Agnosticism - A Very Short Introduction

Many different kinds of book could be written about agnosticism. It is a topic that invites exploration from a variety of angles. It might, for instance, be the focus of a sociological survey of contemporary religious attitudes. Or it might be one aspect of an examination of negative theology, a feature of a number of religious traditions in which God's nature is presented as largely or wholly unknown and unknowable. Yet again, it might be part of a history ofleading Victorian intellectuals. This little volume, however, is none of these. Although there is some history in it, for which I am much indebted to Bernard Lightman's illuminating book The Origins of Agnost:icism, what I present here views agnosticism from a philosophical angle. The key question is whether or not agnosticism is justified, whether or not it is the right attitude to take towards that most urgent of issues, the existence of God. It is an invitation to the reader to engage in debate, and that involves a certain amount ofto-ing and fro-ing between different positions. It is a feature of philosophical writing that positions are often presented, only then to be criticized and opposed, and that can be a little disconcerting to readers not already familiar with this style: just what position, they may wonder, is the author taking? So, in case there is any doubt, what is offered here is a defence of agnosticism, of a fairly strong kind. But, and this may seem surprising, it is an agnosticism that (I argue) is compatible with a religious way oflife and outlook. I have also had to be very selective about the individuals I discuss. It might seem odd, for example, that there is no mention of the man described as "The Great Agnostic~ Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-99), an American lawyer who became famous as an orator, giving hugely popular talks on a variety of topics, often with a humanist theme. But Ingersoll's mission was not to promote agnosticism so much as emancipation from religion. Asked whether he thought agnosticism was superior to atheism, he replied that there was no difference between them. That is not the line I wish to take here. I would like to thank all those who have helped this project on its way: Andrea Keegan, who commissioned the book, and offered advice and encouragement in the early stages, Emma Marchant, who saw it through to completion, Carrie Hickman, who provided the illustrations, and two readers for the Press who offered detailed comments on the draft typescript. Preface xiii List of illustrations xv Introduction 1 1 What is agnosticism? 8 2 Who were the first agnostics? 18 3 Is agnosticism necessary? 40 4 Why be agnostic? 54 5 Does agnosticism rest on a mistake? 77 6 How should the agnostic live? 97 7 How should agnosticism be taught? 108 References 119 Further reading 123 Index 131 حق تکثیر: کتاب در حوزه عمومی اینترنت منتشر شده است.