Atheistic Humanism (The Prometheus Lectures) [Hardcover]

Antony Flew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1993 | Series: The Prometheus Lectures

This collection of essays by one of the world's most distinguished philosophers addresses the many and diverse aspects of atheistic humanism. Antony Flew begins his comprehensive study with 'Fundamentals of Unbelief', in which he argues that there is no good or sufficient natural reason to believe: that the universe was created by a conscious, personal, willing, and doing Being; that such a conjectural Being has provided his (or her or its) creatures with a Revelation; and, that we should either hope or fear some future for ourselves after our deaths. In the second part, 'Defending Knowledge and Responsibility', Flew disposes of the perennial charge that a naturalistic world outlook presupposes values which it cannot justify. He also criticises sociologists of belief who refute themselves by refusing to admit that there is such a thing as 'objective knowledge'. And he examines the subject of mental illness, explaining and defining the notion by referring to the familiar yet often denied realities of choice and consequent responsibility. The third section, 'Scientific Socialism?' consists of three critical analyses of Marxism. Flew exposes the faulty philosophical foundations of Communism, compares Marxist theory with Darwin's theory of evolution, questions the status of Marxism as a social 'science', and points out some of the significant failures of the socialist project. Finally, in the fourth part, 'Applied Philosophy', Flew looks at three social issues which have been the subject of much recent debate: the right to die, the definition of mental health, and the problems of racism.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (December 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879758473
• ISBN-13: 978-0879758479
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,383,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Passable., August 25, 2008

By 

James Yanni (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atheistic Humanism (The Prometheus Lectures) (Hardcover)

Flew generally does a rather poor job of defending atheism. This statement comes from one who is himself an atheist, or at least an agnostic, depending on your definition of the difference between the two terms and where the line is drawn, and what my mood is on the day you ask. So if **I** don't find him convincing, I doubt that anyone not already inclined to agree with him would. Still, he does a fair job of arguing his points in the chapters in which he dismisses Marxism, defends the right of the individual to choose the time of his/her own death, raises the interesting question of when/if it is appropriate to "deprogram" someone who has allegedly been "brainwashed" into a religious "cult" that is disapproved of, discusses racism, and disputes Skinnerian behavioralism. So on the whole, I'll give him a solid "C". Not impressive, but not without merit.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Atheistic Humanism as a belief system, May 20, 2000

By 

C. Richeson "CWRicheson" (Lexington, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atheistic Humanism (The Prometheus Lectures) (Hardcover)

Antony Flew does an excellent job writing these lectures in how he clearly explains the principles behind atheistic humanism. A. Humanism is the belief that: There are no divine beings or entities (God), that man is the measure of all things. Instead of obeying the ethical and moral codes presented in religions a. humanism suggests we should instead follow a moral and ethical system based on human society and interaction. A good read if you appreciate philosophy or theology

2 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Flew is not an atheist., October 17, 2005

By 

John Doughboy "What is truth?" (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Atheistic Humanism (The Prometheus Lectures) (Hardcover)

An intellectual bombshell dropped last week when British professor Antony Flew, for decades one of the world's leading philosophers of atheism, publicly announced that he now affirms the existence of a deity.

To be sure, Mr. Flew has not become an adherent of any creed. He simply believes that science points to the existence of some sort of intelligent designer of the universe. He says evidence from DNA research convinces him that the genetic structure of biological life is too complex to have evolved entirely on its own. Though the 81-year-old philosopher believes Darwinian theory explains a lot, he contends that it cannot account for how life initially began.

We (the Editorial Board of the Dallas Morning News) found this conversion interesting in light of last year's controversy regarding proposed revisions to the state's (Texas) high school biology textbooks. Our view then was that while religion must be kept out of science classes, intellectual honesty demands that when science produces reliable data challenging the prevailing orthodoxies, students should be taught them.

We were bothered by Harvard geneticist Richard Lewontin's statement that for scientists, materialism must be "absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door." That's called stacking the deck.

Mr. Flew may be dead wrong, but it's refreshing to see that an academic of his stature is unafraid to let new facts change his mind. The philosopher told The Associated Press that if admirers are upset with his about-face, then "that's too bad. My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato's Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads."

If the scientific data are compelling enough to cause an atheist academic of Antony Flew's reputation to recant much of his life's work, why shouldn't Texas schoolchildren be taught the controversy?