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The 18th-century French author Baron d'Holbach was one of the first self-described atheists.

As a philosophical view, atheism is the belief in the nonexistence of gods,[1] or the rejection of theism.[2] In the broadest sense, it is the absence of belief in the existence of gods.[3]

The term atheism originated from the Greek ἄθεος (atheos), which was derogatively applied to anyone thought to believe in false gods, no gods, or doctrines that stood in conflict with established religions. With the spread of freethought, skeptical inquiry, and subsequent increase in criticism of religion, application of the term narrowed in scope. The first individuals to self-identify as "atheist" appeared in the 18th century; today, about 2.3% of the world's population describes itself as atheist, while a further 11.9% are described as nontheist.[4]

Atheists may share common skeptical concerns regarding supernatural claims, citing a lack of empirical evidence for the existence of deities. Common rationales include the problem of evil, the argument from inconsistent revelations, and the argument from nonbelief. Other arguments for atheism range from the philosophical to the social to the historical.

In Western culture, atheists are frequently assumed to be irreligious or unspiritual.[5] However, religious and spiritual belief systems such as forms of Buddhism that do not advocate belief in God or gods, have been described as atheistic.[6] Although some atheists tend toward secular philosophies such as humanism,[7] rationalism, and naturalism,[8] there is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere.[9]

Etymology

Due to its long and dynamic history, the term atheism has acquired multiple distinct definitions. In early Ancient Greek, the adjective ἄθεος (atheos; from the [[privative a|privative ἀ-]] + θεός "god") meant "godless". The word acquired an additional meaning in the 5th century BCE, severing relations with the gods; that is, "denying the gods, ungodly", with more active connotations than ασεβης (asebēs), or "impious". Modern translations of classical texts sometimes translate atheos as "atheistic", such as in Plato's Apology (26c). As an abstract noun, there was also ἀθεότης (atheotēs), "atheism". Cicero transliterated the Greek word into the Latin atheos (De Natura Deorum, I, 23). The term found frequent use in the debate between early Christians and pagans, with each side attributing it, in the pejorative sense, to the other.[10]

The Greek word αθεοι, as it appears in the Epistle to the Ephesians (2:12) on the early 3rd-century Papyrus 46. English versions of the epistle usually translate αθεοι as "[those who are] without God". This word—in any of its forms—appears nowhere else in the Septuagint or the New Testament.[11]

In English, the term atheism stemmed from the French athéisme in about 1587.[12] The term atheist (from Fr. athée), in the sense of "one who denies or disbelieves the existence of God"[13], predates atheism in English, being first attested in about 1571.[14] Atheist in the sense of practical godlessness was first asserted in 1577.[15] The words deist and theist entered English after atheism, being first attested in 1621[16] and 1662[17], respectively, and followed by theism and deism in 1678[18] and 1682[19], respectively. Deism and theism changed meanings slightly around 1700, due to the influence of atheism; deism was originally used as a synonym for today's theism, but came to denote a separate philosophical doctrine.[20]

Writer Karen Armstrong states that "During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the word 'atheist' was still reserved exclusively for polemic.... The term 'atheist' was an insult. Nobody would have dreamed of calling himself an atheist."[21] Atheism was first used to describe a self-avowed belief in late 18th-century Europe, specifically denoting disbelief in the monotheistic Judeo-Christian God.[22] In the 20th century, globalization contributed to the expansion of the term to refer to disbelief in all deities. Most recently, atheism has also been defined as the "absence of belief in deities", rather than as a belief in its own right.[23]

Distinctions

A chart showing the relationship suggested between weak/strong and implicit/explicit atheism. An implicit atheist has not thought about belief in gods; such an individual is implicitly without a belief in gods. An explicit atheist has made an assertion regarding belief in gods; such an individual may reject belief in gods (weak atheism), or believe in the non-existence of gods (strong atheism).

Writers have disagreed on how best to define atheism, proposing a number of different classifications with respect to the range of phenomena rejected, and the degree to which they are rejected. Common disagreements include whether those who make no positive assertion, those who have not consciously rejected theism, or those who do not reject all supernatural phenomena can be considered atheists. Part of this ambiguity arises from the related difficulty in defining words like theism, deity, and God. The various conceptions of God and deities lead to differing ideas regarding the applicability of atheism.

Range

With respect to the range of phenomena being rejected, atheism may counter anything from the existence of a god, to the existence of any spiritual, supernatural, or transcendental concepts, such as those of Hinduism and Buddhism.[24]

Implicit vs. explicit

Main article: Implicit and explicit atheism

There are multiple demarcations concerning the degree to which theism is not accepted. Minimally, atheism may be seen as the absence of belief in one or more gods. It has been contended this broad definition includes newborns and other people who have not been exposed to theistic ideas. As far back as 1772, d'Holbach said that "All children are born Atheists; they have no idea of God".[25] George H. Smith (1979) suggested that: "The man who is unacquainted with theism is an atheist because he does not believe in a god. This category would also include the child without the conceptual capacity to grasp the issues involved, but who is still unaware of those issues. The fact that this child does not believe in god qualifies him as an atheist."[26] Smith coined the term implicit atheism to refer to "the absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it" and explicit atheism to refer to the more common definition of deliberate disbelief.

