement belief Camus Carson chapter Christ Christian worldview claim compatible considered judgments cruelty death disapproval Divine Command Theory doctrine empty tomb evidence example existence Firth Firthian Ideal Observer follow Frankena God's Gospels gratuitous torture Greg Bahnsen heaven human Ibid Ideal Observer Theory imitate Jesus impartial incarnation initially improbable interpretation justified lives maintains Matt meaningful meaningless metaethics Michael Martin miracles moral facts Moral Nihilism moral obligation Moral Realism moral skepticism morally required morally wrong Moreover motivated Myth of Sisyphus naturalistic nature nonreligious foundation objective morality one's person philosopher plausible possible premise problem properties punishment purpose or purposes question Quinn R. M. Hare rational reason to suppose religious resurrection Roderick Firth salvation saved seems sense Sisyphus skepticism sure Taylor Testament theistic theory of justification things tion true truth University Press Wide Reflective Equilibrium