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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 211.8
EAN num: 9781573922685
ISBN number: 1573922684
Label: Prometheus Books
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 170
Printing Date: 2000-11
Publishing house: Prometheus Books
Sale Popularity Level: 487592
Studio: Prometheus Books
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Brief Book Summary:
Geroge H. Smith, author of the influential contemporary classic ATHEISM: THE CASE AGAINST GOD, continues his defense of reason, freethought, and personal liberty by answering the age-old question: why atheism? Why would anyone question the existence of a supernatural diety? Smith reviews the historical roots of unbelief dating back to the ancient Greeks, argues that philosophy can serve as an important alternative to religion, and defends reason as the most reliable method we humans have for establishing truth and conducting our lives.
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 as well as the nature and content of an ethical system devoid of belief in God. Smith's characteristic lucidity, analytical rigor, and piercing wit make WHY ATHEISM? an accessible and enjoyable guide to living a positive life without belief in a supreme being.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
I'm somewhat biased, if I hadn't read "Atheism: The Case Against God," I doubt I'd have ever finished this book. The writting in the book is good, I suppose, but it was beyond my grasp. The book for the most part deals heavily with philosophy, and the understanding of most of the philosophy is beyond the reach of Joe Average.
Most of his 'arguments' in the book seem to be an analysis of 17th and 18th philosophers, and applying their arguments towards his ideas about Atheisms contemporary relevance. This is by no means bad, but for people lacking background the reading is incredibly dense, and somewhat uninteresting.
Where he succeeds the most is near the end of the book in a short chapter where he adresses 'silly' issues. He talks about 'silly issues' like whether God himself is an Atheist (he is!) and whether Satan is actually a Christian. His wit in this very short chapter was great, and I wished he'd written more on the topic of strange concepts like that.
Overall, this isn't a bad book, but unlike "Atheism: The Case Against God" This book is much harder to grasp for people not grounded in philosophy, and is more an analysis of philosophers then a refutation of Christianity.
Rated by buyers -
I raved on and on about Smith's earlier book "Atheism: The Case Against God", so I thought I could not go wrong with reading another from him...
Sadly, I was mistaken. While this book does have its moments (such as the excellent critique of Ayn Rand and the hilarity of the second-to-last chapter), I must say that overall I was disappointed in this book with respect to his original work. I can't quite place my finger on what I didn't like, but at times the book felt repetitious and mundane.
I highly recommend Smith's earlier work, but only mildly recommend this. It will fill out some gaps of knowledge, but only at the expense of a fairly unexciting read.
Rated by buyers 
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For readers seeking an introduction to the basic ideas of atheism this book is probably not what you are looking for. Instead it is more a history of philosophy and the beliefs of the most important philosophers such as Bacon, Descartes, Kant, Spinoza, Locke and Schopenhauer. George Smith attempts to make the case for atheism by challenging those he disagrees with, such as the theist Descartes who attempted to "prove" the existence of God through his theory of knowledge. Others, like the atheist Schopehauer, he obviously agrees with. All of this is interesting enough, especially for the serious student of philosophy.
But I was hoping to find a more accessible book with more widespread appeal. For me, the case for atheism is simply a matter of common sense. There is no logical reason to believe in the existence of an external, creative diety. Of course, theists always fall back on the concept of faith. But faith in God is a weak argument when a person has no factual support to bolster his claim. For example, I can have faith that the moon is made of purple cheese. But just because I believe it doesn't make it true or mean that this belief is something other people should take seriously. Darwin's theory of evolution, on the other hand, uses the scientific method, including a large, verifiable fossil record, to prove its case. To say that a person's unsubstantiated belief in God is equal to Darwin's much more verifiable theory of evolution is simply irrational thinking.
Prior to science, people made up mythological stories to explain how the world was created and why we are here. Fortunately, science is now able to explain much of how the natural world functions, how humans and other life forms evolved and even how the universe itself came into being. Of course, this only explains the "how" of existence and not the "why". But, to me, the doctrines of religion are a childish cop out. Instead the truth is that it is ultimately up to each individual to find meaning, purpose and happiness in life. We are now living in the "brave, new world" of secularism. It is our challenge to leave behind the dogmas of religion to create a world of freedom, ethics and community based on reason rather than superstition.
Rated by buyers 
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As good a writer as Smith is, this book was not half what his "The Case Against God" was. It does not offer the same deep insight as I would have expected. It is funny at times and still slightly imformative, but only by a small margin does it justify the time and effort it takes to read it. Sadly, I have to say, it barely makes the cut of getting a recommendation by me at all!
(JH)
www.ministerturnsatheist.org
Rated by buyers 
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I don't recall reading a book as dry as this one. This seems a book an extreme pedant might value. Athough an atheist and not adverse to philosophy, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone wondering "why atheism". Its so dry that I found it difficult to maintain concentration. Not that the author's position or points aren't good: it seems he has put a good deal of effort into this book but the presentation seems horrific. It seems highly unlike any theist would remain reading this book long enough to be convinced that atheism is credible. It also seems unlikely that many atheists would remain reading this book long enough to learn from it. The capacity for boredom isn't infinite in most of us.
With considerable patience, you may learn something from this book. I'd suggest reading a few pages at a time so that you can appreciate the author's teaching without tedium overwhelming you. Because the underlying material presented has substance, a rewriting by a good writer might salvage this book.
Douglas Krueger's "What is Atheism? A Short Introduction" doesn't cover the same ground or go to the same depth but it covers the issues well and I found it vastly more readable.
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