Strong vs. weak

Main article: Weak and strong atheism

Philosophers such as Antony Flew[27] and Michael Martin[28] have contrasted strong (positive) atheism with weak (negative) atheism. Strong atheism is the explicit affirmation that gods do not exist. Weak atheism includes all other forms of non-theism. According to this categorization, anyone who is not a theist is either a weak or a strong atheist.[29] The terms weak and strong are relatively recent; however, the equivalent terms negative and positive atheism have been used in the philosophical literature[27] and (in a slightly different sense) in Catholic apologetics.[30] Under this demarcation of atheism, many agnostics may qualify as weak atheists. Such individuals may be critical of strong atheism, seeing it as a position that is no more justified than theism, or as one that requires equal conviction.[31][32]

Rationale

"A child of the mob once asked an astronomer who the father was who brought him into this world? The scholar pointed to the sky, and to an old man sitting, and said: 'That one there is your body's father, and that your soul's.' To which the boy replied: 'WHAT IS ABOVE US IS OF NO CONCERN TO US, and I'm ashamed to be the child of such an aged man!' O WHAT SUPREME impiety, not to want to recognize your father, and not to think God is your maker!"[33]

Emblem illustrating practical atheism and its historical association with immorality, titled "Supreme Impiety: Atheist and Charlatan", from Picta poesis, by Barthélemy Aneau, 1552.

The broadest demarcation with respect to atheistic rationale is between practical and theoretical atheism. The different forms of theoretical atheism each derive from a particular rationale or philosophical argument. In contrast, practical atheism requires no specific argument, and can include indifference to and ignorance of the idea of God or gods.

Practical atheism

In practical, or pragmatic, atheism, also known as apatheism, individuals live their lives as if there is are no gods and natural phenomena are explained without resorting to the divine. The existence of gods is not denied, but may be designated unnecessary or useless; gods neither provide purpose to life, nor influences everyday life, according to this view.[34] A form of practical atheism with implications for the scientific community is methodological naturalism—the "tacit adoption or assumption of philosophical naturalism within scientific method with or without fully accepting or believing it."[35]

Practical atheism can take various forms:

  • Absence of religious motivation—belief in gods does not motivate any kind of moral or religious action;
  • Active exclusion of the problem of gods and religion from intellectual pursuit and practical action;
  • Indifference—the absence of any interest in the problems of gods and religion; or
  • Ignorance—the complete absence of the idea of gods from one's life.[36]

Historically, practical atheism has been associated with moral failure, willful ignorance and impiety. Those considered practical atheists were said to behave as though God, ethics and social responsibility did not exist; they abandoned duty and embraced hedonism. According to the French Catholic philosopher Étienne Borne, "Practical atheism is not the denial of the existence of God, but complete godlessness of action; it is a moral evil, implying not the denial of the absolute validity of the moral law but simply rebellion against that law."[37]

Theoretical atheism

Further information: [[:Arguments against the existence of God]]

Theoretical, or contemplative, atheism explicitly posits arguments against belief in gods. These arguments assume various forms, such as psychological, sociological, metaphysical, and epistemological explanations. Theoretical atheists may use one or more of these arguments to support their views:

Epicurus is credited with first expounding the problem of evil. David Hume in his Dialogues concerning Natural Religion (1779) cited Epicurus in stating the argument as a series of questions:

"Is [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

Epistemological arguments

Further information: [[:Agnostic atheism, Theological noncognitivism]]

Epistemological atheism argues that people cannot know God or determine the existence of God. The foundation of epistemological atheism is agnosticism, which takes a variety of forms. In the agnosticism of immanence, the consciousness is considered an absolute, and all human thought is locked within the subject. The rationalistic agnosticism of Kant and the Enlightenment only accepts knowledge deduced with human rationality; this form of atheism holds that gods are not discernible as a matter of principle, and therefore cannot exist. Skepticism, based on the ideas of Hume, asserts that certainty about anything is impossible, so one can never know the existence of God. The allocation of agnosticism to atheism is disputed; it can also be regarded as an independent, basic worldview.[38]

Other forms of atheistic argumentation that may qualify as epistemological, including logical positivism and ignosticism, assert the meaninglessness or unintelligibility of basic terms such as "God" and statements such as "God is all-powerful". Theological noncognitivism holds that the statement "God exists" does not express a proposition, but is nonsensical or cognitively meaningless. It has been argued both ways as to whether such individuals classify into some form of atheism or agnosticism. Philosophers A. J. Ayer and Theodore M. Drange reject both categories, stating that both camps accept "God exists" as a proposition; they instead place noncognitivism in its own category.[39][40]

Metaphysical arguments

Further information: [[:Monism, Physicalism]]

Metaphysical atheism is based on metaphysical monism—the "homogeneity of reality". Absolute metaphysical atheists, arguing for materialistic monism, cite the trend toward philosophical materialism as rationale for explicitly denying the existence of God. Relative metaphysical atheists maintain an implicit denial of God based on the incongruity between their individual philosophies and attributes applicable God, such as transcendence, a personal aspect, or unity. Examples of relative metaphysical atheism include pantheism, panentheism, and deism.[41]

Psychological, sociological and economical arguments

Further information: [[:Psychology of religion, Neurotheology]]

Philosophers such as Ludwig Feuerbach and Sigmund Freud argued that God and other religious beliefs are human inventions, created to fulfill various psychological and emotional wants or needs. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, influenced by the work of Feuerbach, argued that belief in God and religion are social functions, used by those in power to oppress the working class. According to Mikhail Bakunin, "the idea of God implies the abdication of human reason and justice; it is the most decisive negation of human liberty, and necessarily ends in the enslavement of mankind, in theory and practice." He reversed Voltaire's famous aphorism that if God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him, writing instead that "if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish Him."[42]

Logical and evidential arguments

Further information: [[:Deductive arguments against the existence of God, Problem of evil, Divine hiddenness]]

Logical atheism holds that the various conceptions of God and gods, such as the personal God of Christianity, are ascribed logically inconsistent qualities. Such atheists present deductive arguments against the existence of God, which assert the incompatibility between certain traits, such as perfection, creator-status, immutability, omniscience, omnipresence, omnibenevolence, transcendence, personhood (a personal being), nonphysicality, justice and mercy.[43]

