It's often frustrating for some of the more truth-focused atheists -- who wish to share their enlightenment with others -- that the only atheists many have heard of are those like Dawkins, Hitchens or Harris. Not because these atheists have no merit but because of their popularity, they're thought by many to be the best atheism has to offer in response to the intellectual and emotional arguments of various religions. My first real introduction to any argument, whether emotional or intellectual, for atheism was Christopher Hitchens, as is the case for many. As time has gone on, I consider Hitchens to be one of the better emotional opponents to the Christian and Islamic faiths, though he does offer at least some stimulating intellectual arguments at times as well. Dawkins offers, in my opinion, generally weak arguments outside his field of evolutionary biology, which he I think quite objectively skilled in. Harris has, in my opinion, the strongest intellectual arguments of the three and some interesting emotional arguments as well, though I think overall he's far from atheism's best proponent on either front.
I've spent the last five years or so seeking out the ideal opponent to Christianity, since this is the religion I was raised with and have since come to reject on mostly intellectual but some emotional grounds as well.
I've come to believe that Christianity's #1 intellectual opponent is none other than: Richard Carrier.
If anyone has seen a debate with Carrier or read one of his books, one thing becomes perfectly clear immediately regardless of whether or not you agree with him: he's a nerd. Carrier's mind is practically an encyclopedia of well-researched and well-reasoned information. Carrier has a notable respect for what it means to be a "scholar" or "expert" in any given field and holds himself to this same standard of scholarship. What's also notable about Carrier is that he isn't afraid to take unpopular opinions if he thinks they're true. And if he thinks something is true, one thing you can be guaranteed from him is a well-researched and compelling case for it, regardless of whether or not you'll agree with it.
In Sense and Goodness Without God, Carrier provides something essential to every atheist: a positive worldview. Many atheists hope to make the religious give up their faith, not taking into account that it's an incredibly difficult thing to do to give up one's faith in general, but it's especially difficult when you're provided with nothing to really replace it with besides nihilism. In this book, Carrier kills two birds with one stone: he addresses a great many of the most common arguments for the existence of God in cosmology, history and especially philosophy, points out where they fail and explains why Metaphysical Naturalism (MN), as a worldview, provides a better explanation for the fundamental nature of reality with an unmatched simplicity and an approachable writing style for the intelligent layperson.
As previously noted, though the philosophical issues discussed in this book are very vast and often complicated, Carrier does a tremendous job of breaking them down to very simple and easily understandable concepts for those of us who aren't academically trained philosophers. He divides the book into chapters and then further divides each chapter into sub-chapters, making everything even more digestible and organized for the reader.
I've seen some complains that the book starts too slow. I don't think this criticism is false but I also don't think Carrier should have done anything differently. Carrier wanted to leave his audience making as little in the way of assumptions as possible. He wanted to give them as complete of a worldview as he could muster and sometimes this means you need to sit down and really explain things like what the meaning of words are and how we should generally approach truth and knowledge. This isn't over-thinking things, it's all about providing a basis for the rest of the book. Though I struggled through these chapters myself at times, I couldn't have been more thankful that they were there because it gave me something to fall back on when questions of semantics or epistemology within MN arose.
My favorite chapters were the ones on cosmology and how the what we know about the universe makes the most sense under MN, as well as (and especially) Carrier's chapters on morality. So much in the way of pop-apologetics is utterly dismantled in these chapters, in regards to why we should be moral agents, what basis we have to be moral and why being moral makes a difference in our lives and in our society. I found these chapters extremely helpful and practical in my own life as a moral being and reading these chapters made me realize the benefits of morality. I've even already started to apply these principles to my life and have already seen a difference in my personal happiness as a result.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It's one of the most comprehensive and devastating cases against Christianity and religion in general that I've ever read and will likely read it several times over the next few years because there's so much excellent information to be absorbed in this book. It's especially essential reading for atheists. My only regret is not reading it sooner.
Highly, highly recommended.
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Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism Paperback – February 23, 2005
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Richard Carrier
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Print length444 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherAuthorHouse
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Publication dateFebruary 23, 2005
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Dimensions6 x 1.12 x 9 inches
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ISBN-101420802933
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ISBN-13978-1420802931
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Dr. Richard Carrier is a philosopher and historian with a Ph.D. in ancient history from Columbia University. His work in history and philosophy has been published in Biology & Philosophy, The History Teacher, German Studies Review, The Skeptical Inquirer, Philo, the Encyclopedia of the Ancient World and more. He also contributed critically acclaimed chapters to the books The Empty Tomb and The Christian Delusion. He is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard and emeritus Editor in Chief of the Secular Web, where he has long been one of their most frequently read authors.
