Jul 26, 2012 ... Physicist, Philosopher, Cosmologist,. Author… The 5th Horseman? ▫ Not by
Design: The Origin of the Universe (1988). ▫ Physics and Psychics: ...
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ATHEISM 101 Part 2:“The New Atheism” – Books and their authors – Presented by Russ Holsclaw What is the “New Atheism”? How is it different from the “old atheism”? Somewhat more direct (i.e. “In-Your-Face”) in approach than most earlier literature In general, not deferential toward religion and religious culture and traditions Several books hit “best-seller” lists. Probable impetus: September 11, 2001 attacks “The Four Horsemen” Richard Dawkins Evolutionary Biologist, Oxford University The God Delusion Daniel C. Dennett Philosopher, Tufts University Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon Sam Harris Neuroscientist The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason Letter to a Christian Nation Christopher Hitchens Journalist, Social Critic The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything Richard Dawkins Evolutionary Biologist Founder: Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science Selected Books The Selfish Gene (1976)* The Extended Phenotype (1982) The Blind Watchmaker (1986)* The God Delusion (2006)* The Greatest Show on Earth:
The Evidence for Evolution* 5
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Daniel C. Dennett Philosopher Co-director of Center for Cognitive Research at Tufts Univ. Books The Intentional Stance (1987) Consciousness Explained (1992) * Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, Evolution and the Meanings of Life (1996) Freedom Evolves (2003) Breaking The Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon (2006) * Sam Harris Neuroscientist, Philosopher Founder and CEO, Project Reason Books The End of Faith (2004) Letter to a Christian Nation (2006)* The Moral Landscape (2010)
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Christopher Hitchens Author, Journalist, Columnist (Vanity Fair) Selected Books The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice (1995) The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer (2007) God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (2007) Hitch-22: A Memoir (2010) Victor Stenger Physicist, Philosopher, Cosmologist, Author… The 5th Horseman? Not by Design: The Origin of the Universe (1988) Physics and Psychics: The Search for a World Beyond the Senses (1990) Has Science Found God? The Latest Results in the Search for Purpose in the Universe (2003) The Comprehensible Cosmos: Where Do the Laws of Physics Come From? (2006) God: The Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows that God Does Not Exist (2007) Quantum Gods: Creation, Chaos and the Search for Cosmic Consciousness.(2009) The New Atheism: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason (2009) God and the Folly of Faith: The Incompatibility of Science and Religion (2012) Other writers… John W. Loftus, former pastor and apologist Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity (2008)* Dan Barker, former evangelical preacher, now Co-President of FFRF Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to
Atheist (2006)
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The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails (2010, with John W. Loftus) Greta Christina, LGBT activist, atheist blogger Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless (2012) …and more Stephen Pinker Professor of Psychology, Anthropology The Blank Slate, The Modern Denial of Human
Nature (2002) The Stuff of Thought : Language as a Window
into Human Nature (2007) The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence
has Declined (2011) *
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Michael Shermer Founder of Skeptics Society Columnist, Scientific American Why People Believe Weird Things (1997) * The Believing Brain (2011)* Discussion: Which of these books have you read? What was your impression?
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Strong points Weak points What approaches should be covered that you haven’t seen yet? Thank you…
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