{"product_id":"50-voices-of-disbelief-why-we-are-atheists-hardback-9781405190459","title":"50 Voices of Disbelief; Why We Are Atheists (Hardback) 9781405190459","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003e50 Voices of Disbelief\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eWhy We Are Atheists\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eRussell Blackford (Edited by), R Blackford (Author), Udo Schüklenk (Edited by)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781405190459, Wiley\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 9 October 2009\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e360 pages\u003cbr\u003e23.9 x 16.3 x 2.6 cm, 0.662 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"For students in comparative religion this volume offers ample material and powerful reasons to make them subject most if not all religious claims to a highly critical appraisal, preparing for a constructive and public debate.\" (\u003ci\u003eActa Comparanda\u003c\/i\u003e, 2011)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists\u003c\/i\u003e brings together many scholars and intellectuals from a variety of academic fields who explain the reasons why they do not believe in God. Russell Blackford and Udo Schüklenk's unique collection of original essays not only consists of short, digestible essays which are full of introductory presentations of both positive and negative arguments in support of atheism, but also in its candid testimonials which are more personally oriented.\" (\u003ci\u003eReviews in Religion\u003c\/i\u003e, 2011)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The international cast of contributors includes many well-known names, from a diversity of fields-notably philosophy (about a third of the writers are philosophers) science, journalism, politics and science fiction.  By no means do they agree on everything, but the unifying themes of rejection of conventional religions and acceptance of secular humanism shine through brightly. A descriptive list of contributors and an excellent index complement the essays, many of which are accompanied by useful endnotes and references.\" (\u003ci\u003eQuadrant\u003c\/i\u003e, September 2010)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"It was mostly fascinating reading, in particular, those articles that abstained from using dull polemics and cynicism. Some of the articles-most notably from Nicholas Everitt, Thomas W. Clark, Michael Shermer, Peter Tatchell, Michael Tooley, and Udo Schüklenk-can indeed be used in undergraduate courses concerned with the existence of God in philosophy, ethics, and theology. I recommend this volume especially for all those who need to grasp a general and easy introduction into atheistic reasoning.\" (\u003ci\u003eEthical Theory and Moral Practice\u003c\/i\u003e, 2010)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"I recommend this volume especially for all those who need to grasp a general and easy introduction into atheistic reasoning.\" (\u003ci\u003eEthical Theory and Moral Practice\u003c\/i\u003e, 2010)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The essays in this book reveal a great concern for our human plight, a concern that is the equal of religious impulses; they raise a richness of issues that are too often ignored, including the ultimate fear of the theists that perhaps in time it may well be possible to settle the question of God’s existence. The fifty voices in this book have spoken out with more than a small amount of courage. What emerges from thinking about these essays is a realization of what human reason is up against, within ourselves.\" (\u003ci\u003eFree Inquiry\u003c\/i\u003e, August\/September 2010)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Good writing and clear thinking don't always go hand in hand. It's a pleasure, then, to find both in a recent book about going it alone -- no deus ex machina for us, please -- titled \u003ci\u003e50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists\u003c\/i\u003e. In one volume, edited by Russell Blackford and Udo Schuklenk, you'll find idiosyncratic essays by a range of atheists from science fiction authors and philosophers to scientists and activists.\" (\u003ci\u003ePsychology Today, Creating in Flow Blog\u003c\/i\u003e, May 2010)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Many of the pieces in this book are full of superior contempt for the intellectual inadequacy of theism. Tatchell is forthright in his criticism of religion, but he never sneers. The essays in this book are all clearly argued, and will reassure the already faithful that they are neither daft nor deluded.\" (\u003ci\u003eChurch Times,\u003c\/i\u003e April 2010)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The contemporary relevance,and timeliness of this book is unsurpassed. It is ... an account of various well known non-believers [and] personal viewpoints, directed at a popular audience. Very approachable at all levels, containing a wide range of stories, anecdotes and personal statements about why each of the authors considers themselves to be a non believer. Overall, this book is well suited for a mainstream audience, interested in questioning the power that religion holds over our lives. It [also] has good references ... which will also serve to guide the reader if further information is wanted. Thus, I recommend this book to anyone (regardless of their views concerning religion) interested in understanding why different people hold certain views concerning religion.\" (\u003ci\u003eMetapsychology\u003c\/i\u003e, April 2010)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"By turns witty, serious, engaging and information, it is always human and deeply honest, and immensely rewarding to read.