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Atheists: The Origin of the Species
The clash between atheism and religion has become the defining battle of the 21st century. Books on and about atheism retain high profile and popularity, and atheist movements on both sides of the Atlantic capture headlines with high-profile campaigns and adverts. However, very little has been written on the history of atheism, and this book fills that conspicuous gap.
Instead of treating atheism just as a philosophical or scientific idea about the non-existence of God, Atheists: The Origin of the Species places the movement in its proper social and political context. Because atheism in Europe developed in reaction to the Christianity that dominated the continent's intellectual, social and political life, it adopted, adapted and reacted against its institutions as well as its ideas. Accordingly, the history of atheism is as much about social and political movements as it is scientific or philosophical ideas.
This is the story not only of Hobbes, Hume, and Darwin, but also of Thomas Aitkenhead hung for blasphemous atheism, Percy Shelley expelled for adolescent atheism, and the Marquis de Sade imprisoned for libertine atheism; of the French revolutionary Terror and the Soviet League of the Militant Godless; of the rise of the US Religious Right and of Islamic terrorism.
Looking at atheism in its full sociopolitical context helps explain why it has looked so very different in different countries. It also explains why there has been a recent upsurge in atheism, particularly in Britain and the US, where religion has unexpectedly come to play such a significant role in political affairs. This leads us to a somewhat paradoxical conclusion: we should expect to hear more about atheism in the future for the simple reason that God is back.
Instead of treating atheism just as a philosophical or scientific idea about the non-existence of God, Atheists: The Origin of the Species places the movement in its proper social and political context. Because atheism in Europe developed in reaction to the Christianity that dominated the continent's intellectual, social and political life, it adopted, adapted and reacted against its institutions as well as its ideas. Accordingly, the history of atheism is as much about social and political movements as it is scientific or philosophical ideas.
This is the story not only of Hobbes, Hume, and Darwin, but also of Thomas Aitkenhead hung for blasphemous atheism, Percy Shelley expelled for adolescent atheism, and the Marquis de Sade imprisoned for libertine atheism; of the French revolutionary Terror and the Soviet League of the Militant Godless; of the rise of the US Religious Right and of Islamic terrorism.
Looking at atheism in its full sociopolitical context helps explain why it has looked so very different in different countries. It also explains why there has been a recent upsurge in atheism, particularly in Britain and the US, where religion has unexpectedly come to play such a significant role in political affairs. This leads us to a somewhat paradoxical conclusion: we should expect to hear more about atheism in the future for the simple reason that God is back.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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194 people want to read
About the author
Nick Spencer
23 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
British theologian and chairman of Theos, a think tank examining politics from a religious perspective.
British theologian and chairman of Theos, a think tank examining politics from a religious perspective.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 18, 2015
Ha ha, some books you can read by the cover- you just know from the distastefully abusive cover here- with it’s line of respectable thinkers demeaned and reduced to copybook evolution poster- that this book will be all about bashing those nasty new atheists. There is Dawkins, humiliatingly naked and slob-like, clutching his, presumably, most important book (TGD!- do these christian idiots even know that he is an evolutionary biologist) under arm and looking over his shoulder at the various ape-like philosophers trailing in his wake. (Hilariously, the well-endowed Bertrand Russell is carrying Principia Mathematica which doesn’t contain much atheism- perhaps the couldn’t fit ‘Why I am Not A Christian’ into the space)
So this is another desperate book by a committed christian (faith not explicitly stated naturally) which expands on a flawed premiss viz: that Atheism is a creed in itself (a ‘parasitic’ creed no less).
He arrives at this start point by noting that the various atheists throughout history have held remarkably different ideas – some have been Marxist, some have been Positivist, some have been ancient Greeks etc- therefore each of these must be different varieties of atheism or perhaps ‘atheistic creeds’.
This is the usual absurd mistake which we have seen so many make (and as it has been pointed out to them so many times one does not think they commit it unknowingly). Those who make this error of thought assume that because Atheism is counter to Religion it must be another ‘religion’- the people who think this are stuck in the channels of their blinkered thought- it’s just self-regarding religious thought in action.
