Western Atheism

by James Thrower

Much has been written on religions of all types, the history of religious belief, and on the supernatural interpretation of the world, but where can we turn for an account of unbelief-the naturalistic alternative?James Thrower's concise and direct approach examines the thinkers and schools which defined atheism, beginning with Greece, Rome, and Israel. He notes that the intellectual status of unbelief rose significantly in Western Europe as a result of the clash in the Middle Ages between the powerful force of faith and the emerging but still limited influence of reason. Physical science was developing and the world of the intellect would expand during the Renaissance that followed.This delightfully pertinent short history illustrates the leading issues separating the theist from the atheist and agnostic, and sheds light on world events and the inconsistencies inherent in supernaturalism and theistic theories. Thrower discusses atheism both as a reaction to belief and as a separate and consistent form of belief in a world stripped of the divine, where reason, science, and humankind's endless search for knowledge flourish.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Atheism, History, Nonfiction

178 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

James Thrower is a professor in the history of religions and director of the Centre for the Study of Religions at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Reviews

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todas as obras que se auto intitulam de "breves" têm a ingrata tarefa de serem sucintas e concisas, e devem escolher meticulosamente os pontos mais importantes. Esta "breve história do ateísmo ocidental" reúne precisamente todas essas qualidades.

É muitíssimo interessante e esclarecedora a abordagem do autor. Da Antiguidade Clássica ao ateísmo moderno, Thrower enriquece o seu discurso com preciosas referências às figuras mais importantes de cada época e acrescenta aqui e ali o seu ponto de vista, sem impregnar a obra com visões estritamente pessoais.

Mais do que traçar de forma geral um panorama do ateísmo ao longo do tempo, o autor pretende compreender a génese do ateísmo. Thrower defende que, apenas a partir de D. Hume e I. Kant é que o ateísmo se tornou uma posição consciente em termos substanciais. A partir desses dois autores, o ateísmo funda uma verdadeira crise no Homem; para Nietzsche a "morte de deus" pelo homem representava o início de uma decadência moral e espiritual que só terminaria com o advento do "super-homem", era preciso repor deus. Já Fuerbach [que mais tarde inspiraria K. Marx] não entendia a religiosidade e a crença como factores negativos, eram apenas interessantes artefactos antropológicos. Já para Luc Ferry, a secularização do Cristianismo, por exemplo, não aboliu os valores cristãos na sua essência [valores que descodificamos e interpretamos como democracia, solidariedade, etc] e, nessa medida, a ética é perfeitamente compatível com o ateísmo.


Os argumentos em prol do ateísmo são analisados pelo autor, que desmistifica, por exemplo, o argumento de que a ciência terá contribuído "ab initio" para a disseminação do ateísmo. Só a partir de 1600 é que a ciência começou a ser usada como argumento para a falta de fé.

Muito bom. Uma boa introdução e com importantes referências.

[David Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, originally published in 1971, and updated with a new introduction and afterword in 2000, is an introductory survey of the development of the idea of atheism in the Western philosophical tradition, written for non-experts in either philosophy or history. It is not meant as a definitive study of atheism, nor a proof that atheism is true, nor a declamation against theism. Thrower's purpose is simply to explain how and why the modern version of atheism came about, beginning with the Ionian colonization of Greece and surrounding islands, through to the middle twentieth century. Thrower's style is as non-academic as he can get it and still be true to the thinkers he discusses. This works pretty well when describing hellenistic, classical, and medieval thought. It becomes a real challenge when trying to convey the ideas of Kant, Feuerbach, and Nietzsche, all of whom are notoriously convoluted and opaque in style. Kant is a particular challenge. In the latter parts of the book, Thrower assumes that the reader is aware of debates in theology that were better known among academics such as himself rather than the non-academic audience he is presumably writing for. This is a good book for a reader who wants to become familiar with the main ideas of Western atheism without going through all the complex argumentation from the philosophers themselves.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A capable survey of the history of atheism and agnosticism in the Western world from its roots in ancient Ionia up until the mid-Twentieth century. This is primarily a work about atheist thinkers, not about atheism and agnosticism as popular movements. Definitely worth reading to get a feel for the historic lay of the land.

[Craine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a nice survey of the history of atheism from a western perspective. However, inherent in that analysis is a lack of perspective on the comparative view of atheism concerning all global cultures and religions. In fact, the same conclusion is reached by the author in the afterword section of the book. One could for example look at streams of Hinduism including the Astika which were a form of non-theism or the branch of classical Taoism which could be essentialised in purely philosophical terms.

The first section of the book is especially good where major views and tenets of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers are given in regards to Atheism. From Parmenides to Democritus, to the roman epicurean Lucretius we as readers explore the philosophy thinking contained within their respective philosophies. Later in the book, we get perspectives from such thinkers as John Stuart Mill , Marx, Charles Darwin and Sartre. I wish here that the section on Darwin was expanded as he had such a devastating effect on religion taken as a whole and a major effect on the milieu of people around him taken both from the religious camp as well as from the atheistic camp.

In all a recommended read for those interested in getting a quick historical perspective on the development of western atheism. (It should be mentioned that since the book is rather old it does not include more recent developments such as those of the new-atheism from the early 2000's, or other more contemporary philosophers)

(Note I don't like the star rating and as such I only rate books based upon one star or five stars corresponding to the in my opinion preferable rating system of thumbs up/down. This later rating system encourages in my opinion the degree to which the reader is likely to engage with a review instead of merely glancing at the number of stars)

[Mark Gowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Western Atheism: A Short History was first published in 1971. This edition is a republication by one of my favorite publishers, Prometheus Books. Although there are many books and collections on atheism that were published before '71, this is one of the early (relatively speaking) historical works on atheism, as Thrower points out in the afterword.

The book is in three parts: Atheism is Classical Antiquity, Western Atheism to the Seventeenth Century and Modern Atheism. Part Three runs up to the late nineteenth century, but does include A.J Ayer. The entire book is is 147 pages long which is is strength and its weakness.

The shortness of the book makes is accessible and a quick read. Thrower introduces atheists in each of the three parts in a very quick and non-detailed manner. There is not much detailed information. On the other hand, the shortness and the above points are the reason that the book is rated three stars rather than higher. I think that if the book was, say, on hundred pages longer, much more could have been included.

I think this book is a good resource for anyone wanting to start research on the history of atheism; it is also a good and quick way to get acquainted with atheism, historically speaking. I think the key word in the title is "short". That being said, it is a helpful little book to have on hand.

[David Teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the ideological battles between humanists/secularists and the religiously minded, or even within camps of atheists, there is a rather ridiculous lack of understanding concerning the history of secular ideas, notably the history of how a contrary (contrary to religious that is) view of the universe came to be. Thrower does in under 200 pages a brilliant job of distilling the key steps in the evolving ideology of a system no longer taking seriously the claims of supernaturalism. Knowing this history helps the secularist place themselves in a long road of struggle and increased understanding, and provides their opponents with an appreciation of just how long that road truly has been. In the end, and this is my personal extrapolation, the reader gets an appreciation for how ideologies evolve out of the cultural context and why attempting to force a change only works when the groundwork for said change has been laid.

[Steven Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not know enough about the author to determine whether or not he himself is an atheist (Promotheus Publishing is known for such), but this exposition of secular thought is really good. I enjoyed it. He also deals nicely with the accusation that the early Ionian Philosophers were naturalists.