\" (\u003ci\u003eTimes Higher Education Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e, December 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Carefully considered statements … .Contributions range from rigorous philosophical arguments to highly personal, even whimsical, accounts of how each of these notable thinkers have come to reject religion in their lives. Likely to have broad appeal.\" (\u003ci\u003eAustralian Atheist\u003c\/i\u003e, November 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"I am strongly recommending it as a present for anyone who has an interest in atheism\/theism from either side of the debate. It's just a great read, from great authors.\" (\u003ci\u003eStephen Law Blogspot\u003c\/i\u003e, October 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"It's a very good book, and I recommend it for all of us godless ones — or those who are considering abjuring the divine. It’s far more than just a collection of stories about 'How I came to give up God.' Many of the writers describe the philosophical and empirical considerations that led them to atheism. Indeed, the book can be considered a kind of philosophical handbook for atheists.\" (\u003ci\u003eWhy Evolution is True Blog\u003c\/i\u003e, October 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Wow! A book about atheism and it’s not written by Dawkins, Hitchens, Dennett or Harris! So this book is welcome partly because it helps break that knee-jerk reaction. But it’s also welcome because many of its contributors advance interesting ideas. There’s plenty to choose from. And one advantage of a collection like this is that you can dip into it wherever you want. There is something for everyone. And there is the opportunity to discover new ideas.\" (\u003ci\u003eOpen Parachute\u003c\/i\u003e, October 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"For many who have spent some time involved in any form of engagement in these matters, the names should appear familiar: from the great AC Grayling to the revolutionary Maryam Namazie. Finally, in one book we can hear their stories – if not about themselves, then about the aspects of religion or lack thereof they find most important. If all these contributors were speakers at a convention, it would be sold out many times over.\" (\u003ci\u003eButterflies and Wheels\u003c\/i\u003e, October 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"In their excellent collection of essays exploring and defending the philosophical stance of atheism, Russell Blackford and Udo Schüklenk had an inclusive vision. Contributors to the book range from those with science-fiction backgrounds to modern-day philosophy.\" (\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, October 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"In more than 50 brief statements organized by Blackford and philosopher Schüklenk ... contributors share views—their routes toward nonbelief and their feelings about the place of religion in the world ... including James (the Amazing) Randi, a well-known magician and debunker of spurious psychic phenomena. Considering the popularity of Richard Dawkins's \u003ci\u003eThe God Delusion\u003c\/i\u003e, Christopher Hitchens's \u003ci\u003eGod Is Not Great\u003c\/i\u003e, and Sam Harris's \u003ci\u003eThe End of Faith\u003c\/i\u003e, [these] memoirs and observations will be of interest to disbelievers.\" (\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, October 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists presents\u003c\/i\u003e a collection of original essays drawn from an international group of prominent voices in the fields of academia, science, literature, media and politics who offer carefully considered statements of why they are atheists.  \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eFeatures a truly international cast of contributors, ranging from public intellectuals such as Peter Singer, Susan Blackmore, and A.C. Grayling, novelists, such as Joe Haldeman, and heavyweight philosophers of religion, including Graham Oppy and Michael Tooley\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eContributions range from rigorous philosophical arguments to highly personal, even whimsical, accounts of how each of these notable thinkers have come to reject religion in their lives\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eLikely to have broad appeal given the current public fascination with religious issues and the reception of such books as \u003ci\u003eThe God Delusion\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe End of Faith\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments ix\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction: Now More Important than Ever – Voices of Reason 1\u003cbr\u003e Russell Blackford and Udo Schüklenk\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnbelievable! 5\u003cbr\u003e Russell Blackford\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMy “Bye Bull” Story 10\u003cbr\u003e Margaret Downey\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow Benevolent Is God? – An Argument from Suffering to Atheism 16\u003cbr\u003e Nicholas Everitt\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Deal-Breaker 23\u003cbr\u003e Ophelia Benson\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy Am I a Nonbeliever? – I Wonder . . . 