The Atheist's Primer By Michael Palmer Due 12/30

Tuesday, Sep, 18, 2012; 10:25 AM; - by Books News Desk

The Atheist’s Primer reinstates the importance of philosophy in the debate about God’s existence. The ‘new atheism’ of Richard Dawkins and others has been driven by largely Darwinian objections to God’s existence, limiting the debate to a principally scientific framework. This has obscured the philosophical tradition of atheism, in which the main landmarks in the history of atheism are to be found.

With an analysis of atheistic thought from the Ancient Greeks to the present day, philosopher Michael Palmer explains and comments on the philosophical arguments warranting atheism, discussing issues such as evil; miracles; religious ‘morality’; and the motivations for belief. Significant religious responses to atheist arguments are also included to describe all sides of this complex debate. The Atheist’s Primer concludes by asking if atheists are doomed to unhappiness since they deny the existence of any transcendent existence.

Looking at the main themes discussed by the book, Chapter 4 explores the problem of evil. Michael Palmer summarises the thought of several philosophers who keenly feel the deep contradiction between the notion of suffering and that of a benevolent God, starting from 18th Century empirical philosopher David Hume. Palmer also describes some of the major exponents of 20th Century atheism such as Australian philosopher JL Mackie and American philosopher William Rowe. Significant contributions to this debate from religious thinkers such as Alvin Plantinga and English theologian John Hick are also featured.

Palmer concludes on a positive note, arguing – alongside Nietzsche, Marx and Freud and many others – that happiness and personal fulfilment can be reached without God’s help. The power of loving relationships, caring for others, the desire to educate ourselves and to improve society, give the world a meaning deeper and more authentic than the one found in religious faith.

http://books.broadwayworld.com/article/The-Atheists-Primer-By-Michael-Palmer-Due-1230-20120918

More about Michael Palmer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Palmer_(philosopher)

He is the author of the Atheist's Creed.