Atheism: The Case Against God (The Skeptic's Bookshelf) - Softcover

Smith, George H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 087975124X ISBN 13: 9780879751241

Publisher: Prometheus Books, 1979

Synopsis

"Does a god exist? This question has undoubtedly been asked, in one form or another, since man has had the ability to communicate. . . Thousands of volumes have been written on the subject of a god, and the vast majority have answered the questions with a resounding 'Yes!' "

"You are about to read a minority viewpoint."

With this intriguing introduction, George H. Smith sets out to demolish what he considers the most widespread and destructive of all the myths devised by man - the concept of a supreme being. With painstaking scholarship and rigorous arguments, Mr. Smith examines, dissects, and refutes the myriad "proofs" offered by theists - the defenses of sophisticated, professional theologians, as well as the average religious layman. He explores the historical and psychological havoc wrought by religion in general - and concludes that religious belief cannot have any place in the life of modern, rational man.

"It is not my purpose to convert people to atheism . . . (but to) demonstrate that the belief in God is irrational to the point of absurdity. If a person wishes to continue believing in a god, that is his prerogative, but he can no longer excuse his belief in the name of reason and moral necessity."

About this title

About the Author:

George H. Smith is the author of the world's most popular book on nonbelief -- Atheism: The Case Against God--and Atheism, Ayn Rand, and Other Heresies.

Review:

PRAISE FOR THE WORK OF GEORGE H. SMITH:

"A hard hitting attack against belief in the Christian God as well as all other supernatural beings....  This book might well be used in a beginning course in the philosophy of religion as a fair representation of contemporary atheistic thought. Students would...find it more provocative and challenging than some other treatment that may be technically more sophisticated. The author's direct and forceful way of making his points has great appeal; clearly, it is a book written with deep intellectual passion.... All in all, Smith's book provides a lively introduction to atheism."

--Teaching Philosophy

"Welcome, hard-hitting." --Publishers Weekly (reviewing the first edition of Atheism: The Case Against God)
"...prose is clear, straightforward, and relatively easy to follow--no small achievement when wading through centuries of epistemology and metaphysics."

--Journal of Church and State (reviewing Why Atheism?)

"George H. Smith is an independent scholar who for many decades has lectured and written about the history of classical liberal and libertarian ideas. The System of Liberty is his first extended take on this history to be published by a high-level academic press--a tribute both to Smith's dogged scholarship and to the rise in the respectability of the libertarian tradition he explains and espouses....the information and analysis are always interesting."

--Brian Doherty, Reason magazine (reviewing The System of Liberty)
"George Smith's lectures on classical liberalism had a profound effect on my thinking. Now, at long last, others may profit from his prodigious learning in this absolutely 'must read' book for anyone interested in modern libertarianism and its historical roots. Clear, accessible, balanced, and powerfully reasoned."

--Randy E. Barnett, author of The Structure of Liberty: Justice and the Rule of Law (reviewing The System of Liberty)
"This is a lucid, concise, but at the same time a deep overview of the origins and structure of classical liberal thought. With a fluid and engaging style, Smith corrects many of our modern misconceptions about how early liberals understood themselves and the terms on which they debated. Anyone interested in liberal thought, whether in its 'classical', modern 'high liberal', or libertarian forms, will find this a valuable resource. Even critics of classical liberalism will find, thanks to Smith, that classical liberal thought contains a great deal of forgotten wisdom."

--Jason Brennan, author of Libertarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know (reviewing The System of Liberty)

About this edition

• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Publication date: 1979
• ISBN 10: 087975124X
• ISBN 13: 9780879751241
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 355