Originally posted by FMF Which of these two books do posters prefer? Dawkins' "God Delusion" or Hitchens' "The Portable Atheist"?
This question is for theists too. Which made the case more interestingly even if you don't buy into it?
Which strawman burns more brightly?
I couldn't be bothered with finishing either of their tedious diatribes. I could be making a huge mistake, but I don't think either, brilliant as they are on other subjects, has anything to teach me in this case. Now if Pilger or Fisk devoted a book to the topic ...
I want to read the new book "The Last Mythology: Refuting the New Atheism" by that philosophy professor out of Berkley.
I heard him on the radio and know that the book is a response to Dawkins and the other guy on the mythology that the Enlightenment invented rationality and faith has been obsolete ever since then.
In short I think he refutes the "New Atheist" historical revisionism about logic and rationality in the history of philosophy, science, and faith.
I could be mistaken about the title. Here is a list of responses to Dawkins:
God and the New Atheism – A Critical Response to Dawkins Harris and Hitchens
God is No Delusion A Refutation of Richard Dawkins
Atheism, The Case Against God – Skeptics Bookshelf
The Dawkins Delusion – Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine
Answering the Objections of Atheists Agnostics and Skeptics
The Irrational Atheist Dissecting the Unholy Trinity of Dawkins Harris and Hitchens
The Last Superstition – A Refutation of the New Atheism
The Future of Atheism Alister McGrath and Daniel Dennett in Dialogue
Atheism Remix A Christian Confronts the New Atheists
Atheism Advanced – Further Thoughts of
They'er trying to convince the younger generation that God became obsolete ever sense Renaissance supposedly discovered rational thought.
"What? You still believe in God?? Return to the Dark Ages! That's all over now."
Originally posted by jaywill I want to read the new book [b]"The Last Mythology: Refuting the New Atheism" by that philosophy professor out of Berkley.
I heard him on the radio and know that the book is a response to Dawkins and the other guy on the mythology that the Enlightenment invented rationality and faith has been obsolete ever since then.
In short I think he refutes ...[text shortened]... "What? You still believe in God?? Return to the Dark Ages! That's all over now." [/b]
Which of the two books in the thread title made the case more interestingly for you even if you don't buy into their atheist argument?
Originally posted by FMF Which of these two books do posters prefer? Dawkins' "God Delusion" or Hitchens' "The Portable Atheist"?
This question is for theists too. Which made the case more interestingly even if you don't buy into it?
I haven't read "The Portable Atheist" nor heard of it before. Is it any good?
I bought and read "The God Delusion" because it came up a lot in discussions in this forum. I think it is good.
Originally posted by jaywill They'er trying to convince the younger generation that God became obsolete ever sense Renaissance supposedly discovered rational thought.
I haven't read a whole lot of Dawkins work, but I don't remember that argument in "The God delusion". Can you give any references?
For the record, I do agree that such an argument is horribly flawed - especially considering that I never went through the renaissance but became an atheist anyway. I don't think God became obsolete as I don't think he ever existed or that belief in him was ever required (or a particularly good thing).
Originally posted by FMF Which of these two books do posters prefer? Dawkins' "God Delusion" or Hitchens' "The Portable Atheist"?
This question is for theists too. Which made the case more interestingly even if you don't buy into it?
I've read the 'God Delusion', and thought it was a good read, although the section on genetics, religion and meme pools lost me. I haven't read Hitchens book.
Originally posted by FMF Which of the two books in the thread title made the case more interestingly for you even if you don't buy into their atheist argument?
The Dawkins book if I were to read one. I'm not in a hurry to do so.
Just for the record, "The Portable Atheist" is a collection of essays by prominent Free Thinkers. Although it may contain some commentary from the ever-eloquent Mr. Hitchens, the bulk of the material is from authors such as Orwell, Spinoza, Hobbes, Jefferson, Twain, and Hume.
Originally posted by David C Just for the record, "The Portable Atheist" is a collection of essays by prominent Free Thinkers. Although it may contain some commentary from the ever-eloquent Mr. Hitchens, the bulk of the material is from authors such as Orwell, Spinoza, Hobbes, Jefferson, Twain, and Hume.
Spinoza & Hume are well worth reading. But for their philosophy, not their atheism. I dislike the marketing of atheism as a trendy brand.
Each to his own. What bores me is that Dawkins demolishes lumpen arguments that are not difficult to demolish -- hence the strawman tag. He also suffers from tunnel vision, focusing on the forms of religion that he's familiar with and eschewing engagement with more slippery fish as the Indian belief systems.
29 Jul '09 10:46
Portable Atheist v God Delusion
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