Theodicean atheists believe that the world as they experience it cannot be reconciled with the qualities commonly ascribed to God and gods by theologians. They argue that an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent God is not compatible with a world where there is evil and suffering, and where divine love is hidden from many people.[44]

Anthropocentric arguments

Further information: [[:Philosophical anthropology, Humanism]]

Axiological, or constructive, atheism rejects the existence of gods in favor of a "higher absolute", such as Humanity. This form of atheism favors humanity as the absolute source of ethics and values, and permits individuals to resolve moral problems without resorting to God. Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, and Sartre all used this argument to convey messages of liberation, full-development, and unfettered happiness.[45]

One of the most common criticisms of atheism has been to the contrary—that denying the existence of a just God leads to moral relativism, leaving one with no moral or ethical foundation,[46] or renders life meaningless and miserable.[47] Blaise Pascal argued this view in 1669.[48]

History

Main article: History of atheism

Although the term atheism originated in 16th-century France, ideas that would be recognized today as atheistic are documented from classical antiquity and the Vedic period.

Early Indic religion

Atheistic schools can even be found in Hinduism, which is otherwise a very theistic religion. The thoroughly materialistic and anti-religious philosophical Carvaka School that originated in India around 6th century BCE is probably the most explicitly atheistic school of philosophy in India. This branch of Indian philosophy is classified as a heterodox system and is not considered part of the six orthodox schools of Hinduism, but it is noteworthy as evidence of a materialistic movement within Hinduism.[49] Chatterjee and Datta explain that our understanding of Carvaka philosophy is fragmentary, based largely on criticism of the ideas by other schools, and that it is not a living tradition:

"Though materialism in some form or other has always been present in India, and occasional references are found in the Vedas, the Buddhistic literature, the Epics, as well as in the later philosophical works we do not find any systematic work on materialism, nor any organised school of followers as the other philosophical schools possess. But almost every work of the other schools states, for reputation, the materialistic views. Our knowledge of Indian materialism is chiefly based on these."[50]

Other Indian philosophies generally regarded as atheistic include Classical Samkhya and Purva Mimamsa. The rejection of a personal, creator God is also seen in Jainism and Buddhism in India.[51]

Classical antiquity

According to Plato's Apology, Socrates was accused by Meletus of not believing in gods at all (often translated as "complete atheist") - which he vigorously disputed.

Western atheism has its roots in pre-Socratic Greek philosophy, but did not emerge as a distinct world-view until the late Enlightenment.[52] The 5th-century BCE Greek philosopher Diagoras is known as the "first atheist",[53] and strongly criticized religion and mysticism. Critias viewed religion as a human invention used to frighten people into following moral order.[54] Atomists such as Leucippus and Democritus explained the world in a purely materialistic way, without reference to the spiritual or mystical. Other pre-Socratic philosophers with atheistic views included Prodicus, Protagoras, and Theodorus.

Another atomic materialist, Epicurus, disputed many religious doctrines, including the existence of an afterlife or a personal deity; he considered the soul purely material and mortal. While Epicureanism did not rule out the existence of gods, he believed that if they did exist, they were unconcerned with humanity.[55]

Following in the footsteps of materialists like Epicurus, the Roman poet Lucretius agreed that, if there were gods, they were unconcerned with humanity, and unable to affect the natural world. For this reason, he believed humanity should have no fear of the supernatural. In De rerum natura ("On the nature of things"), he expounds his Epicurean views of the cosmos, atoms, the soul, mortality, and religion.[56]

One of the greatest Roman philosophers to affirm skeptical inquiry was Sextus Empiricus. He held that one should suspend judgment about virtually all beliefs—a form of skepticism known as Pyrrhonism. He held the view that nothing was inherently evil, and that ataraxia ("peace of mind") is attainable by withholding one's judgment. His relatively large volume of surviving works had a lasting influence on later philosophers.[57]

The Greek philosopher Socrates was called an atheist for impiety on the basis that he inspired questioning of the state gods.[58] Although he disputed the accusation that he was a "complete atheist",[59] he was ultimately sentenced to death.

The meaning of "atheist" changed over the course of classical antiquity. The early Christians were labeled atheists by non-Christians because of their disbelief in pagan gods.[60] During the Roman Empire, Christians were executed for their rejection of the Roman gods in general and Emperor-worship in particular. When Christianity became the state religion under Theodosius in 381, heresy became a punishable offense.[61]

Early Middle Ages to the Renaissance

File:Occam.jpg
William of Ockham's principle of parsimony, Occam's razor, is used in debates about God to this day.[62]

The espousal of atheistic views was rare in Europe during the Early Middle Ages and Middle Ages; metaphysics, religion and theology were the dominant interests.[63] There were, however, movements within this period that forwarded heterodox conceptions of the Christian God, including differing views of the nature, transcendence, and knowability of God. Individuals and groups such as John Scotus Eriugena, David of Dinant, Amalric of Bena, and the Brethren of the Free Spirit maintained Christian viewpoints with pantheistic tendencies. Nicholas of Cusa held to a form of fideism he called docta ignorantia ("learned ignorance"), asserting that God is beyond human categorization, and our knowledge of God is limited to conjecture. William of Ockham inspired anti-metaphysical tendencies with his nominalistic limitation of human knowledge to singular objects, and asserted that the divine essence could not be intuitively or rationally apprehended by human intellect. Followers of Ockham, such as John of Mirecourt and Nicholas of Autrecourt furthered this view. The resulting division between faith and reason influenced later theologians such as John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, and Martin Luther.[64]

The Renaissance did much to expand the scope of freethought and skeptical inquiry. Individuals such as Leonardo da Vinci sought experimentation as a means of explanation, and opposed arguments from religious authority. Other critics of religion and the Church during this time included Niccolò Machiavelli, Bonaventure des Périers, and François Rabelais.[57]

Early Modern Period

The Renaissance and Reformation era witnessed a resurgence in religious fervor, as evidenced by the proliferation of new religious orders, confraternities, and popular devotions in the Catholic world, and the appearance of increasingly austere Protestant sects such as the Calvinists. This era of interconfessional rivalry permitted an even wider scope of theological and philosophical speculation, much of which would later be used to advance a religiously skeptical worldview.

