Atheism supposes the idea of God (Théos),since he denies it. Also in all likelihood, atheism is less ancient than religion. This is especially true for philosophers. The Greeks, who readily admitted atheism (it was sufficient not to believe in the… Read more ›
‘You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behaviour of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules’ Francis Crick,… Read more ›
It’s often said that atheism leaves us with no meaning in life, no point to it all. Compared to the infinity of time and space, our short lives are microscopic and seem trivial. Theists claim that God gives meaning to… Read more ›
Purpose appears to motivate and concern us. There are levels of purpose, from the immediate purpose of a functional task, to the purpose of life itself, whether our individual life, or the totality of all human life. A bird has… Read more ›
It may seem strange to include a post on mathematics on a web site about atheism and spirituality. But questions about the nature of mathematics inform our view of the natural world and our place in it. There are many… Read more ›
The Enlightenment led to a new human capability to understand and harness scientific processes and then to re-configure, engineer and apply them in technology. This was a huge acceleration in a very long term process. Without some technology, we would… Read more ›
By André Comte-Sponville, originally published as ‘Quelle spiritualité en 2050 ?’ in Le Monde des Religions, September – October 2012 In 2050, I will be 98 years old. That’s to say, in all likelihood, that I will no longer be.… Read more ›
An atheist spirituality is naturalist. Spirituality, like intellect and emotion, is generated, hosted by, and wholly dependent on, our physical body, but is not less valued due to its naturalism. This phenomenon is evident in our human sexuality. The most… Read more ›
Current secular thought strongly and almost wholly embraces Charles Darwin’s specific theory of evolution set out in his 1859 ‘The Origin of Species’. This is very often associated with an atheist position, since evolution is seen as trouncing religious creationism,… Read more ›
The holistic understanding is that every human being is an integrated physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual unity. But such a balanced view is rarely achieved. History shows that society at any one time tends to emphasise one aspect of this… Read more ›