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Product details
- Publisher : AuthorHouse; 1st Printing edition (February 23, 2005)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 444 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1420802933
- ISBN-13 : 978-1420802931
- Item Weight : 1.43 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.12 x 9 inches
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- #448 in Atheism (Books)
- #22,367 in Philosophy (Books)
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Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2016
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Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2006
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At last, I'm finding time to sit down and write a review of Richard Carrier's Sense and Goodness Without God. As I mentioned, further parts may follow; this part is focused on general quality over the specific ideas.
Carrier opens with strong punch: "Philosophy is not a word game or hairsplitting contest, nor a grand scheme to rationalize this or that..." He goes in this vein for several pages, looking at how philosophers have failed to live up to their calling, as well as discussing the connection between philosophy and religion. Most of it hits every bit as hard as the first sentence. Carrier explains that the purpose of the book is to lay out his personal philosophy and worldview in a way that nonspecialists can understand. An admirable goal, and Carrier gets off to a good start in the opening section.
For all the promise in the opening chapter, I don't think this book is going to do much to bring philosophy to the masses. The problem is that Carrier has the ability to produce forceful prose, but isn't able to apply that ability consistently. Most of the first half of the book drags. It's understandable without having a background in philosophy, but many without such a background will have trouble seeing why it matters. One problem is a frequent lack of concrete examples. Take his discussion of method: the only kind of example used is the Cartesian Demon. A far more readable discussion of method can be found in "Why I Am Not a Christian," where Carrier gets in far more examples in less space.
About halfway through the book, however, the quality of writing picks up. I found his discussion of the Rain Miracle (in part IV, "What There Isn't") better than the online version. Among other things, in Sense and Goodness Carrier give the case clear larger significance: "we have a legend sprining up just eight years after the fact, when thousands of eyewintesses were surely still alive... despite these seemingly unfavorable conditions, this legend beat out the truth." Likewise, part V "Natural Morality" soars. Among other things, Carrier looks at the reasons given by J. P. Moreland for theists to be moral, and shows that Secular Humanists have equivalent reasons.
Carrier got one other thing right: not using footnotes, but including bibliographies at the end of each section rather than in the back of the book. This is probably the best way to direct readers to further resources on given subjects. In many cases I have not read all the books he cites, but where I have, I can say that Carrier has made excellent choices.
I should emphasize that while this book may not catch on with the general public, the book isn't a waste for not having done so. It would have been nice to see such a book, but that really wasn't Carrier's main purpose. His main purpose was to lay out a coherent worldview, a worthwhile pursuit. He rightly criticizes modern philosophers for having abandoned system building, and does an excellent job of building up his own system. This is a fine book; I share bookjunkys hope that it will be revised in a more accessible version.
Carrier opens with strong punch: "Philosophy is not a word game or hairsplitting contest, nor a grand scheme to rationalize this or that..." He goes in this vein for several pages, looking at how philosophers have failed to live up to their calling, as well as discussing the connection between philosophy and religion. Most of it hits every bit as hard as the first sentence. Carrier explains that the purpose of the book is to lay out his personal philosophy and worldview in a way that nonspecialists can understand. An admirable goal, and Carrier gets off to a good start in the opening section.
For all the promise in the opening chapter, I don't think this book is going to do much to bring philosophy to the masses. The problem is that Carrier has the ability to produce forceful prose, but isn't able to apply that ability consistently. Most of the first half of the book drags. It's understandable without having a background in philosophy, but many without such a background will have trouble seeing why it matters. One problem is a frequent lack of concrete examples. Take his discussion of method: the only kind of example used is the Cartesian Demon. A far more readable discussion of method can be found in "Why I Am Not a Christian," where Carrier gets in far more examples in less space.
About halfway through the book, however, the quality of writing picks up. I found his discussion of the Rain Miracle (in part IV, "What There Isn't") better than the online version. Among other things, in Sense and Goodness Carrier give the case clear larger significance: "we have a legend sprining up just eight years after the fact, when thousands of eyewintesses were surely still alive... despite these seemingly unfavorable conditions, this legend beat out the truth." Likewise, part V "Natural Morality" soars. Among other things, Carrier looks at the reasons given by J. P. Moreland for theists to be moral, and shows that Secular Humanists have equivalent reasons.
