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A. C. Grayling

The God Argument: The Case against Religion and for Humanism Paperback – March 4, 2014

by A. C. Grayling (Author)

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Examining all the arguments for and against religion and religious belief--across the range of reasons and motives that people have for being religious and how they stand up to scrutiny--The God Argument is a landmark book in the ongoing debate about the place of religion and secularism in our world.

While A. C. Grayling is a clear critic of religion as a guiding force, unlike some of religion's opponents, he carefully considers the various arguments for the existence of God and the many reasons people believe in a deity. More important, he then offers a powerful alternative to religion as a world-view--humanism--an approach to life for those who wish to live with intellectual integrity, based on reason, evidence, and a desire to do and be good, and one which does not interfere with people's rights to their own beliefs and freedom of expression.

Humanism, as Grayling reveals it, is an ethics of sympathy and tolerance based on the best endeavor to make sense of human nature and the human condition. Though humanism recognizes why the various faiths first arose, it nevertheless argues that organized religion should no longer be given a privileged position in society.

Thoughtfully provocative, intellectually expansive, The God Argument makes a powerful case that secular belief, free of religious dogma, allows for a much more compassionate and caring worldview.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bloomsbury USA
Publication date

March 4, 2014
Dimensions

5.58 x 0.85 x 8.26 inches
ISBN-10

1620401924
ISBN-13

978-1620401927
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A. C. Grayling is Master of the New College of the Humanities, UK. He has written and edited numerous works of philosophy and is the author of biographies of Descartes and William Hazlitt. He believes that philosophy should take an active, useful role in society. He has been a regular contributor to The Times, Financial Times, Observer, Independent on Sunday, Economist, Literary Review, New Statesman and Prospect, and is a frequent and popular contributor to radio and television programmes, including Newsnight, Today, In Our Time, Start the Week and CNN news. He is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum at Davos, and advises on many committees ranging from Drug Testing at Work to human rights groups.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA (March 4, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1620401924
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1620401927
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.58 x 0.85 x 8.26 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #798,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,833 in Religious Philosophy (Books)
- #195,100 in Religion & Spirituality (Books)

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308 ratings

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Red

No Religions required

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2021

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Ask yourself a question: why is my particular religion the correct one? There are about 4000 different religions/sects to choose from! They proclaim that they are the only way to their particular
God! I achieve the same result toward my fellow man without any God/Gods - I don’t have to argue about who’s religion is correct or not! I especially don’t have to be a Zealot & kill anyone for what my religion believes or doesn’t believe! Yet, I have used common sense & my Love toward my fellow man by using Secular Humanism & Science to help Human kind advance - not go back to the dark ages! Great Book - I’ll stick with Secular Humanism! You can believe whatever you like! But, don’t kill me or mine if I don’t care about whatever religion you want to follow or whatever God/Gods you wish to follow!

4 people found this helpful

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Reid McCormick

a solid read

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2014

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Being a Christian, it may shock some people that I do enjoy reading anti-theist books. Many times I find the logic more rational and discussion more vibrant in books arguing against the existence of religion.

The God Argument by A.C. Grayling is an impressive work. The book is split into two simple parts: against religion and for humanism. The first part is an unsurprising step by step deconstruction of religion. Several well-thought out arguments are presented including: for every good thing done in the name of religion there is a ghastly, horrific act done in the name of religion, Intelligent Design has no place in science, and the lack of knowledge does not equate to supernatural or theistic evidence. All of these points are well argued and pretty accurate even if I find his conclusion lacking: “The cumulative case against religion shows it to be a hangover from the infancy of modern humanity, persistent and enduring because of the best interests of religious organisations, proselytization of children, complicity of temporal powers requiring the social and moral policing that religion offers.”

The second part of the book is the construction of humanism. “Why cannot we have art and music, personal consolation and inspiration, a positive and humane outlook on life?” This part of the book left me wanting more. I am sure a humanist would point out that my Christian worldview clouds my ability to find subjective goodness in our society, and I think that is a fair point.
However, I was not satisfied by the arguments for humanism. I am not saying I disagree with the arguments, I simply was left unconvinced.

I agree that the world’s greatest atrocities have been done in the name of religion, but if religion is simply a man-made fabrication, then ultimately the greatest atrocities have been done by humans and humans alone. They simply just used religion as their excuse. I am not convinced that a world without religion would lead to a kinder world, just a world with different excuses.
On the same level, there is a correlation between decreased religious involvement and decreased violence over the past few centuries, but as every economist would say: correlation does not imply causation.

A very solid read, and definitely worth it.

