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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Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
"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
129 of 136 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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.
62 of 64 people found the following review helpful
Format: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
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
Format: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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
It Read My Mind As I Read It
I love when books explain things that I have questions to as I begin to wonder about them. As I read this book, I'd want to know something a bit further about what he was talking... Read more
Published 4 months ago by D. Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well Done Case for Atheism
This book covers the case for atheism by examining major arguments for and against the existence of God. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Book Fanatic
5.0 out of 5 stars
And what's more, I like the cover
Unlike another reviewer here, I do like the cover design of ATHEISM EXPLAINED and that's one of the reasons I bought a copy of the book. Read more
Published 15 months ago by K. Russell
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fair critical evaluation of theism, and summarization of Atheism
Among other atheists I read, such as Walter Sinnot-Armstrong in his book God Without Morality and the philosopher Kai Nielsen, this is one of the several fair critical evaluation... Read more
Published on March 4, 2011 by Philonous
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very educational
For someone who has been an atheist since early teens, largely on the basis of what could be called common sense, this book gives substance to many arguments typically heard in... Read more
Published on February 7, 2011 by Erik
4.0 out of 5 stars
misnamed
This book is rather badly misnamed. Instead of "Atheism Explained", it should be titled "Theism Critiqued" as about 90% of the book consists of explanations of what is wrong about... Read more
Published on September 24, 2010 by David Hanthorn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Refreshing and Informative
David Ramsay Steele's Atheism Explained is a refreshing overview of atheistic thought.
Steele's approach is to examine the logical merits of common theistic and... Read more
Steele's approach is to examine the logical merits of common theistic and... Read more
Published on March 18, 2010 by Bri
3.0 out of 5 stars
Qualified Recommendation
Steele's main approach in this book is to lay out what he deems to be the strongest theistic arguments, which he analyzes and refutes. This is mostly effective. Read more
Published on October 23, 2009 by Joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best I've read in this category
Just a few remarks about this splendid book. The author does present the best arguments for and against theism and atheism, and he generally seems less frantic and one-sided about... Read more
Published on May 31, 2009 by Lupus
5.0 out of 5 stars
More interesting that you might think
I confess to coming at this book with some reluctance. Were it not a selection of my bookclub, I wouldn't have picked it up. This is not due to any aversion to atheism. Read more
Published on February 14, 2009 by Jon Kalb
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