Why Atheism? »

Is it possible for the nonbeliever to lead a happy and meaningful life?

This is one question George H. Smith, defender of reason and personal liberty and author of an influential contemporary classic on nonbelief, seeks to answer in Why Atheism? Smith reviews the historical roots of nonbelief going back to the ancient Greeks, argues that philosophy can serve as an important alternative to religion, and defends reason as the most reliable method humans have for establishing truth and conducting one's life.

Why Atheism? tackles a wide range of subjects, some of which have never been thoroughly analyzed from an atheistic point of view. Beginning with the problem of atheism's credibility, Smith points out the various ways in which religious opponents have sought to exclude atheism from serious consideration. He also analyzes a number of classical philosophical issues, such as the nature of knowledge and belief, concluding that modern atheism is largely an unintended consequence of the religious diversity brought about by the Protestant Reformation.

Two chapters are devoted to ethics, one focusing on the ethics of belief with particular attention given to the views of Thomas Aquinas and John Locke. Other chapters discuss the persecution of religious dissenters and the features of an ethical system without belief in God. Smith's characteristic lucidity, analytical rigor, and wit make Why Atheism? an accessible and enjoyable guide to living a positive life without belief in a supreme being.

George H. Smith is the author of the world's most popular book on nonbelief,Atheism: The Case Against God, and Atheism, Ayn Rand, and Other Heresies.

Publishers Weekly

The author of Atheism: The Case Against God returns to the fray with a more concise and somewhat more accessible argument against religion. Here he attempts to summarize in 250 pages every deceit and paradox of organized religion over the past 3,000 years, using the cold light of reason and logic in an attempt to rewrite the history of nonbelief. He also champions the cause of the coherent use of critical analysis in destroying mythology, which he believes is morally detrimental because it is based on fallacy. Though overambitious in terms of historical scope and detail, the book is still more compact and readable than Smith's similarly themed earlier work and less polarizing. It even becomes almost funny near the end, when a closing chapter filled with irreverent questions about God lightens an otherwise serious appraisal of theology as a game played with smoke and mirrors. While the initial chapters may appear tedious in their exposition of Western philosophy, patient readers who bear up until the end will be rewarded with a fuller understanding of the logical argument for atheism. (Nov.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.