Atheism Topic Review

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  • Created by: blombus
  • Created on: 07-04-21 17:11
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  • Atheism Topic Reivew
    • Agnosticism
      • Suspension of the decision to accept or deny the existence of G-d
      • Idea that the existence of G-d, or any ultimate reality, is unknowable
      • Strong agnosticism
        • "I don't know whether G-d exists, and neither do you"
        • Assertion that it is impossible to know for sure whether G-d exists or not
      • Ignosticism
        • Coined by Sherwin Wine
        • Not that the evidence for either side is lacking, but that evidence isn't possible
        • Related to ideas of religious language as being meaningless
          • Related the the idea of religious language being meaningless
          • A.J. Ayer
        • Essentially, you can't assert a position on a meaningless concept
        • "I can't make a relevant assertion either way"
      • From the Greek word for "without knowledge"
      • Weak Agnosticism
        • Belief that it may be currently unknown, but not necessarily unknowable
        • "I don't know whether G-d exists, but maybe we can at some point"
      • Current accepted meaning is about roughly equal odds on either side
        • Reflects a post-modern idea of absolute certainties about truth and knwoledge
    • New Atheism
      • Emerged after 9/11 backlash on religion in the public sphere
      • The term is particularly associated with Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins
      • Militantly antitheistic
      • Critiques of Religion
        • Non-thinking
          • Encourages blind faith and discourages questioning
        • Infantile world-view
          • Irrational and creates a childish outlook
        • Impedes scientific progress
          • Religious attitudes interfere with sceintific progress
      • Responses to New Atheism
        • Rejection of the idea that science and religion are incompatible
        • Increase in in fundamental religious activity
        • Increased platforming of religious believers and apologists
    • Types of Atheism
      • Other types of atheism
        • Protest atheism
          • Revolt against G-d on moral grounds
          • Can be held with another atheistic position, or with agnostiicism
          • "Even if G-d did exist, I could not morally accept worshipping Him"
          • Examples include Stephen Fry or Iman from Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov"
        • New Atheism
          • Also known as antitheism
          • Position that belief in G-d is not just incorrect, but even dangerous
          • "I know that G-d does not exist, and you shouldn't believe in Him either"
          • Generally a more 'active' philosophical position
      • Anthony Flew in 'The Presumption of Atheism' (1972)
        • Argues that atheism should be the default position
        • Negative (weak) atheism
          • Not a sure claim that G-d doesn't exist
          • "I don't believe that G-d exists, but tell me why you do believe"
        • Positive (strong) atheism
          • Assertion that G-d does not exist
          • "I know that G-d does not exist, here are my reasons. Tell me why you do believe"

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