Criticism of Christianity became increasingly frequent in the 17th and 18th centuries, especially in France and England, where there appears to have been a religious malaise, according to contemporary sources. Some Protestant thinkers, such as Thomas Hobbes, espoused a materialist philosophy and skepticism toward supernatural occurences. In the late 17th century, Deism came to be openly espoused by English intellectuals such as John Toland, and practically all of the philosophes of eighteenth century France or England held some form of deism. Despite their ridicule of Christianity, many deists held atheism in scorn. The first openly atheistic thinkers, such as Baron d'Holbach, appeared in the late 18th century, when expressing disbelief in God became a less dangerous position.[65] David Hume was the most systematic exponent of Enlightenment thought, developing a skeptical epistemology grounded in empiricism, undermining the metaphysical basis of natural theology.

The French Revolution took atheism outside the salons and into the public sphere. Attempts to enforce the Civil Constitution of the Clergy led to anti-clerical violence and the expulsion of many clergy from France. The chaotic political events in revolutionary Paris eventually enabled the more radical Jacobins to seize power in 1793, ushering in the Reign of Terror. At its climax, the more militant atheists attempted to forcibly de-Christianize France, replacing religion with a Cult of Reason. These persecutions ended with the Thermidorian Reaction, but some of the secularizing measures of this period remained a permanent legacy of French politics.

The Napoleonic era institutionalized the secularization of French society, and exported the revolution to northern Italy, in the hopes of creating pliable republics. In the nineteenth century, many atheists and other anti-religious thinkers devoted their efforts to political and social revolution, facilitating the upheavals of 1848, the Risorgimento in Italy, and the growth of an international socialist movement.

Ludwig Feuerbach's The Essence of Christianity would greatly influence philosophers such as Engels, Marx, David Strauss, and Nietzsche. He considered God to be a human invention and religious activities to be wish-fulfillment.

In the latter half of the 19th century, atheism rose to prominence under the influence of rationalistic and freethinking philosophers. Many prominent German philosophers of this era denied the existence of deities and were critical of religion, including Ludwig Feuerbach, Arthur Schopenhauer, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Nietzsche.[66]

The 20th Century

Atheism in the 20th century, particularly in the form of practical atheism, advanced in many societies. Atheistic thought found recognition in a wide variety of other, broader philosophies, such as existentialism, Objectivism, secular humanism, nihilism, logical positivism, Marxism, feminism,[67] and the general scientific and rationalist movement.

Logical positivism and scientism paved the way for neopositivism, analytical philosophy, structuralism, and naturalism. Neopositivism and analytical philosophy discarded classical rationalism and metaphysics in favor of strict empiricism and epistemological nominalism. Proponents such as Bertrand Russell emphatically rejected the existence of God. In his early work, Ludwig Wittgenstein attempted to separate metaphysical and supernatural language from rational discourse. A. J. Ayer asserted the unverifiability and meaninglessness of religious statements, citing his adherence to the empirical sciences. Relatedly, the applied structuralism of Lévi-Strauss sourced religious language to the human subconscious in denying its transcendental meaning. J. N. Findlay and J. J. C. Smart argued that the existence of God is not logically necessary. Naturalists and materialistic monists such as John Dewey considered the natural world to be the basis of everything, denying the existence of God or immortality.[68][32]

The 20th century also saw the political advancement of atheism, spurred on by interpretation of the works of Marx and Engels. Following the 1917 Revolution, communists in Russia made war against followers of religion.[69] The Soviet Union and other communist states promoted state atheism and opposed religion, often by violent means.[70]

Other leaders like E. V. Ramasami Naicker, well known as Periyar, a prominent atheist leader of India, fought against Hinduism and Brahmins for discriminating and dividing people in the name of caste and religion. This was highlighted in 1956, when he made Hindu god Rama to wear a garland made of slippers and made antitheistic statements, "He who created god was a fool, he who spreads his name is a scoundrel, and he who worships him is a barbarian,". Today even when Brahmins hate him, people from the depressed classes consider him as a great leader.

In 1966, TIME Magazine asked "Is God Dead?"[71] in response to the Death of God theological movement, citing the estimation that nearly one in two people in the world lived under an antireligious power, and millions more, in Africa, Asia and South America, seemed to lack knowledge of the Christian God.[72] The following year, the Albanian government under Enver Hoxha announced the closure of all religious institutions in the country, declaring Albania the world's first atheist state.[73] These regimes enhanced the negative associations of atheism, especially where anti-communist sentiment was strong in the USA, despite the fact that many prominent atheists, such as Ayn Rand, were anti-communist.[74] Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the number of actively antireligious regimes has reduced considerably. In 2006, Timothy Shah of the Pew Forum noted "a worldwide trend across all major religious groups, in which God-based and faith-based movements in general are experiencing increasing confidence and influence vis-à-vis secular movements and ideologies."[75]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of atheism

It is difficult to quantify the number of atheists in the world. Different people interpret "atheist" and related terms differently, and it can be hard to draw boundaries between atheism, non-religious beliefs, and non-theistic religious and spiritual beliefs. Furthermore, atheists may not report themselves as such, to prevent suffering from social stigma, discrimination, and persecution in certain regions.

