Why Atheism?
by George H. Smith
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Is it possible for the nonbeliever to lead a happy and meaningful life? This is one question George H. Smith, defender of reason and personal liberty and author of an influential contemporary classic on nonbelief, seeks to answer in Why Atheism? Smith reviews the historical roots of nonbelief going back to the ancient Greeks, argues that philosophy can serve as an important alternative to religion, and defends reason as the most reliable method humans have for establishing truth and show more conducting one's life. Why Atheism? tackles a wide range of subjects, some of which have never been thoroughly analyzed from an atheistic point of view. Beginning with the problem of atheism's credibility, Smith points out the various ways in which religious opponents have sought to exclude atheism from serious consideration. He also analyzes a number of classical philosophical issues, such as the nature of knowledge and belief, concluding that modern atheism is largely an unintended consequence of the religious diversity brought about by the Protestant Reformation. Two chapters are devoted to ethics, one focusing on the ethics of belief with particular attention given to the views of Thomas Aquinas and John Locke. Other chapters discuss the persecution of religious dissenters and the features of an ethical system without belief in God. Smith's characteristic lucidity, analytical rigor, and wit make Why Atheism? an accessible and enjoyable guide to living a positive life without belief in a supreme being. show lessTags
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One of the earlier books I read on atheism, which helped me to come to grips with my own thoughts and ideas. For a reader who is willing and able to wade through rather dense philsophy, this is a good solid book, but for those just beginning to explore ideas in the field, it might be better to leave it to later in your development, as the technical language of philosophy can be a bit off putting at times.
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Author Information
17 Works 1,090 Members
George H. Smith is the author of Atheism: The Case Against God: Atheism, Ayn Rand, and Other Heresies. Why Atheism?; and The System of Liberty: Themes in the History of Classical liberalism. He also writes the weekly essay series "Excursions into the History of Libertarian Thought" for the Canto Institute.
Common Knowledge
- Epigraph
- [I]nto the subtleties of the mythologies it is not worth our while to inquire seriously; those, however, who use the language of proof we must cross examine ...
Aristole, Metaphysics - Dedication
- To Jeff Riggenbac Philosophe and Friend
- First words
- The title of this book, Why Atheism?, may be construed in several different ways.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)When Spinoza, for example, said that superstition "is engendered, preserved, and fostered by fear," he was merely echoing Epicurus; as was David Hume when he wrote: "Weakness, fear, melancholy, together with ignorance are ... the true sources of SUPERSTITION."
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- Popularity
- 395,686
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.91)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 1
