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541 voters
Atheism: The Case Against God
Does a god exist? This question has undoubtedly been asked, in one form or another, since man has had the ability to communicate. . . Thousands of volumes have been written on the subject of a god, and the vast majority have answered the questions with a resounding 'Yes!' "
"You are about to read a minority viewpoint."
With this intriguing introduction, George H. Smith sets...more
"You are about to read a minority viewpoint."
With this intriguing introduction, George H. Smith sets...more
Paperback, 355 pages
Published
September 1st 1979
by Prometheus Books
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Several of the hosts and guests on Point of Inquiry (one of my favorite podcasts) refer to this as The Book. After reading it, I can see why. Smith boldly states his aim early on: "It is not my purpose to convert people to atheism...but to demonstrate that the belief in God is irrational to the point of absurdity. If a person wishes to continue believing in a god, that is his prerogative, but he can no longer excuse his belief in the name of reason and moral necessity." Using amazingly clear log...more
Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
"Atheism: The Case Against God" is an accessible, scholarly philosophical book that makes compelling arguments against the concept of a supreme being. It's a book that offers cogent arguments to the question of god() in a logical manner. This 355-page book is composed of the following four parts: 1. Atheism and God, 2. Reason, Faith and Revelation, 3. The Arguments for God, and 4. God: The Practical Consequences.
Positives:
1. A thorough, well-wri...more
"Atheism: The Case Against God" is an accessible, scholarly philosophical book that makes compelling arguments against the concept of a supreme being. It's a book that offers cogent arguments to the question of god() in a logical manner. This 355-page book is composed of the following four parts: 1. Atheism and God, 2. Reason, Faith and Revelation, 3. The Arguments for God, and 4. God: The Practical Consequences.
Positives:
1. A thorough, well-wri...more
The best book on the subject and the one I would recommend to a curious theist friend if I had one.
The reasons being this is the only book, by an atheist about atheism that systematically destroys all the philosophical arguments about god and gives and originates some of the best defenses of atheism yet. Unlike the new slew of atheist books that seem to only talk about the religion part of the god problem. Without really systematically refuting the underlying presupposition of it all or putting...more
The reasons being this is the only book, by an atheist about atheism that systematically destroys all the philosophical arguments about god and gives and originates some of the best defenses of atheism yet. Unlike the new slew of atheist books that seem to only talk about the religion part of the god problem. Without really systematically refuting the underlying presupposition of it all or putting...more
Aug 20, 2010
Jason Mills
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Atheists and theists...
Recommended to Jason by:
Hmm. Shaker?
Shelves:
non-fiction,
philosophy
Smith's book dates from 1979. You might expect it to be peppered with scientific arguments that might now be out of date, but in fact he doesn't use any. Arguing that atheism is the default and remaining position if theism does not hold up, Smith spends the whole of his 300 pages hacking away at theism from a purely philosophical perspective.
This is a rigorous, trenchant attack on the evasions and smoke-clouds of theology. Although he focuses on christianity for cultural reasons, Smith's argumen...more
This is a rigorous, trenchant attack on the evasions and smoke-clouds of theology. Although he focuses on christianity for cultural reasons, Smith's argumen...more
This is a profitable book for a Christian to read, as it presents an intelligent critique of theism. Unfortunately, I felt that the case against the Christian God never got as strong as I hoped, with the preference being to reduce Christian theism to be akin to generic "well, uh, I believe in something higher that this" variety theism. I wouls have liked him to have approached head on the concept that the Bible is God's self-revelation, and to have used how the Bible defines God, rather that nam...more
More than 30 years before Dawkins penned his own bestseller, Atheism: The Case Against God was first published and went on to become one of the biggest selling atheist books of the twentieth century. Quite right too, as this excellent critique of theism is a magnificent testament to the power of logic. It's somewhat surprising to learn that author George H. Smith was still in his early 20s when he wrote it.
Concentrating on the philosophical arguments against God's existence, the deep intellectu...more
Concentrating on the philosophical arguments against God's existence, the deep intellectu...more
Reading this book is not a light undertaking. Unlike the more cavalier works by Dawkins, Hitchins, Harris, and others of the "new atheism" movement, Smith takes the time to present a well defined set of arguments establishing the falsehood (or unintelligibility) of theism. After defining important terminology, covering some basics, and then laying to rest the hypothesis of theism, Smith goes on to address the issue of faith, the concept of miracles, the common arguments for theism (and their ref...more
Smith does a good, but not great job refuting the case for god -- his thinking is sound and well-presented, but it should be tighter and more exhaustive. Smith wastes some precious type space on unnecessary vitriol, when he should be broadening the epistemological underpinnings of his arguments.