A 2005 survey published in Encyclopædia Britannica states that the non-religious make up about 11.9% of the world's population, and atheists around 2.3%. This figure does not include those who follow atheistic religions such as some forms of Buddhism.[4]

According to a study by Paul Bell, published in the UK Mensa Magazine in 2002, there is an inverse correlation between religiosity and intelligence. Analyzing 43 studies carried out since 1927, Bell found that all but four reported such a connection, and he concluded that "the higher one's intelligence or education level, the less one is likely to be religious or hold 'beliefs' of any kind."[76] A letter published in Nature in 1998 reported a survey suggesting that belief in a personal God or afterlife was at an all time low among the members of the National Academy of Science, only 7.0% of which believed in a personal God as compared to more than 85% of the US general population.[77]

A November–December 2006 poll published in the Financial Times gives rates for the USA and five European countries; this poll shows that Americans are more likely than Europeans to believe in any form of God or Supreme Being (73%). Of the European adults surveyed, Italians are the most likely to express this belief (62%) and, in contrast, the French are the least likely (27%). In France, 32% declared themselves to be atheists, with an additional 32% declaring themselves agnostic.[78]

Atheism, religion and morality

Main articles: Atheism and religion and Secular ethics
Because of its lack of a personal God, Buddhism is commonly described as atheistic.

Although people who self-identify as atheists are usually assumed to be irreligious, some sects within major religions have atheistic beliefs, and even reject the existence of a personal, creator God.[79] In recent years, certain religious denominations have accumulated a number of openly atheistic followers, such as atheistic or humanistic Judaism[80][81] and Christian atheists.[82][83][84]

As the strictest sense of positive atheism does not entail any specific beliefs outside of disbelief in God, atheists can hold any number of spiritual beliefs. For the same reason, atheists can hold a wide variety of ethical beliefs, ranging from the moral universalism of humanism, which holds that a moral code should be applied consistently to all humans, to moral nihilism, which holds that morality is meaningless.[85]

However, throughout its history, atheism has commonly been equated with immorality, based on the belief that morality is directly derived from God, and thus cannot be attained without appealing to God.[86][87][88] Moral precepts such as "murder is wrong" are seen as divine laws, requiring a divine lawmaker and judge. However, many atheists argue that treating morality legalistically involves a false analogy, and that morality does not depend upon a lawmaker in the same way that laws do,[89] based on the Euthyphro dilemma, which either renders God unnecessary or morality arbitrary.[90]

Philosopher Julian Baggini asserts that behaving ethically only because of divine mandate is not true ethical behavior, merely blind obedience.[91] He argues that atheism is a superior basis for ethics than theism, claiming that a moral basis external to religious imperatives is necessary in order to evaluate the morality of the imperatives themselves—to be able to discern, for example, that "thou shalt steal" is immoral even if one's religion instructs it—and therefore atheists have the advantage of being more inclined to make such evaluations.[92]

Atheists such as Sam Harris have argued that Western religions' reliance on divine authority lends itself to authoritarianism and dogmatism.[93] Indeed, extrinsic religion and religious fundamentalism have been correlated with authoritarianism, dogmatism, and prejudice.[94] This argument, combined with historical events that are argued to demonstrate the dangers of religion, such as the Crusades, inquisitions, and witch trials, are often used by antireligious atheists to justify their views;[95] however, theists have made very similar arguments against atheists based on the state atheism of communist states.[96]

Criticism of atheism

File:Blaise Pascal.jpeg
Blaise Pascal first explained his wager in Pensées (1669): "Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is."
Further information: [[:Criticism of atheism, Arguments for the existence of God]]

The most direct criticisms made against atheism are claims that a god exists and arguments for belief in the existence of God, such as Blaise Pascal's famous wager. There are various other arguments against atheism as well, usually in the form of rebuttals of atheistic rationale.

Prior to the 18th century, the existence of God was so universally accepted that whether true atheism even existed was questioned. This is called theistic innatism—the notion that all people believe in God from birth; within this view was the connotation that atheists are simply in denial.[97] It is also asserted that atheists are quick to believe in God in times of crisis—that atheists make deathbed conversions, or that "there are no atheists in foxholes." Atheistic philosophers such as Joseph McCabe, Paul Kurtz, Antony Flew, and Michael Martin dispute this claim;[98] also, atheist organizations of military personnel have been created in response.[99]

When the existence of atheism is accepted, critics assert the unattainability of knowledge for or against the existence of God as indication that strong atheism requires a leap of faith, making it no more likely to be true than theism. Common atheist responses to this argument include that it is equivocation to conflate religious faith with all unproven propositions—that weak atheism is not a positive claim, and thus requires no more faith than not accepting the existence of Santa Claus, an Invisible Pink Unicorn, or a Flying Spaghetti Monster;[46] and that the unprovability of God's existence does not imply equal probability of either possibility.[100]