Atheism- whatever definition those with a biased viewpoint might try to foist upon it - simply means ‘lack of belief in gods’. When they point to: ‘atheist creeds’ they are simply pointing to atheists who also happen to hold various other viewpoints and/or dogmas, or to phrase it differently- they are pointing to people with various viewpoints who also happen to be atheist.
So, massive fail from the outset- a pointless read unless you want to reinforce your blind faith.
So this is another desperate book by a committed christian (faith not explicitly stated naturally) which expands on a flawed premiss viz: that Atheism is a creed in itself (a ‘parasitic’ creed no less).
He arrives at this start point by noting that the various atheists throughout history have held remarkably different ideas – some have been Marxist, some have been Positivist, some have been ancient Greeks etc- therefore each of these must be different varieties of atheism or perhaps ‘atheistic creeds’.
This is the usual absurd mistake which we have seen so many make (and as it has been pointed out to them so many times one does not think they commit it unknowingly). Those who make this error of thought assume that because Atheism is counter to Religion it must be another ‘religion’- the people who think this are stuck in the channels of their blinkered thought- it’s just self-regarding religious thought in action.
Atheism- whatever definition those with a biased viewpoint might try to foist upon it - simply means ‘lack of belief in gods’. When they point to: ‘atheist creeds’ they are simply pointing to atheists who also happen to hold various other viewpoints and/or dogmas, or to phrase it differently- they are pointing to people with various viewpoints who also happen to be atheist.
So, massive fail from the outset- a pointless read unless you want to reinforce your blind faith.
September 3, 2015
Have you ever seen, while walking at dusk or dawn through a wood, a shape looming from the shadows, irregular, tall, monstrous - reaching high but not a tree? I have, and it's made me stop and step back, suddenly nervous, until I realise it for what it is: ivy, growing up and round its host, swamping it so much that the original tree is all but lost to view, a few branches and leaves poking out at the top but otherwise smothered in the ivy's deep green.
Atheism is like that. Essentially, it is parasitic; it requires the support of a religious culture to hold it up - take that away and, like ivy, it will collapse under the weight of its own contradictions.
In this excellent book, Nick Spencer is much politer in his assessments. What he does do is cover, in clear, craftsman prose, the intellectual history of the last five hundred years of Western thought, showing in particular how atheism, as a recognisable school of thought, has arisen in reaction to distortions in theology and, particularly, overwheening religious power when associated with the dominant polity of the time. The greater the identification between religion and repressive state, the greater the fury against God and his ministers - and really, not surprisingly.
The boiled down summaries of complex philosophical and political debates are excellent, and come leavened with an entertaining slice of anecdotes. Spencer does an excellent job of keeping his own biases from his writing, dealing fairly with all concerned and showing a particular, and justified, admiration for the working-class atheists who founded the Chartist movement.
In fact, the only group who might be miffed about his assessment is the vocal band of New Atheists but then, once you've written about Nietzche, Feuerbach and Marx, the posturings of the new boys become all too clear: they really are not in the same league.
Overall, an excellent survey and highly recommended.
Atheism is like that. Essentially, it is parasitic; it requires the support of a religious culture to hold it up - take that away and, like ivy, it will collapse under the weight of its own contradictions.
In this excellent book, Nick Spencer is much politer in his assessments. What he does do is cover, in clear, craftsman prose, the intellectual history of the last five hundred years of Western thought, showing in particular how atheism, as a recognisable school of thought, has arisen in reaction to distortions in theology and, particularly, overwheening religious power when associated with the dominant polity of the time. The greater the identification between religion and repressive state, the greater the fury against God and his ministers - and really, not surprisingly.
The boiled down summaries of complex philosophical and political debates are excellent, and come leavened with an entertaining slice of anecdotes. Spencer does an excellent job of keeping his own biases from his writing, dealing fairly with all concerned and showing a particular, and justified, admiration for the working-class atheists who founded the Chartist movement.
In fact, the only group who might be miffed about his assessment is the vocal band of New Atheists but then, once you've written about Nietzche, Feuerbach and Marx, the posturings of the new boys become all too clear: they really are not in the same league.
Overall, an excellent survey and highly recommended.
