The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and for Humanism

by A. C. Grayling

Overview

A powerful argument for humanism as an alternative to organized religion, by New York Times bestselling author A.C. Grayling, one of the world's leading public intellectuals.

What are the arguments for and against religion and religious belief--all of them--right across the range of reasons and motives that people have for being religious, and do they stand up to scrutiny? Can there be a clear, full statement of these arguments that once and for all will show what is at stake in this debate?

Equally important: what is the alternative to religion as a view of the world and a foundation for morality? Is there a worldview and a code of life for thoughtful people--those who wish to live with intellectual integrity, based on reason, evidence, and a desire to do and be good--that does not interfere with people's right to their own beliefs and freedom of expression?

In The Case Against Religion, Anthony Grayling offers a definitive examination of these questions, and an in-depth exploration of the humanist outlook that recommends itself as the ethics of the genuinely reflective person.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620401910
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	03/26/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	496 KB

About the Author

A.C. Grayling is professor of philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is the author of the acclaimed Among the Dead Cities: The History and Moral Legacy of the WWII Bombing of Civilians in Germany and Japan, Descartes: The Life and Times of a Genius, Toward the Light of Liberty: The Struggles for Freedom and Rights That Made the Modern Western World, and, most recently, The Good Book: A Humanist Bible. A former fellow of the World Economic Forum at Davos and past chairman of the human rights organization June Fourth, he contributes frequently to the Times, Financial Times, Economist, New Statesman, and Prospect. Grayling's play "Grace," co-written with Mick Gordon, was acclaimed in London and New York. He lives in London.
A. C. Grayling is Master of the New College of the Humanities, UK. He has written and edited numerous works of philosophy and is the author of biographies of Descartes and William Hazlitt. He believes that philosophy should take an active, useful role in society. He has been a regular contributor to The Times, Financial Times, Observer, Independent on Sunday, Economist, Literary Review, New Statesman and Prospect, and is a frequent and popular contributor to radio and television programmes, including Newsnight, Today, In Our Time, Start the Week and CNN news. He is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum at Davos, and advises on many committees ranging from Drug Testing at Work to human rights groups.

Editorial Reviews

The newest offering by prolific English philosopher Grayling (Master, New Coll. of the Humanities, London; The Good Book: A Humanist Bible) is essentially two books in one. The first part is a now fairly standard atheistic critique of religion, in the vein of Richard Dawkins, in which Grayling viciously attacks religion at its root, sparing not even moderate believers. Along the way, he assesses the teleological, ontological, and cosmological arguments for the existence of God, as well as Pascal's Wager. The second part is a positive argument in support of humanism as an approach to ethics, which calls to mind the life and writings of philosopher Paul Kurtz. Drawing largely from classical Greek philosophy, Grayling lays out one potential path (among others) to a life of meaning, value, and virtue without God. A highlight is the section about death and dying from a humanistic perspective. VERDICT Grayling's evisceration of even the moderately religious will unnecessarily alienate many potential readers and partners in his humanistic vision. Recommended for fans of Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris.—Brian Sullivan, Alfred Univ. Lib., NY

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