Notes and citations

  1. ^ Rowe, William L. (1998). "Atheism". In Edward Craig (ed.). Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
  2. ^ Nielsen, Kai. "Atheism". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  3. ^ religioustolerance.org's short article on Definitions of the term "Atheism" suggests that there is no consensus on the defintion of the term. Simon Blackburn summarizes the situation in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy: "Atheism. Either the lack of belief in a god, or the belief that there is none." Most dictionaries (see the OneLook query for "atheism") first list one of the more narrow definitions.
  4. ^ a b "Worldwide Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-2005". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
    • 2.3% Atheists: Persons professing atheism, skepticism, disbelief, or irreligion, including the militantly antireligious (opposed to all religion).
    • 11.9% Nonreligious: Persons professing no religion, nonbelievers, agnostics, freethinkers, uninterested, or dereligionized secularists indifferent to all religion but not militantly so.
  5. ^ Cline, Austin (2005). "Buddhism and Atheism". about.com. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  6. ^ Kedar, Nath Tiwari (1997). Comparative Religion. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. p. 50. ISBN 8120802934. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  7. ^ Honderich, Ted (Ed.) (1995). "Humanism". The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. Oxford University Press. p 376. ISBN 0198661320.
  8. ^ Fales, Evan. "Naturalism and Physicalism", in Martin 2007, pp. 122–131.
  9. ^ Baggini 2003, pp. 3–4.
  10. ^ Drachmann, A. B. (1977 ("an unchanged reprint of the 1922 edition")). Atheism in Pagan Antiquity. Chicago: Ares Publishers. ISBN 0-89005-201-8. Atheism and atheist are words formed from Greek roots and with Greek derivative endings. Nevertheless they are not Greek; their formation is not consonant with Greek usage. In Greek they said atheos and atheotēs; to these the English words ungodly and ungodliness correspond rather closely. In exactly the same way as ungodly, atheos was used as an expression of severe censure and moral condemnation; this use is an old one, and the oldest that can be traced. Not till later do we find it employed to denote a certain philosophical creed. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
  11. ^ Robertson, A.T. (1960) [1932]. "Ephesians: Chapter 2". Word Pictures in the New Testament. Broadman Press. Old Greek word, not in LXX, only here in N.T. Atheists in the original sense of being without God and also in the sense of hostility to God from failure to worship him. See Paul's words in Ro 1:18-32. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Rendered as Athisme: Golding, Arthur (1587). Mornay's Woorke concerning the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, written in French; Against Atheists, Epicures, Paynims, Iewes, Mahumetists, and other infidels. London. pp. xx. 310. Athisme, that is to say, vtter godlesnes. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Translation of De la verite de la religion chrestienne (1581).
  13. ^ "[http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50014052 atheist]". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: External link in |title= (help) (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  14. ^ Rendered as Atheistes: Golding, Arthur (1571). The Psalmes of David and others, with J. Calvin's commentaries. pp. Ep. Ded. 3. The Atheistes which say..there is no God. Translated from French.
  15. ^ Hanmer, Meredith (1577). The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred years after Christ, written by Eusebius, Socrates, and Evagrius. London. p. 63. OCLC 55193813. The opinion which they conceaue of you, to be Atheists, or godlesse men.
  16. ^ Burton, Robert (1621). The Anatomy of Melancholy. pp. III. iv. II. i. Cosen-germans to these men are many of our great Philosophers and Deists.
  17. ^ Martin, Edward (1662). "Five Letters". His opinion concerning the difference between the Church of England and Geneva [etc.] London. p. 45. To have said my office..twice a day..among Rebels, Theists, Atheists, Philologers, Wits, Masters of Reason, Puritanes [etc.].
  18. ^ Cudworth, Ralph (1678). The true intellectual system of the universe. London. pp. Preface. Nor indeed out of a meer Partiall Regard to that Cause of Theism neither, which we were engaged in.
  19. ^ Dryden, John (1682). Religio laici, or A laymans faith, a poem. London. pp. Preface. OCLC 11081103. ... namely, that Deism, or the principles of natural worship, are only the faint remnants or dying flames of revealed religion in the posterity of Noah...
  20. ^ The Oxford English Dictionary also records an earlier, irregular formation, atheonism, dated from about 1534. The later and now obsolete words athean and atheal are dated to 1611 and 1612, respectively. The Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition ed.). Oxford University Press, USA. 1989. ISBN 0-19-861186-2. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  21. ^ Armstrong, Karen (1999). A History of God. London: Vintage. ISBN 0-09-927367-5.
  22. ^ In part because of its wide use in monotheistic Western society, atheism is usually described as "disbelief in God", rather than more generally as "disbelief in deities". A clear distinction is rarely drawn in modern writings between these two definitions, but some archaic uses of atheism encompassed only disbelief in the singular God, not in polytheistic deities. It is on this basis that the obsolete term adevism was coined in the late 19th century to describe an absence of belief in plural deities. Britannica (1911). "Atheonism". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th Edition ed.). {{cite journal}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  23. ^ Cline, Austin (2006). "What Is the Definition of Atheism?". about.com. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  24. ^ Britannica (1992). "Atheism as rejection of religious beliefs". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 (15th Edition ed.): 666. 0852294735. Retrieved 2006-10-27. {{cite journal}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  25. ^ d'Holbach, P. H. T. (1772). Good Sense. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
  26. ^ Smith 1979, p. 14.
  27. ^ a b Flew, Antony. "The Presumption of Atheism". The Presumption of Atheism and other Philosophical Essays on God, Freedom, and Immortality. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1976. pp 14ff.
  28. ^ Martin, Michael. The Cambridge Companion to Atheism. Cambridge University Press. 2006. ISBN 0521842700.
  29. ^ Cline, Austin (2006). "Strong Atheism vs. Weak Atheism: What's the Difference?". about.com. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  30. ^ Maritain, Jacques (1949). "On the Meaning of Contemporary Atheism". The Review of Politics. 11 (3): 267–280. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  31. ^ Baggini 2003, pp. 30–34.
  32. ^ a b Smart, J.C.C. (2004-03-09). "Atheism and Agnosticism". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
  33. ^ Translation of Latin text from "Summa impietas" (1552), Picta poesis, by Barthélemy Aneau. Glasgow University Emblem Website. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  34. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 20.
  35. ^ Schafersman, Steven D. "Naturalism is an Essential Part of Science and Critical Inquiry". Conference on Naturalism, Theism and the Scientific Enterprise. Department of Philosophy, The University of Texas. February 1997. Revised May 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
  36. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 21.
  37. ^ Borne, Étienne (1961). Atheism. New York: Hawthorn Books. ISBN 0-415-04727-7.
  38. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 20.
  39. ^ Drange, Theodore M. (1998). "Atheism, Agnosticism, Noncognitivism". Internet Infidels, Secular Web Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
  40. ^ Ayer, A. J. (1946). Language, Truth and Logic. Dover. pp. 115–16. In a footnote, Ayer attributes this view to "Professor H. H. Price".
  41. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 19.
  42. ^ Bakunin, Michael (1916). God and the State. New York: Mother Earth Publishing Association. Retrieved on 2007-04-12.