Carrier got one other thing right: not using footnotes, but including bibliographies at the end of each section rather than in the back of the book. This is probably the best way to direct readers to further resources on given subjects. In many cases I have not read all the books he cites, but where I have, I can say that Carrier has made excellent choices.
I should emphasize that while this book may not catch on with the general public, the book isn't a waste for not having done so. It would have been nice to see such a book, but that really wasn't Carrier's main purpose. His main purpose was to lay out a coherent worldview, a worthwhile pursuit. He rightly criticizes modern philosophers for having abandoned system building, and does an excellent job of building up his own system. This is a fine book; I share bookjunkys hope that it will be revised in a more accessible version.
20 people found this helpful
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wa233
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wise, erudite, scientific and humane - Richard Carrier does what Richard Dawkins ought to.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2014Verified Purchase
It will take me a while to digest and consider for myself everything that Richard Carrier has to say in this book. It is a comprehensive, coherent, thoughtful, informed and interesting worldview of the universe and philosophy of life. It is deliberately constructed in opposition to supernatural philosophies like theism, in the attempt to show that a naturalistic, atheistic philosophy is not only intellectually valid but valuable as a living creed. A powerful rebuttal to the millennia of prejudice of religions against the life lived without faith in the supernatural.
2 people found this helpful
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D. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Every Naturalist Should Read This Book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2012Verified Purchase
I have just finished reading the book from cover to cover for the first time, and can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who really wants to get their teeth into Naturalistic philosophy.
Carrier builds a complete world view which he calls 'Metaphysical Naturalism' from the ground up - literally. He begins by justifying seemingly simple ideas such as 'The Meaning of Words', 'Reason', 'Logic' and 'Scientific Method' and progressively builds on these firm foundations with careful reason based on firm evidence.
I cannot think of any aspect of life (or death) which Carrier does not explain at least briefly. The book is also quite long, so I have little doubt he was forced to restrict himself to limited space on each topic. However, he provides a vast selection of recommendations for further reading on every single topic he covers, so in any cases where the reader might feel he didn't cover something in enough detail for their liking, he suggests where to look. This is also his method for citing his references, so the reader knows where he has drawn most of his information from, and where to find out more.
The only section I found a little weak was his section on politics, which contained a few (minor) ideas/comments he didn't justify very well. But that's a very small section, politics is complicated, and he mostly writes from a US-centric view (unlike the rest of the book) which is not familiar to me. So I don't think it's important enough to mark the book down at all. It is quite possibly my own ignorance of American politics which is at fault here rather than Carrier's reasoning.
My only other 'criticism' would be that it is not easy reading - at least parts of it aren't. This is necessary, but it does mean I would not recommend the book to everyone:
It is intended as a functional book, and I have reviewed it as such. It is suited to those who genuinely want to explore ideas on Naturalist philosophy and how well such a world view fits the world we see around us.
It is NOT not a book which seeks to merely entertain the reader, or to attack religion. While it does have a few doses of humour, and theism is occasionally shown to be ridiculous (though always with thorough justification), that is not the purpose or focus of the book; it contains far more in the way of rigorous logical and philosophical analysis in support of its conclusions. Some parts are a little difficult to follow, and may require some re-reading and 'digesting'.
On that basis, I would not recommend it as a book to give/recommend to someone who is thoroughly convinced Naturalism is wrong, in the hopes it might convert them. Not because I find the content to be in error, but because I doubt such people would stick with it and read the whole book properly. Only someone truly open-minded to Naturalism would be prepared to read it in the way it needs to be read; with care, focus, and reasoning faculties fully engaged. There are certainly sections you might show someone and suggest they read, but if your goal is to teach people about Naturalism I think a better approach would be to thoroughly digest the book yourself and let it support any discussions you might have with non-Naturalists.
What I would thoroughly recommend it for is arming yourself with strong arguments supporting a Naturalistic world view. It is also great for anyone who is essentially Naturalistic but still has questions or doubts about certain aspects of Naturalism, such as free will, why we have emotions (and what they are), where we get morals from (and what they are!) and so on. All these topics are covered in detail and thoroughly supported by rigorous argument and reason applied to the observed evidence.
Another great way to use the book is as a reference book. If someone poses a challenge to Naturalism you cannot answer, chances are there's an answer in the book, and if not there will be answers in the further reading recommendations. This makes it an excellent springboard for expanding and nourishing your world view and knowledge in general.
I am positive I will be dipping into this book for years to come.
