How Not to Be an Atheist - Pittsburg State University

Some Twentieth CenturyPhilosophical AtheistsSigmund Freud(1856-1939)Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)Jean-Paul Sartre(1905-1980)Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)A. J. Ayer (1910-1989)Albert Camus(1913-1960)Antony FlewJ. L. MackieWilliam RoweMichael Martin

Vanguard of the New AtheistsRichard Dawkins,The God DelusionSam Harris,The End of FaithDaniel Dennett,Breaking the Spell

Vanguard of the New AtheistsVictor Stenger, God the FailedHypothesisChristopher Hitchens, god is not Great

Separated at Birth?Albert Camus ChristopherHitchens

Five (or Six) Pillars of the New AtheismI. There is no God more worthy of considerationthan the supernatural deity, and Jews,Christians, and Muslims are its prophets.II.None of the theist’s s reasons for believing in Godare rationally convincing.III.Some of the reasons for disbelief are rationallycompelling.IV.The origins of religion can be explainednaturalistically.V. Theism is harmful but atheism is benign.VI.Atheist jihad: Struggle against theistic religionbecause of its toxic effects.

Some of my philosophical heroesignored by the new atheistsAlfred NorthWhitehead(1861-1947)PierreTeilhard de Chardin(1881-1955)CharlesHartshorne(1897-2000)

Why these guys are my heroesAmong the most significant intellectualachievements of the twentieth century has beenthe creation at last of a neoclassical alternative tothe metaphysics and philosophical theology ofour classical tradition.Especially through the work of Alfred NorthWhitehead and, in the area usually designated“natural theology,” of Charles Hartshorne, theancient problems of philosophy have received anew thoroughly modern treatment, which in itsscope and depth easily rivals the so-calledphilosophia perennis. Schubert Ogden, The Reality of God (1965), p. 56

What my heroes think: AprimerNature is composed of dynamicprocesses (hence, process philosophy).Nature is a theater of interactions amongthese processes (hence, process-relational philosophy).Enduring objects are processes.Reality is open-ended, ended, incomplete, and inthe making.

Process Theology:A PrimerGod surpasses all as a creator unique inscope and excellence, but all real beingsare creative in some degree(hence, no creation ex nihilo).God is the most and best moved mover (hence, notthe unmoved mover).God has a future (hence, no timeless knowledge oftime).God experiences tragedy.God is the inexhaustible ground of hope.

Pillar IThere is no God more worthy of considerationthan the supernatural deity, and Jews,Christians, and Muslims are its prophets.Don’t t be obtuse, of course there is.Process-relational relational theism is not asupernaturalism. Supernaturalism affirms butprocess-relational relational theism denies:1. Creation ex nihilo2. Physical vs. non-physical dualism

Pillar IINone of the theist’s s reasons for believing inGod are rationally convincing.Says who?Localized order presupposes cosmic order.Process God is sole creator of cosmic order butis co-creatorcreator with the creatures of localizedorder.This is metaphysics, not science, but likescience, multiple lines of reasoning areinvolved—a a cumulative case.

Pillar IIISome of the reasons for disbelief arerationally compelling.No they’re not.Stop treating God as a scientific hypothesis.No great theist, from Plato to Plantinga, , arguesfrom “Everything has a cause.”“Everything has a cause” and “God’s s existenceis uncaused” are contraries.Problem of scientism

Scientism isn’t science and it can’tbe reasonably believedScientism = science alone produces knowledge and tellsus what is reasonable to believe.1. Scientism is not a product of science but oneproposal about science in the philosophy of science.2. Thus, if scientism is true, then it cannot bereasonably believed based on science. (Frompremise 1)3. Whatever cannot be reasonably believed based onscience cannot be reasonably believed. (Thesis ofscientism)4. Therefore, scientism cannot be reasonably believed.Solution: Embrace science, reject scientism

Pillar IVThe origins of religion can be explainednaturalistically.Why all the fuss?William James and his legacy.Do we murder to dissect?Naturalism and supernaturalismSkyhooks and cranes.

Natural and EpistemicSelectionNatural selection1. Selection for physical orbehavioralcharacteristics,2. in light of environmentalpressures,3. for the purpose ofsurvival.Epistemic selection1. Selection for beliefs,2. in light of reasons (e.g.consistency, coherence,confirmation, disconfirmation)3. for the purpose of findingwhat is true.

Pillar VTheism is harmful but atheism is benign.Baloney.Fallacy of “reading from the list” (Tom Wachter)Bad theism, good theism,Bad atheism, good atheism.

Examples of BadTheistic ReligionViolent Jihads and CrusadesWitch huntsReligious objections to scientificadvances, especially evolutionRunning hijacked airplanes intoskyscrapers

The Follies of ChristianCreationism

The Follies of IslamicCreationism

Examples of GoodTheistic ReligionHospitalsEducational institutionsCharitable organizationsSocial justice movementsDevelopment of musicDevelopment of art

The Value of Compassion

Examples of Bad AtheismAtheistic scientismAtheism supported by bad reasons, includingmisrepresenting theism,treating God as a scientific hypothesis, andprivileging natural election over epistemic selection.Disenchantment with the worldAppeal to naked power as sole valueGovernmental sponsorship of oppression ofreligion, even to the point of genocide.

Examples of GoodBuddhismAtheismJainismDaoismProcess-relational relational non-theism

Pillar VIAtheist jihad: Struggle against theisticreligion because of its toxic effects.Come on guys, can’t t we be friends?Thank God for the first amendmentUniting to battle bad theism and bad atheismUniting to “build the earth” (Teilhard)

Philosophers of Process

More philosophers of process

There is a communionwith God, and acommunion with earth,and a communion withGod through the earth.Teilhard de Chardin