  43. ^ Various authors. "Logical Arguments for Atheism". Internet Infidels, The Secular Web Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
  44. ^ Drange, Theodore M. (1996). "The Arguments From Evil and Nonbelief". Internet Infidels, Secular Web Library. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  45. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 20.
  46. ^ a b Gleeson, David (2006). "Common Misconceptions About Atheists and Atheism". American Chronicle. Retrieved 2006-10-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  47. ^ Smith 1979, p. 275. "Perhaps the most common criticism of atheism is the claim that it leads inevitably to moral bankruptcy."
  48. ^ Pascal, Blaise (1669). Pensées, II: "The Misery of Man Without God".
  49. ^ Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A. Moore. A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy. (Princeton University Press: 1957, Twelfth Princeton Paperback printing 1989) pp. 227–249. ISBN 0-691-01958-4.
  50. ^ Satischandra Chatterjee and Dhirendramohan Datta. An Introduction to Indian Philosophy. Eighth Reprint Edition. (University of Calcutta: 1984). p. 55.
  51. ^ Joshi, L.R. (1966). "A New Interpretation of Indian Atheism". Philosophy East and West. 16 (3/4): 189–206.
  52. ^ Baggini 2003, pp. 73–74. "Atheism had its origins in Ancient Greece but did not emerge as an overt and avowed belief system until late in the Enlightenment."
  53. ^ Solmsen, Friedrich (1942). Plato's Theology. Cornell University Press. p 25.
  54. ^ "religion, study of". (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on April 2, 2007.
  55. ^ BBC. "Ethics and Religion—Atheism". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
  56. ^
  57. ^ a b Stein, Gordon (Ed.) (1980). "The History of Freethought and Atheism". An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism. New York: Prometheus. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  58. ^ "Atheism". The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press. 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
  59. ^ Brickhouse, Thomas C. (2004). Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Plato and the Trial of Socrates. Routledge. pp. p. 112. ISBN 0415156815. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) In particular, he argues that the claim he is a complete atheist contradicts the other part of the indictment, that he introduced "new divinities".
  60. ^ "Atheism", Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907, fetched April 2007.[1]
  61. ^ Maycock, A. L. and Ronald Knox (2003). Inquisition from Its Establishment to the Great Schism: An Introductory Study. ISBN 0766172902.
  62. ^ Mathew (1997). "Atheism:Common arguments". Internet Infidels, Secular Web Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
  63. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 4
  64. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 4.
  65. ^ d'Holbach, P. H. T. (1770). The system of nature. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
  66. ^ Ray, Matthew Alun (2003). "Subjectivity and Irreligion: Atheism and Agnosticism in Kant, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche". Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Retrieved 2007-04-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  67. ^ Overall, Christine. "Feminism and Atheism," in Martin 2007, pp. 233–246.
  68. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 16.
  69. ^ Zdybicka 2005, p. 17.
  70. ^ Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr I. The Gulag Archipelago. Harper Perennial Modern Classics. ISBN 0-06-000776-1.
  71. ^ TIME Magazine cover online. 8 Apr 1966. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  72. ^ "Toward a Hidden God". TIME Magazine online. 8 Apr 1966. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  73. ^ Majeska, George P. (1976). "Religion and Atheism in the U.S.S.R. and Eastern Europe, Review". The Slavic and East European Journal. 20(2). pp. 204-206.
  74. ^ Rafford, R.L. (1987). "Atheophobia—an introduction". Religious Humanism. 21 (1): 32–37. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |quotes= (help)
  75. ^ "Timothy Samuel Shah Explains 'Why God is Winning'". 2006-07-18. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  76. ^ Bell, Paul. "Would you believe it?" Mensa Magazine, UK Edition, Feb. 2002, pp. 12–13
  77. ^ Larson, Edward J. (1998). "Correspondence: Leading scientists still reject God". Nature. 394 (6691): 313. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Available at StephenJayGould.org, Stephen Jay Gould archive. Retrieved on 2006-12-17
  78. ^ "Religious Views and Beliefs Vary Greatly by Country, According to the Latest Financial Times/Harris Poll". Financial Times/Harris Interactive. 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2007-01-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  79. ^ Winston, Robert (Ed.) (2004). Human. New York: DK Publishing, Inc. pp. p. 299. ISBN 0-7566-1901-7. Nonbelief has existed for centuries. For example, Buddhism and Jainism have been called atheistic religions because they do not advocate belief in gods. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  80. ^ "Humanistic Judaism". BBC. 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2006-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  81. ^ Levin, S. (1995). "Jewish Atheism". New Humanist. 110 (2): 13–15. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  82. ^ "Christian Atheism". BBC. 2006-05-17. Retrieved 2006-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  83. ^ Altizer, Thomas J. J. (1967). The Gospel of Christian Atheism. London: Collins. pp. 102–103. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
  84. ^ Lyas, Colin (1970). "On the Coherence of Christian Atheism". Philosophy: The Journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy. 45 (171): 1–19. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  85. ^ Smith 1979, pp. 21–22.
  86. ^ Smith 1979, p. 275. "Among the many myths associated with religion, none is more widespread—or more disastrous in its effects—than the myth that moral values cannot be divorced from the belief in a god."
  87. ^ In Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov (Book Eleven: Brother Ivan Fyodorovich, Chapter 4) there is the famous argument that If there is no God, all things are permitted.: "'But what will become of men then?' I asked him, 'without God and immortal life? All things are lawful then, they can do what they like?'"
  88. ^ For Kant, the presupposition of God, soul, and freedom was a practical concern, for "Morality, by itself, constitutes a system, but happiness does not, unless it is distributed in exact proportion to morality. This, however, is possible in an intelligible world only under a wise author and ruler. Reason compels us to admit such a ruler, together with life in such a world, which we must consider as future life, or else all moral laws are to be considered as idle dreams… ." (Critique of Pure Reason, A811).
  89. ^ Baggini 2003, p. 38.
  90. ^ Baggini 2003, p. 39.
  91. ^ Baggini 2003, p. 40.
  92. ^ Baggini 2003, p. 43.
  93. ^ Harris, Sam (2006a). "The Myth of Secular Moral Chaos". Free Inquiry. Retrieved 2006-10-29.
  94. ^ See for example: Kahoe, R.D. (June 1977). "Intrinsic Religion and Authoritarianism: A Differentiated Relationship". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 16(2). pp. 179-182. Also see: Altemeyer, Bob and Bruce Hunsberger (1992). "Authoritarianism, Religious Fundamentalism, Quest, and Prejudice". International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. 2(2). pp. 113-133.
  95. ^ Harris, Sam (2005). "An Atheist Manifesto". Truthdig. Retrieved 2006-10-29. In a world riven by ignorance, only the atheist refuses to deny the obvious: Religious faith promotes human violence to an astonishing degree.
  96. ^ McGrath, Alister (2005). The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World. ISBN 0-385-50062-9. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
  97. ^ Cudworth, Ralph (1678). The True Intellectual System of the Universe: the first part, wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted and its impossibility demonstrated.
  98. ^ Lowder, Jeffery Jay (1997). "Atheism and Society". Retrieved 2007-01-10.
  99. ^ Two such organizations are Atheists in Foxholes and the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers.
  100. ^ Baggini 2003, p. 22.