December 11, 2014
I'm so glad to be done with this book! It is full of interesting information but disappointing to read because of its meandering (lack of) organization and its glibness about assessing the strength of various movements or arguments in the history of atheism. I am coming away from the book with a sense that atheism has often been thought to be a stance on the source of moral or political authority. However, the 20th century, with its authoritarian regimes seeking (and failing) to stamp out religion in favor of a scientific world view has changed the conversation somewhat. The last chapter in the book was intriguing in its critique of what it called the New Atheism--Christopher Hitchens and others painting all religious belief as adherence to a set of historical/factual propositions (as in Christian fundamentalism) and thus worthy of ridicule--but Spencer doesn't do enough to fill out his arguments. My main source of enjoyment in reading this book was in the amusing anecdotes about characters in the history of atheism. Unfortunately, they were not enough to make this a satisfying read.
August 1, 2022
An exhaustive source for the history of atheism as a philosophy. It is informative to a fault. There are quips scattered throughout the book that made me smile every now and then. For example:
"La Mettrie’s arguments about God had a Bayle-like quality to them. He could range from supercilious piety (‘I do not mean to call in question the existence of a supreme being’), to innocent agnosticism (‘who can be sure that the reason for man’s existence is not simply the fact that he exists?’), feigned intellectual humility (‘Let us not lose ourselves in the infinite, for we are not made to have the least idea thereof’), and detached indifference (‘I am taking no sides’)."
The writing is smooth and no word is wasted.
"La Mettrie’s arguments about God had a Bayle-like quality to them. He could range from supercilious piety (‘I do not mean to call in question the existence of a supreme being’), to innocent agnosticism (‘who can be sure that the reason for man’s existence is not simply the fact that he exists?’), feigned intellectual humility (‘Let us not lose ourselves in the infinite, for we are not made to have the least idea thereof’), and detached indifference (‘I am taking no sides’)."
The writing is smooth and no word is wasted.
September 29, 2014
Nick Spencer's Athiests: The Origin of the Species is a delightful little survey of the intellectual history of atheism in the Western world. While Spencer, as a research director for the religious think tank Theos, presumably comes to this material with his own biases, these biases seem to be largely absent from what is a remarkably objective book, given its subject matter. Spencer does show some scarcely veiled disdain for the "New Athiests," but this appears to be more a result of his appraisal of their logical and philosophical prowess vis-à-vis their intellectual predecessors, and it has no bearing on his overall analysis of the history of Western athiesm.
Most impressive, is Spencer's comparative survey of the development of differing strains of atheism as it arose in response to differing religious and authoritarian pressures throughout Europe (and, later, America), although they all share their origins in heterodoxies that developed in reaction against abuses of political and religious authority. This survey covers about 500 years of European history (the New Athiest movement doesn't even make an appearance until the last 10 pages of the book), and provides some interesting context in which to view some of the West's most prominent athiest and heterodox thinkers.
Spencer closes the book with the assertion that "atheism is here to stay because God is back," meaning that atheism's future is secure primarily because religion is once again a dominant feature of our cultural landscape. Oddly, though, while Spencer does make a case for atheistic movements frequently arising from heterodox reaction to religiously-inflected authority, this statement is just a bit too tidy and simplistic. Given the remainder of the book's intellectual generosity and its willingness to explore nuances and distinctions between various schools of thought, one would have expected a closer that wasn't quite so pat.
Nevertheless, the book as a whole is strong and should be an intriguing read for anyone with an interest in the history of European philosophical and religious thought, whether atheist or believer.
Most impressive, is Spencer's comparative survey of the development of differing strains of atheism as it arose in response to differing religious and authoritarian pressures throughout Europe (and, later, America), although they all share their origins in heterodoxies that developed in reaction against abuses of political and religious authority. This survey covers about 500 years of European history (the New Athiest movement doesn't even make an appearance until the last 10 pages of the book), and provides some interesting context in which to view some of the West's most prominent athiest and heterodox thinkers.