All in all, this is a thoroughly well thought out and thought-provoking book which every serious Naturalist should read, even though it takes some dedication and effort to do so. It's a little slow and tough going to begin with, but ultimately this pays off because it provides the foundations upon which later sections build.
Carrier builds a complete world view which he calls 'Metaphysical Naturalism' from the ground up - literally. He begins by justifying seemingly simple ideas such as 'The Meaning of Words', 'Reason', 'Logic' and 'Scientific Method' and progressively builds on these firm foundations with careful reason based on firm evidence.
I cannot think of any aspect of life (or death) which Carrier does not explain at least briefly. The book is also quite long, so I have little doubt he was forced to restrict himself to limited space on each topic. However, he provides a vast selection of recommendations for further reading on every single topic he covers, so in any cases where the reader might feel he didn't cover something in enough detail for their liking, he suggests where to look. This is also his method for citing his references, so the reader knows where he has drawn most of his information from, and where to find out more.
The only section I found a little weak was his section on politics, which contained a few (minor) ideas/comments he didn't justify very well. But that's a very small section, politics is complicated, and he mostly writes from a US-centric view (unlike the rest of the book) which is not familiar to me. So I don't think it's important enough to mark the book down at all. It is quite possibly my own ignorance of American politics which is at fault here rather than Carrier's reasoning.
My only other 'criticism' would be that it is not easy reading - at least parts of it aren't. This is necessary, but it does mean I would not recommend the book to everyone:
It is intended as a functional book, and I have reviewed it as such. It is suited to those who genuinely want to explore ideas on Naturalist philosophy and how well such a world view fits the world we see around us.
It is NOT not a book which seeks to merely entertain the reader, or to attack religion. While it does have a few doses of humour, and theism is occasionally shown to be ridiculous (though always with thorough justification), that is not the purpose or focus of the book; it contains far more in the way of rigorous logical and philosophical analysis in support of its conclusions. Some parts are a little difficult to follow, and may require some re-reading and 'digesting'.
On that basis, I would not recommend it as a book to give/recommend to someone who is thoroughly convinced Naturalism is wrong, in the hopes it might convert them. Not because I find the content to be in error, but because I doubt such people would stick with it and read the whole book properly. Only someone truly open-minded to Naturalism would be prepared to read it in the way it needs to be read; with care, focus, and reasoning faculties fully engaged. There are certainly sections you might show someone and suggest they read, but if your goal is to teach people about Naturalism I think a better approach would be to thoroughly digest the book yourself and let it support any discussions you might have with non-Naturalists.
What I would thoroughly recommend it for is arming yourself with strong arguments supporting a Naturalistic world view. It is also great for anyone who is essentially Naturalistic but still has questions or doubts about certain aspects of Naturalism, such as free will, why we have emotions (and what they are), where we get morals from (and what they are!) and so on. All these topics are covered in detail and thoroughly supported by rigorous argument and reason applied to the observed evidence.
Another great way to use the book is as a reference book. If someone poses a challenge to Naturalism you cannot answer, chances are there's an answer in the book, and if not there will be answers in the further reading recommendations. This makes it an excellent springboard for expanding and nourishing your world view and knowledge in general.
I am positive I will be dipping into this book for years to come.
All in all, this is a thoroughly well thought out and thought-provoking book which every serious Naturalist should read, even though it takes some dedication and effort to do so. It's a little slow and tough going to begin with, but ultimately this pays off because it provides the foundations upon which later sections build.
10 people found this helpful
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lt_zippy2
4.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2007Verified Purchase
This book was great. It was extemely comprehensive and covered just about every aspect of Carrier's worldview from creation, morals, even art and goes about showing how everything within "Metaphysical Naturalism" is supported by scientific evidence. My only negavtive cririsism was it took a while to get going and some of the work on cosmology was a bit beyond the basic and required some effort to get through (which is why it lost a star).
Everything else though was spot on, and while it is not possible to disprove the exstence of god directly he proved that this worldview which rejects and has no need of a god, to be entirely correct and rational. I might agree with elements of his politics but still, read it you may be enlightened.
Everything else though was spot on, and while it is not possible to disprove the exstence of god directly he proved that this worldview which rejects and has no need of a god, to be entirely correct and rational. I might agree with elements of his politics but still, read it you may be enlightened.
6 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very hard to take him seriously after touting how smart he is for not being force fed religion and ...
Reviewed in Canada on August 31, 2016Verified Purchase
Carrier's message is hard to be glean as it is hidden behind a patina of arogance and narcissism. Very hard to take him seriously after touting how smart he is for not being force fed religion and turning out to be an atheist.
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