References

  • Baggini, Julian (2003), Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-280424-3
  • Martin, Michael, ed. (2007), The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-60367-6
  • Smith, George H. (1979), Atheism: The Case Against God, Buffalo, New York: Prometheus, ISBN 0-87975-124-X
  • Zdybicka, Zofia J. (2005), "Atheism" (PDF), in Maryniarczyk, Andrzej (ed.), Universal Encyclopedia of Philosophy, vol. 1, Polish Thomas Aquinas Association, retrieved 2007-04-07

Further reading

  • Berman, David (1990). A History of Atheism in Britain: From Hobbes to Russell. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-04727-7.
  • Buckley, M. J. (1990). At the origins of modern atheism. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300048971.
  • Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Bantam Press. ISBN 0593055489.
  • Flew, Antony (2005). God and Philosophy. Prometheus Books. ISBN 1591023300.
  • Flew, Antony (1984). God, Freedom, and Immortality: A Critical Analysis. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus. ISBN 0-87975-127-4.
  • Flynn, Tom, ed. (2007). The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief. Prometheus Books. ISBN 1591023912.
  • Gaskin, J.C.A., ed. (1989), Varieties of Unbelief: From Epicurus to Sartre, New York: Macmillan, ISBN 0-02-340681-X
  • Harbour, Daniel. An Intelligent Person's Guide to Atheism. London: Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-3229-9.
  • Harris, Sam. Letter to a Christian Nation. Knopf (September 19, 2006). ISBN 978-0307265777.
  • Krueger, D. E. (1998). What is atheism?: A short introduction. New York: Prometheus. ISBN 1-57392-214-5.
  • Le Poidevin, R. (1996). Arguing for atheism: An introduction to the philosophy of religion. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-09338-4.
  • Mackie, J. L. (1982). The Miracle of Theism: Arguments For and Against the Existence of God. Oxford: Oxford UP. ISBN 019824682X
  • Maritain, Jacques (1953). The Range of Reason. London: Geoffrey Bles. ISBN B0007DKP00. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
  • Martin, Michael (1990). Atheism: A philosophical justification. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. ISBN 0-87722-943-0.
  • Martin, Michael & Monnier, R., eds. (2003). The impossibility of God. Amherst, NY: Prometheus. ISBN 1591021200
  • Martin, Michael & Monnier, R., eds. (2006). The improbability of God. Amherst, NY: Prometheus. ISBN 1591023815
  • McTaggart, John & McTaggart, Ellis (1930). Some Dogmas of Religion. London: Edward Arnold & Co., new edition. [First published 1906]
  • Mills, David (2004). Atheist Universe: Why God Didn't Have A Thing To Do With It. Xlibris. ISBN 1-4134-3481-9.
  • Nielsen, Kai (1985). Philosophy and Atheism. New York: Prometheus. ISBN ISBN 0-87975-289-0.
  • Nielsen, Kai (2001). Naturalism and religion. New York: Prometheus. ISBN 1573928534.
  • Oppy, Graham (2006). Arguing about Gods. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521863864.
  • Robinson, Richard (1964). An Atheist's Values. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0198241917.
  • Sharpe, R.A. (1997). The Moral Case Against Religious Belief. London: SCM Press. ISBN 0-334-02680-6.
  • Stenger, Victor J. (2007). God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist. Amherst, NY: Prometheus. ISBN 1591024811
  • Thrower, James (1971). A Short History of Western Atheism. London: Pemberton. ISBN 0-301-71101-1.

External links

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source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atheism&oldid=126689566