Atheism and Theism (Great Debates in Philosophy) (Paperback)

by J. J. C. Smart (Author), J. J. Haldane (Author), John Haldane (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Smart and Haldane are both remarkable philosophers. Each in his own way possesses the rare combination of formidable dialectical skills, an original vision for philosophy, and immense personal integrity ... I do not see how anyone could read this book and not feel that it represents the finest kind of intellectual encounter ..."Hilary Putnam, Harvard University <!--end-->

"Philosophers of both theistic and atheistic persuasions will find this important new debate on theism particularly interesting for themselves and for their students. Haldane an Smart show that the dispute over the existence of God is very much alive among the best philosophers at the end of the twentieth century." Linda Zagzebski, University of Oklahoma

"This book show contemporary academic philosophy at its best." Scientific and Medical Network Review --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
The issue of whether or not there is a God is one of the oldest and most widely disputed philosophical questions. It is a debate that spreads far across the range of philosophical questions about the status of science, the nature of mind, the character of good and evil, the epistemology of experience and testimony, and so on. In this book two philosophers, each committed to unambiguous versions of belief and disbelief, debate the central issues of atheism and theism. Smart opens the debate by arguing that theism is philosophically untenable and seeks to explain metaphysical truth in the light of total science. Haldane continues the discussion by affirming that the existence of the world, and the possibility of our coming to have knowledge of it, depend upon the existence of a creating, sustaining, personal God. Concluding with their replies to each other, each philosopher has the chance to respond and to defend his position.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Blackwell Publishers (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631192921
• ISBN-13: 978-0631192923
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,353,130 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most intelligent debate on existence of god so far, November 12, 2002

By	Mark I. Vuletic (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the way atheism vs. theism debates should always be. First, Smart and Haldane are very respectful of one another, as well they should be. Second, they are not afraid to delve deep into the true complexities of philosophy of religion, and are both equal to the task. This debate is very unlike typical debates, in which scholarship is subordinated to rhetoric, and readers are likely to come away having learned something about how truly difficult philosophy of religion is.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to the issues, May 1, 2003

By	"ibell21" (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews

This is a good introduction to many of the main arguments concerning theism and atheism. Smart and Haldane manage to cover most of the main issues while at the same time making original contributions to the debate. The book is especially helpful for giving clear account of the issues surrounding the "fine-tuning" argument due e.g., to Richard Swinburne.

As they mention in the Introduction, neither Smart nor Haldane is a specialist precisely in philosophy of religion--both are well known especially for contributions to philosophy of mind--and this affects the book's overall approach. Smart begins with a defense of physicalism (the view that only objects whose existence is required by physical theory exist), arguing that this position should be accepted on the methodological ground that it is most compatible with the results of modern science. Smart also responds to various theistic arguments and defends a version of the "problem of evil" objection to theism. Haldane follows this with a series of arguments against materialist reductionism, taking the failure of reductionism to entail some kind of design and so theism. Haldane also defends versions of the cosmological ("firt cause") argument and attempts a solution to the problem of evil. Smart then briefly responds to Haldane and Haldane to Smart. For Smart, atheism is part of a general commitment to physicalism, whereas Haldane seems no less interested in defending a general antireductionism (e.g., with respect to intentionality) than in defending theism specifically.

The book covers a great deal of ground and offers much food for thought. The downside to this is discussions of particular issues are sometimes sketchier than one would like. Perhaps it would have been more effective to focus the book more tightly on the aspect of the debate that raises issues of reductionism vs. antireductionism. I also wish the book had been organized so as encourage a more extended response from Smart to Haldane's antireductionist arguments. Smart's methodological principles may well establish a presumption against theism, but surely this presumption is defeasible, and Haldane's contribution is effect an attempt to defeat precisely this presumption.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Read, but Misses the Needs of Most Audinces, September 28, 2000

By	Gregory Klebanoff (Frostburg, Maryland) - See all my reviews

I have some reservations about giving this title only three stars, for I greatly enjoyed reading it, but the work has some significant shortcomings. Parts of the essays are highly technical, which suggests a target audience of professional philosophers. Nonetheless, recent scholarship is often covered either inadquately or not at all. An example is Smart's treatment of the argument from religious expreience. While Smart is discerning and even witty, he shows no awareness of the positions of thinkers such as William Alston and Alvin Plantinga who have pursued the discussion on a much deeper level and who (some might even say) have made treatments such as Smart's irrelevant. Other parts of the book are marred by similar omissions.

For a person with some experience reading contrmporary analytic philosophy, I would recommend the title. Just don't think you're getting anything even close to an overview of what cutting edge thinkers have to say about the atheism/theism debate. That being said, it is well written, interesting, and thought inspiring.

Greg Klebanoff <[e-mail]>