28\u003cbr\u003e J. L. Schellenberg\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWicked or Dead? Reflections on the Moral Character and Existential Status of God 33\u003cbr\u003e John Harris\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReligious Belief and Self-Deception 41\u003cbr\u003e Adèle Mercier\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Coming of Disbelief 48\u003cbr\u003e J. J. C. Smart\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat I Believe 50\u003cbr\u003e Graham Oppy\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eToo Good to Be True, Too Obscure to Explain: The Cognitive Shortcomings of Belief in God 57\u003cbr\u003e Thomas W. Clark\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow to Think About God: Theism, Atheism, and Science 65\u003cbr\u003e Michael Shermer\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Magician Looks at Religion 78\u003cbr\u003e James Randi\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConfessions of a Kindergarten Leper 82\u003cbr\u003e Emma Tom\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeyond Disbelief 86\u003cbr\u003e Philip Kitcher\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn Ambivalent Nonbelief 97\u003cbr\u003e Taner Edis\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy Not? 105\u003cbr\u003e Sean M. Carroll\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGodless Cosmology 112\u003cbr\u003e Victor J. Stenger\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnanswered Prayers 118\u003cbr\u003e Christine Overall\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeyond Faith and Opinion 123\u003cbr\u003e Damien Broderick\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCould It Be Pretty Obvious There’s No God? 129\u003cbr\u003e Stephen Law\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAtheist, Obviously 139\u003cbr\u003e Julian Baggini\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy I am Not a Believer 145\u003cbr\u003e A. C. Grayling\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvil and Me 157\u003cbr\u003e Gregory Benford\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWho’s Unhappy? 161\u003cbr\u003e Lori Lipman Brown\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReasons to be Faithless 165\u003cbr\u003e Sheila A. M. McLean\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThree Stages of Disbelief 168\u003cbr\u003e Julian Savulescu\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBorn Again, Briefly 172\u003cbr\u003e Greg Egan\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCold Comfort 177\u003cbr\u003e Ross Upshur\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Accidental Exorcist 182\u003cbr\u003e Austin Dacey\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAtheist Out of the Foxhole 187\u003cbr\u003e Joe Haldeman\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Unconditional Love of Reality 191\u003cbr\u003e Dale McGowan\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAntinomies 197\u003cbr\u003e Jack Dann\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGiving Up Ghosts and Gods 200\u003cbr\u003e Susan Blackmore\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSome Thoughts on Why I Am an Atheist 204\u003cbr\u003e Tamas Pataki\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo Gods, Please! 211\u003cbr\u003e Laura Purdy\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWelcome Me Back to the World of the Thinking 220\u003cbr\u003e Kelly O’Connor\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKicking Religion Goodbye . . . 226\u003cbr\u003e Peter Adegoke\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn Credenda 230\u003cbr\u003e Miguel Kottow\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e“Not Even Start to Ignore Those Questions!” A Voice of Disbelief in a Different Key 236\u003cbr\u003e Frieder Otto Wolf\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImagine No Religion 252\u003cbr\u003e Edgar Dahl\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumanism as Religion: An Indian Alternative 259\u003cbr\u003e Sumitra Padmanabhan\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy I Am NOT a Theist 263\u003cbr\u003e Prabir Ghosh\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen the Hezbollah Came to My School 270\u003cbr\u003e Maryam Namazie\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvolutionary Noise, not Signal from Above 274\u003cbr\u003e Athena Andreadis\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGods Inside 279\u003cbr\u003e Michael R. Rose and John P. Phelan\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy Morality Doesn’t Need Religion 288\u003cbr\u003e Peter Singer and Marc Hauser\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDoctor Who and the Legacy of Rationalism 294\u003cbr\u003e Sean Williams\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMy Nonreligious Life: A Journey From Superstition to Rationalism 300\u003cbr\u003e Peter Tatchell\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHelping People to Think Critically About Their Religious Beliefs 310\u003cbr\u003e Michael Tooley\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHuman Self-Determination, Biomedical Progress, and God 323\u003cbr\u003e Udo Schüklenk\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout the Contributors 332\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 338\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Philosophy [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Philosophy\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Philosophy%20%5BHP%5D%22\"\u003eHP\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Wiley-Blackwell","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52437795668248,"sku":"9781405190459","price":77.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/files\/9781405190459.jpg?v=1784941150","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/50-voices-of-disbelief-why-we-are-atheists-hardback-9781405190459","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}