Even though Smith depends entirely on sound reasoning as the driving force of his arguments, he does take some liberties with unfounded leaps; they may not be meaningful, but these unfounded leaps have a...more
Even though Smith depends entirely on sound reasoning as the driving force of his arguments, he does take some liberties with unfounded leaps; they may not be meaningful, but these unfounded leaps have a...more
There are basically two ways in which one can argue against god and religion: either they are false or harmful. This book concerns itself with the former and in that capacity it is probably the best book ever written. It is unquestionably the best book I have ever read which takes the god-is-false approach to argue against god. Smith shows in simple, lucid reasoning how the notion of a god is an ill conceived and incoherent mish mash of purely irrational nonsense. It is difficult to conceive how...more
It was this book, read when I was 19, that put a name to what I'd been feeling for two years. Smith labeled my beliefs that I had only until that point thought were "lacks" of beliefs, intangible and unknowable. This book did nothing to "sway" or "lure" me; I knew what I was feeling long before this. I just didn't have a definitive name for it. I exhaled deeply when I read that others felt the same way, even though I didn't "come out" until thirteen years later. This little book will always have...more
This book is a mindfuck and a half.
Having gotten that out of the way, let me explain why. You know how LEGO toys have these convenient age ranges/suggestions on their boxes? This book should most definitely have an IQ sticker on it saying "120 or above". You see, I used to consider myself a bright guy. I did. Not an intellectual by any stretch of the imagination, but, let's say, nine time out of ten I could tell apart clay and taffy. But this book was meant for a far more educated or, to put it...more
Having gotten that out of the way, let me explain why. You know how LEGO toys have these convenient age ranges/suggestions on their boxes? This book should most definitely have an IQ sticker on it saying "120 or above". You see, I used to consider myself a bright guy. I did. Not an intellectual by any stretch of the imagination, but, let's say, nine time out of ten I could tell apart clay and taffy. But this book was meant for a far more educated or, to put it...more
Part One of this book is basically essential reading for people who want a clear understanding of how the debate about the existence of God should be framed. Smith does a good job defining the terms and setting the stage for the debate. His discussion of atheism and agnosticism is valuable, and he forcefully makes the point that the burden of proof is on the theist. He also has a pretty good discussion about the concept of God, and the importance of getting clear about the concept before we can...more
This book got off to a great start by explaining why the burden of proof is on the theist. The discussion of faith vs. reason is the crux of Smith's argument, and I found parts of it to be hard to follow at times. The chapters on cosmological arguments and intelligent design are solid - they do a good job of showing how existence is a metaphysical primary. Occasionally Smith goes off the deep end with some of his rants, but overall this book does a great job of showing how a criticism of theism...more
This book is very clear, very concise collection of logic-based arguments against the probability of there existing a God and moral arguments concerning the consequences of doing so, particularly the Christian God. As books of this sort go, it is an easy read. Although it is dated (written by Smith in 1979 and published by Prometheus Books in '89), it still remains a great starting point for anyone who wants an introduction to intellectual reasons for adhering to atheism. The book is divided int...more
OK, below is my original review -- which I wrote here by mistake. Just leaving it so the comments make sense.
Frankly, I thought this book by Smith was sort of unmemorable, and as such, I don't remember much about it. At the time I thought it was OK, but now, years later, I can't really recommend it.
Read the Martin book (in the comments) instead.
--- Read this a number of years ago. Smith dismantles and demolishes all of the various arguments of the existence of God. If you want to believe, don't...more
The first quarter of the book is intensely focused on semantic arguments, but the book settles into more traditional atheist proofs. The author is primarily a philosopher and it shows by his constant references to Christian philosophers. He is obviously a fan of Ayn Rand. The final chapters were by far the most interesting.
This is the book that first convinced me that I really was an atheist, a few years before the "new atheist" thing started. This book contains the philosophical case for atheism, along with a nice introduction to philosophy for us non-philosophy students. If you like The God Delusion and other "new atheist" books, I highly recommend that you read this as well.
Without a doubt, Smith's work provides a penetrating critique of theism. It is hard to see how anyone could believe in God after reading this one. However, the author's politics - which he occasionally inserts into the text - are nothing to admire. He is a libertarian with sympathies for Ayn Rand. Nevertheless, I felt that the book's positives certainly outweighed its negatives, and I have found it to be an invaluable resource in strengthening my disbelief and in debating theists.
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“It is my firm conviction that man has nothing to gain, emotionally or otherwise, by adhering to a falsehood, regardless of how comfortable or sacred that falsehood may appear. Anyone who claims, on the one hand, that he is concerned with human welfare, and who demands, on the other hand, that man must suspend or renounce the use of his reason, is contradicting himself.
There can be no knowledge of what is good for man apart from knowledge of reality and human nature, and there is no manner in which this knowledge can be acquired except through reason. To advocate irrationality is to advocate that which is destructive to human life.”
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26 people liked it
There can be no knowledge of what is good for man apart from knowledge of reality and human nature, and there is no manner in which this knowledge can be acquired except through reason. To advocate irrationality is to advocate that which is destructive to human life.”
“When conformity is required, as it is in Christianity, what are the results? To begin with, the sacrifice of truth inevitably follows. One can be committed to conformity or one can be committed to truth, but not both. The pursuit of truth requires the unrestricted use of one's mind--the moral freedom to question, to examine evidence, to consider opposing viewpoints, to criticize, to accept as true only that which can be demonstrated--regardless whether one's conclusions conform to a particular creed.”
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4 people liked it
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Sep 28, 2011 08:40am