Atheism Explained explores the claims made both for and against the existence of God. On the pro side: that the wonders of the world can only be explained by an intelligent creator; that the universe had to start somewhere; telepathy, out-of-body experiences, and other paranormal phenomena demonstrate the existence of a spirit world; and that those who experience God directly provide evidence as real as any physical finding. After disputing these arguments through calm, careful criticism, author David Ramsay Steele presents the reasons why God cannot exist: monstrous, appalling evils; the impossibility of omniscience; and the senseless concept that God is a thinking mind without a brain. He also explores controversial topics such as Intelligent Design, the power of prayer, religion without God, and whether a belief in God makes people happier and healthier. Steele’s rational, easy-to-understand prose helps readers form their own conclusions about this eternally thorny topic.
Atheism Explained
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"A clear, concise, complete, and convincing presentation of the case for atheism. Covers essentially all the arguments for and against God, in science, philosophy, and theology, with sympathy for the believer's views even as they are shown to be untenable."
—Victor J. Stenger, author of God: The Failed Hypothesis
"Atheism Explained is a gem. It is clear, informative, well-argued, provocative, often witty, and unfailingly interesting. David Ramsay Steele ranges over so many issues that I should be surprised if he were right about everything, but it makes for a most stimulating read. The book is in a different league from Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion, and deserves much greater success."
—Jeremy Shearmur, author of The Political Thought of Karl Popper
"A refreshingly readable introduction to the arguments for and against believing in God, and the implications atheism has—and more importantly does not have—for politics, morality, and even religion itself."
—Susan Blackmore, author of Conversations on Consciousness
"Steele explains atheism with scholarship, cogency, wit, and clarity. He aims at the nonacademic reader, but no professional philosopher I know of could fail to be impressed."
—Jan Narveson, author of This Is Ethical Theory
"Atheism Explained is a much better defense of atheism than the recent works by Dawkins and Hitchens."
—James Sadowsky, S.J., Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University
"Steele defends atheism by a comprehensive analysis of attempts to prove and disprove the existence of God. If you want to refute atheism, then you need to reply to Atheism Explained. It may well become the classic work on the subject. It is as readable as it is rigorous."
—J.C. Lester, author of Escape from Leviathan
David Ramsay Steele is author of From Marx to Mises (1992), co-author (with Michael Edelstein)of Three Minute Therapy (1997), and editor of Genius: In Their Own Words (2002). His articles have appeared in Critical Review, Liberty, National Review, and Ethics. He contributed to The Atkins Diet and Philosophy (2005) and The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief (2007).
—Victor J. Stenger, author of God: The Failed Hypothesis
"Atheism Explained is a gem. It is clear, informative, well-argued, provocative, often witty, and unfailingly interesting. David Ramsay Steele ranges over so many issues that I should be surprised if he were right about everything, but it makes for a most stimulating read. The book is in a different league from Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion, and deserves much greater success."
—Jeremy Shearmur, author of The Political Thought of Karl Popper
"A refreshingly readable introduction to the arguments for and against believing in God, and the implications atheism has—and more importantly does not have—for politics, morality, and even religion itself."
—Susan Blackmore, author of Conversations on Consciousness
"Steele explains atheism with scholarship, cogency, wit, and clarity. He aims at the nonacademic reader, but no professional philosopher I know of could fail to be impressed."
—Jan Narveson, author of This Is Ethical Theory
"Atheism Explained is a much better defense of atheism than the recent works by Dawkins and Hitchens."
—James Sadowsky, S.J., Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University
"Steele defends atheism by a comprehensive analysis of attempts to prove and disprove the existence of God. If you want to refute atheism, then you need to reply to Atheism Explained. It may well become the classic work on the subject. It is as readable as it is rigorous."
—J.C. Lester, author of Escape from Leviathan
David Ramsay Steele is author of From Marx to Mises (1992), co-author (with Michael Edelstein)of Three Minute Therapy (1997), and editor of Genius: In Their Own Words (2002). His articles have appeared in Critical Review, Liberty, National Review, and Ethics. He contributed to The Atkins Diet and Philosophy (2005) and The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief (2007).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
127 of 134 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One really cannot judge this book by its cover.,
By Greg "Saganite" (Brooklyn Park, Mongolia) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Atheism Explained: From Folly to Philosophy (Ideas Explained) (Paperback)
This book is a marketing nightmare. The title, the subtitle, and the cover art are all uninspired. But this is one of the best books outlining a case for atheism that I've read. It is clear, user-friendly, and logical. The logical evidence against classical theism is treated in a comprehensive presentation that does not feel labored, and manages to dodge some of the excesses of books by Dawkins and Hitchens. If I were told that a Christian friend were experiencing doubts about her faith and she was asking for recommendations for three books explaining atheism as a rational, satisfying alternative, this book might well be among the three. After years of having very few readable books on atheism, the last couple of years have witnessed an explosion of fine, readable texts. Put "Atheism Explained" on the shelf next to "Irreligion," "The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality," "Godless Philosophy," and other such books. The place for "God is Not Great" and "The God Delusion" is important, because they have opened a window. I would argue that what they have opened that window for is gentler, wiser books such as this one.
