Eupraxophy: Living Without Religion (Hardcover)

by Paul Kurtz (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 159 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (March 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879755083
• ISBN-13: 978-0879755089
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,376,292 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Depicts a basis for a "wise, joyous" approach to life, January 23, 1998

By A Customer

Paul Kurtz is a prolific writer and apologist for the cause of what is usually called secular humanism. In this book he addresses two questions that seem to have nearly equal importance to him: (1) Is it possible to live a good life without religion? (2) Should secular humanism be called a religion? His answer to the first is an emphatic Yes. He chooses the term Eupraxophy -- from the Greek roots for "good," "practice," and "wisdom" -- to name an approach to life that comprises these elements: a cosmic theory based on the best available science; a method of testing all claims to truth based on rationality and a "positive" skepticism; an ethical stance founded in the "common moral decencies" (Kurtz detailed his approach to humanist ethics in another book, "Forbidden Fruit"); and finally, commitment to a set of political ideas derived from these things. Kurtz enthusiastically paints an attractive picture of a committed, engaged life founded in human rationality. His argument in this area is flawed only by his frequent digressions into religion-bashing. He seems compelled to not only paint a positive picture of Eupraxophy, but at the same time to denigrate the theistic approach to life. I found these negative passages intrusive. The second question (what is a religion and should humanism be called one?) is perhaps important to Kurtz, to other leaders of the humanist movement, and to their opponents in the religious right who would like to bring their critics under the same legal constraints that bind them. However, this question has little interest to the general reader looking for models of how to live well, and I wish Kurtz had reserved it to a different forum.

3.0 out of 5 stars a worthwhile read, October 15, 2001

By A Customer

This book was not what I had expected. Having recently embraced atheism I was looking for personal guidance: how is it possible to live a meaningful life without God? What are morals based on without God? etc. This book, though, is not written to answer these questions for the individual, rather, it answers the more general question, "Can society live without religion?" Although it wasn't what I had hoped for, I think it succeeds fairly well for what it attempts. It vaguely makes reference to the questions I had but mostly focuses on the needs and effects of a secular society, covering a wide range of areas such as politics, government, education, secular institutions, etc. Not much depth but a worthwhile read for people interested in how a secular society might work and what would be necessary to bring it about.