Spencer closes the book with the assertion that "atheism is here to stay because God is back," meaning that atheism's future is secure primarily because religion is once again a dominant feature of our cultural landscape. Oddly, though, while Spencer does make a case for atheistic movements frequently arising from heterodox reaction to religiously-inflected authority, this statement is just a bit too tidy and simplistic. Given the remainder of the book's intellectual generosity and its willingness to explore nuances and distinctions between various schools of thought, one would have expected a closer that wasn't quite so pat.
Nevertheless, the book as a whole is strong and should be an intriguing read for anyone with an interest in the history of European philosophical and religious thought, whether atheist or believer.
July 4, 2015
An interesting one. Is slightly polemical, inviting the reader to accept the notion that atheism is intimately linked with liberation and over throwing authority, but then failing to satisfactorily demonstrate this. To claim that atheism(s) is about challenging the platonic order of society does the same disservice to atheists that they so often do to the religious; it does not answer the question of why people fundamentally believe something. If someone can claim that, in spite of the lack of evidence, they still believe in God, someone can equally claim that they fundamentally do not. If reasons for belief can be philosophical and psychological as well as political the same can be said of reasons for non-belief.
Generally the criticisms of atheists thinkers are fair. The strongest criticism is reserved for the 'new atheists' such as Hitchens and Dawkins. These are easy targets though, serious atheists thinkers are as likely to take 'The God Deliusion' seriously as they are ravings of a man at speakers corner. Over all though well worth dipping into.
Generally the criticisms of atheists thinkers are fair. The strongest criticism is reserved for the 'new atheists' such as Hitchens and Dawkins. These are easy targets though, serious atheists thinkers are as likely to take 'The God Deliusion' seriously as they are ravings of a man at speakers corner. Over all though well worth dipping into.
July 22, 2014
Serves very well as a 'to-read' list of influential free thinkers, and a rudimentary primer on the way they influenced one another. Based on the few books I've read that Spencer described, I can't trust his analyses and summaries of any of these philosophies; but in those few places where he elucidates his own philosophy, Spencer tends to be thought provoking.
Religious people looking to have their biases about atheism and atheists reaffirmed will find plenty to enjoy, while atheists looking to have their biases about theist apologetisists reaffirmed will find plenty of the same.
People of either leaning who don't mind reading past the self congratulatory and often reductionist summaries, however, to extract this books factual substance should find a good starting point for their own exploration of atheism's philosophic history.
Religious people looking to have their biases about atheism and atheists reaffirmed will find plenty to enjoy, while atheists looking to have their biases about theist apologetisists reaffirmed will find plenty of the same.
People of either leaning who don't mind reading past the self congratulatory and often reductionist summaries, however, to extract this books factual substance should find a good starting point for their own exploration of atheism's philosophic history.
July 18, 2014
I think this is a good overview of the history of atheism, especially in the last few centuries. I don't know if the author is a Christian or not since the book wasn't published by a Christian publishing house, but it's very possible that he is. Be that as it may, he doesn't have to put down atheists at any point. They do it regularly enough for themselves.
And he clarifies a lot of the arguments that have been so prevalent amongst the 'Brights' in recent years, shows their failings as arguments, and also shows just how old and insubstantial most of them are.
And he clarifies a lot of the arguments that have been so prevalent amongst the 'Brights' in recent years, shows their failings as arguments, and also shows just how old and insubstantial most of them are.
December 30, 2015
A bit encyclopedic more than I would like, but does a good job of introducing the history of atheism, in a more messy version than I have heard before. Great framing of the book as trying to provide a more nuanced version of the history of atheism than the dominant "creation myth" of atheism as reacting against the evils of religion with the forces of enlightenment of science. There is certainly some of that that happened...but that's not the only thing that happened, and hearing what happened in the context of the gradual development of the atheist identity was enlightening [pun intended].
August 4, 2014
The book has one interesting and compelling idea: that the story the so-called "New Atheists" tell of an Enlightenment in which science and reason swept aside religion is simply the creation myth of modern atheism and has nothing to do with real history. Unfortunately, most of the book is just too close in style to a textbook overview, with not much original to add.
September 3, 2014
Kind of a general view of Atheism over the centuries. Nothing groundbreaking. Not a terrible read.
October 17, 2014
Very interesting book covering the history of Atheists/Atheism. Learned a lot.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews