Atheism And Theism (Great Debates in Philosophy) - Hardcover

SMART

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0631192913 ISBN 13: 9780631192916

Publisher: Wiley–Blackwell, 1996

Synopsis

The issue of whether or not there is a God is one of the oldest and most widely disputed philosophical questions. "Where did the universe come from?", "what explains the apparent order of nature?" These and other puzzles have led to the development of two kinds of metaphysics: on the one hand that which posits an ultimate creative cause beyond the material universe; and on the other that which seeks for explanations within nature and denies that there is the need for, or even the possibility of, a supernatural order. The debate between atheism and theism spreads far across the range of philosophical questions about the status of science, the nature of mind, the character of good and evil and the epistemology of experience and testimony. In this book two philosophers each committed to unambiguous versions of belief and disbelief debate the central issues of atheism and theism.

About this title

Review:

"The end result of bringing together these two fine thinkers is a book that will be of interest to those in need of introduction to the subject, and those with a little more experience. The debate–format succeeds splendidly, each author making a pointed effort to converse with his partner." Reviews in Religion and Theology

"It can be higly recommended to anyone with a serious interest in its subject matter, even readers with no special philosophical background. Among the many books recently published in the area of philosophy of religion, it stands out as one to be taken very seriously." The Tablet

"Philosophers of both theistic and atheistic persuasions will find this important new debate on theism particularly interesting for themselves and for their students. Haldane and Smart show that the dispute over the existence of God is very much alive among the best philosophers at the end of the twentieth century. The debate format is especially helpful to student and general readers." Professor Linda Zagzebski, Loyola Marymount University

"It′s hard for a book about God′s existence to come across as a must read. By that stringent test, this book is unusually successful. The authors are to be congratulated on producing a remarkable and valuable book." Timothy Chappell, Music and Letters, Vol. 110, July 2001

From the Back Cover:

The issue of whether or not there is a God is one of the oldest and most widely disputed philosophical questions. It is a debate that spreads far across the range of philosophical questions about the status of science, the nature of mind, the character of good and evil, the epistemology of experience and testimony, and so on. In this book two philosophers, each committed to unambiguous versions of belief and disbelief, debate the central issues of atheism and theism.

Smart opens the debate by arguing that theism is philosophically untenable and seeks to explain metaphysical truth in the light of total science. Haldane continues the discussion by affirming that the existence of the world, and the possibility of our coming to have knowledge of it, depend upon the existence of a creating, sustaining, personal God. Concluding with their replies to each other, each philosopher has the chance to respond and to defend his position.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley–Blackwell
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0631192913
• ISBN 13: 9780631192916
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224