27 people found this helpful

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J. Alan Bock

Religion and Humanism in depth

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2014

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In this book A.C. Grayling, professor of philosophy and Master of the New College of the Humanities, London makes a strong case against religion (part 1) and for humanism (part 2). It is enough, in my opinion, to place him in the ranks of the great disbelievers of our day: Richard Dawkins, Victor Stenger, Danniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Dan Barker, and the late Christopher Hitchens.
At the outset he points out that "religious claims and beliefs do not stand up to critical examination and this places them in the same category as astrology and magic. These systems of thought, dating from mankind's less educated and knowledgeable early history should have been superseded by advances in our understanding of the world and ourselves. The fact that they still survive is the reason for critical discussion of its claims and outlook."
Contesting religion, says Grayling, is "like engaging in a boxing match with jelly: it is a shifting, unclear, amorphous target which every blow displaces to a new shape." This is largely because the religions themselves often do not have clear ideas or much agreement among themselves about what is meant by "religion," "god," "faith," and associated concepts. This is not surprising given the fact that these concepts are so elastic, multiple, and ill-defined as to make it hard to attach a literal meaning to them.
Grayling points out that, in the eyes of the believer, cancer, disability, tsunamis that kill tens of thousands including babies and old folk are regarded as consistent with the existence of a benevolent and omnipotent god. After an earthquake that kills many and destroys what has been built by the careful long-term efforts of both the victims and survivors, people go to church to give thanks and pray for the dead - with no sense of irony or inconsistency. For what do they give thanks? Might not prayer that succeeded in averting the suffering or avoiding the earthquake, be regarded as more to the point?
"That religion has survived so long is remarkable evidence of how effectively it inculcates a mindset in which criticism or questioning, and the recognition of contradiction or unacceptability is suppressed. Consider that all forms of fundamentalism are notable for infantalising and the blinding effect they have on their believers. Think of the angry crowds of Muslims demonstrating against cartoons they find insulting. Murder is committed because of this and mayhem along with it. Mass immaturity of this kind requires a pervasive culture of unthinking credulity to foster it. In my view, says Grayling, the argument against religion is an argument for liberation of the human mind, and the possibility of at last formulating an ethical outlook that all humankind can share, thus providing a basis for a much more integrated and peaceful world."
The reasons atheists give for rejecting supernaturalistic claims about the universe include why they regard the gods of Olympus, the Babylonian pantheon, the Hindu gods, and so on as mere tales and myths. They then add that their reason for rejecting Christianity and Islam are exactly the same. The point is sometime put by saying the everybody is an atheist about almost all the gods, the difference between true atheists and Christians and Muslims being that the latter still have one more god to go."
In almost equal proportion Grayling devotes the second part of this book to a case for humanism which, in essence, he says, "is the ethical outlook that says that each individual is responsible for choosing his or her values and goals and working towards the latter in the light of the former, and is equally responsible for living considerately towards others, with a special view to establishing good relationships at the heart of life, because all good lives are premised on such. Humanism recognizes the commonalities and, at the same time, wide differences that exist in human nature and capacities, and therefore respects the rights that there former tells us all must have, and the need for space and tolerance that the latter tells us each must have."
In conclusion Grayling says that "humanism premises the value of things human, with the assistance of illusions about anything supposedly beyond this world and its realities. Humanism's desire to learn from the past, its exhortation to courage in the present, and its espousal of hope for the future are about real things, real people, real human need and possibility, and the fate of the fragile world we share. It is about human life; it requires no belief in an afterlife. It is about this world; it requires no belief in another world. It requires no commands from divinities, no promises of reward or threats of punishment, no myths and rituals, either to make sense of things or to serve as a prompt to the ethical life. It requires only clear eyes, reason and kindness; and with them a determination to make the world the best place it can be for flourishing of creativity, good possibilities and the affections of the human heart."

4 people found this helpful

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Tanitazar

A very important book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 9, 2020

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First, the printer's part in producing a good book, as this is the first thing you see. The quality matches any Folio book for the clarity and easily readable type - very important as this is what encourages you to start reading simply because it is attractive. As you read, you realise that the author's reasoning is equally clear. But that is still not all - he shows you, by practical demonstration, how to use the deadly weapon of reason against all the superstitious lies of the religion-mongers, how to question, how to look for valid evidence. All in a style very accessible to the ordinary chap who probably is not a scholar. You the reader have nothing to fear though - those three weapons so destructive of MAN-MADE lies are totally powerless against true spirituality gained through PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, the ultimate evidence of a transcendent Being of love and peace. Thankyou Professor Grayling for the help you have given me.

rick bushnell

Great book.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2019

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A very well written book. The author has the ability to express complex ideas simply and with clarity. Religion as we all know is dead and this excellent book puts a further nail in the books of fairy tales of a time before science and common sense prevailed. Long live humanism for we should have faith in our selves as humans and not need the crutch of superstition.

One person found this helpful

morlin of Denmark

Heterogenous, insufficient - but quite interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2014

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As the subtitle goes, the book is in two parts: The case against religion and for humanism. Part I is poignant, succinct and well argued - 5 solid stars. Part II, the case for humanism, is the more difficult to present. And it shows: just 3 stars.
Part II is still good and has some very interesting considerations, but is also quite insufficient. It does resort to platitudes at times, and it avoids or overlooks the really difficult questions in relation to mankind's social character and behaviour: How to deal with death cults without any reverence for life, or group ethics and guilt by choice of affiliation.

2 people found this helpful

Charles

Another important 21st century book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2013

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Modern-day philosophers do not come more articulate and persuasive than Anthony Grayling, and this is yet another excellent book from his pen.

The book is in two sections. and both have their merits: the first section, Against Religion, is, as Martin Amis might say, full of thrilling godlessness - seeing Grayling puncture pretty much every single argument for religion is a joy.

The second section, For Humanism, occasionally nearly swerves into idealism but comes good, and offers a warmingly positive vision of the way to live. If a religious person ever says to you "Without god there is no morality", point them in the direction of this book.

Highly recommended for the thinking reader.

2 people found this helpful

Doctor Mac

Clear and optimistic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2014

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Many religions claim that they provide hope. In this book Grayling first demolishes the so-called proofs of the existence of a god then sets out a humanist alternative. I came to this book knowing that I would get the first bit and interested in what he might have to say in the second. The first half is lucid and thorough. The hope comes in the second half when he sets out the case for an atheistical morality. This works for me.

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