One of the best contributions the book makes is in an appendix about arguments NOT to use for atheism. Every atheist who feels compelled to convert the religious to atheism should read it. I think reducing the toxic effects of fundamentalism is a noble, necessary aim. But sinking to the tactics that fundamentalists use should play no part in our strategy to combat fanaticism. This appendix outlines "arguments" that toe that line and cautions against their use.
59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The one atheist book everyone must read!,
By
This review is from: Atheism Explained: From Folly to Philosophy (Ideas Explained) (Paperback)
Dozens of books for and against atheism are now coming out, and the quality is very mixed on both sides of the debate. Among books of a general and popular nature, Steele's book is by far the best pro-atheist statement.
He covers all the arguments, and the most committed believer would have to agree that he does so with complete fairness. His exposition is crystal clear: he makes the most complex issues easy to understand. The book is so fair-minded and such an easy read that a beginning Christian theology student could read it in a weekend, simply to get a quick outline of philosophy of religion. Steele is also quite critical of some ideas commonly held by atheists: for example he refutes the claim that belief in God leads to atrocities. Although the author is often witty and ironic, he is sympathetic and without malice. The reader feels that if Steele could find a decent argument for the existence of God, he would gladly accept it, and he actually mentions one such argument that might be developed in the future. Meanwhile, he destroys all the standard arguments quite convincingly. The author is extremely polite, but without mercy when it comes to muddled thinking. Here are some of the notable features of this book: the clearest discussion I have encountered of Darwinism in relation to Christianity; a fresh and entertaining treatment of the claim that morality comes from God; the author's thorough knowledge of the Bible and the Quran (he is as much at home with Aquinas as with Darwin); a devastating scrutiny of the historical reliability of the New Testament; historical evidence showing that atheism has always been prevalent; an illuminating discussion of the theory that we are born with a "God gene" that makes us thirst for a God; an original explanation of why most people today say that they believe in God; and a persuasive analysis of the Problem of Evil, bringing up many relevant points that are usually ignored. One thing you might not get from all I have said above is that the book really says quite a lot that is controversial, even shocking. For instance, it claims that belief in God always withers on the vine when exposed to modern capitalism (and that American attitudes to religion will now speedily become more like European ones); it attacks the media theory that religion motivates suicide bombings; it debunks the popular view that "you can't prove a negative" and also the common misconception that one side or another has "the burden of proof"; and it concludes that both theism and atheism have little practical importance since they don't tell us how to live our lives. Christians, Muslims, and Jews who read Atheism Explained will probably become atheists; atheists who read it will have some of their comfortable preconceptions unexpectedly shaken up. Jeffrey A. Schaler schaler@american.edu www.schaler.net
66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Single volume Assessment of the issue.,
By
This review is from: Atheism Explained: From Folly to Philosophy (Ideas Explained) (Paperback)
I have read well over a hundred books on religious criticism; and this book is one of the very best general single volume assessments of the rational merit of Theism and Atheism. The book solely deals with the rational merit of atheism versus theism, not with the social merit or demerit of religion, which many other popular atheist books deal with. The author is skilled at making very complex issues accessible to a general audience. The book covers a surprising amount of ground and deals with a wide variety of subjects; including many issues that other books of this nature often leave out, such as ND E's and even the Koran. The author was especially strong when dealing with the Anthropic Principle and the problem of evil. The author has a way of pinpointing the central issues that underlie many of the issues involved. He is a skilled philosopher and is more adapt then many other popular authors when it comes to analyzing the rational merit of key arguments. I highly recommend this book.
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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free will defense, cosmological argument, kalam argument, god gene, young earth creationism, pure logic, irreducible complexity, young earth creationists, coercive intervention, first cause argument, greatest conceivable thing, one big thought, scope for free will, classical theism, capacity for free will, most theists, evil outcomes, people free will, ten qualities, highest integer Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Testament, Big Bang, Ontological Argument, The Objections, Ten Commandments, Improbable Universe Argument, Does God Explain Why Anything Exists, Paley's Challenge, Old Testament, Can God, The Holy Bible Isn't Wholly Reliable, Taj Mahal, Did Someone Set the Dial, Sherlock Holmes, Did God Compose the Quran, Noah's Flood, Can We Know God Directly, Can We Prove God Exists, Origin of Species, Van Inwagen, Atheism Is Irresistible, Noah's Ark, Therefore God, Faith Doesn't Have, Atheism Explained Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
free will defense, cosmological argument, kalam argument, god gene, young earth creationism, pure logic, irreducible complexity, young earth creationists, coercive intervention, first cause argument, greatest conceivable thing, one big thought, scope for free will, classical theism, capacity for free will, most theists, evil outcomes, people free will, ten qualities, highest integer Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Testament, Big Bang, Ontological Argument, The Objections, Ten Commandments, Improbable Universe Argument, Does God Explain Why Anything Exists, Paley's Challenge, Old Testament, Can God, The Holy Bible Isn't Wholly Reliable, Taj Mahal, Did Someone Set the Dial, Sherlock Holmes, Did God Compose the Quran, Noah's Flood, Can We Know God Directly, Can We Prove God Exists, Origin of Species, Van Inwagen, Atheism Is Irresistible, Noah's Ark, Therefore God, Faith Doesn't Have, Atheism Explained Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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