Religion for Atheists

Last updated

Religion for Atheists book cover.jpg
Author Alain de Botton
Audio read byKris Dyer
LanguageEnglish
SubjectAtheism, Religious philosophy
Published2012
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages320
200
LC Class BL2776

Religion for Atheists: A non-believer's guide to the uses of religion is a book by Alain de Botton published in 2012. It argues that while supernatural claims made by religion are false, some aspects of religion are still useful and can be applied in secular life and society. Religion for Atheists was published in the UK in hardback edition by Hamish Hamilton, and in the US by Pantheon. Religion for Atheists was a New York Times non-fiction bestseller, and has been widely reviewed, with mixed results.

Contents

Content

Alain de Botton, c. 2012 Alaindebotton.png
Alain de Botton, c. 2012

Religion for Atheists has a general format in which de Botton describes a problem in society, discusses how religions (particularly Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism) have attempted to solve this problem, and proposes secular alternatives. Religion for Atheists draws on the work of the 19th century philosophers Auguste Comte, Matthew Arnold and John Stuart Mill. Religion for Atheists particularly pays attention to the way religions draw people's minds to ideas through annual ceremonies and rituals such as Christmas or the Day of Atonement. Religion for Atheists asserts that religions know that people are fundamentally children, in need of comforting and repeated guidance on how to live. The book is divided into ten chapters: Wisdom without Doctrine, Community, Kindness, Education, Tenderness, Pessimism, Perspective, Art, Architecture and Institutions. In an interview with New Scientist, de Botton stated his aim for atheists reading the book: "I want to make sure atheists are deriving some of the benefits of religion." [1]

The chapter on "Kindness" discusses the tensions between libertarianism and paternalism. It argues that freedom has become vital in Western political thinking, and discusses suspicion of the idea that the state should talk about how we should behave to each other. De Botton contrasts this with religions, which he describes as having ambitious ideals about how people should treat each other. He suggests that religious ethics grew out of pragmatic needs, and that, because they were key to our survival, it became important to protect them by pretending that they were divinely inspired. He sums up by saying that people simply have to be reminded that "the most mature and reasonable parts of us" (p. 80) want us to live this way. De Botton suggests the example of the Scrovegni Chapel, which has paintings of the "cardinal virtues" and their corresponding vices. People sitting in the church would think about their own relationships to these virtues and vices while they sat under a painting of God. De Botton suggests that advertising for values should be displayed in public spaces.

The chapter on "Pessimism" asserts that modern society, with its continual message of progress and improvement, seems to promise permanent happiness, but that we are still vulnerable to heartbreak and despair, even as our ancestors were. De Botton argues that religious pessimism allows religious people to be grateful for small successes, whereas "the secular world is not well versed in the art of gratitude" (p. 188).

In the "Institutions" chapter, De Botton describes organised religions as being efficient at spreading their message, having financial clout and enacting social change, and compares them to corporations.

Publication

Religion for Atheists was published in the UK in hardback edition by Hamish Hamilton (later also by its parent Penguin), and in the US by Pantheon and Vintage International. A Greek translation has been published by Pataki, and a Swedish translation has been published by Brombergs.

Reception

Critical reception of the book has been mixed. It was the most-reviewed book of the week in January 2012, according to The Bookseller . [2] David Brooks finds that the book makes atheism "kind of boring", like a "spiritual handicap". [3] Terry Eagleton describes the book as an attempt to "hijack other people's beliefs, empty them of content and redeploy them in the name of moral order, social consensus and aesthetic pleasure". [4] Angus Wood says that de Botton's proposed solutions feel "trite or feel crassly commercial", and that transferring the authoritarian methods of religion to a secular world looks "like indoctrination". [5] Martha Gill, after reading Religion for Atheists, feels that "as a spiritual guide, de Botton offers as much opportunity for growth as a hard-boiled egg". [6] Joe Winkler recommends A.C. Grayling's The Good Book , The Joys of Secularism, and Bertrand Russell's A Free Man's Worship over this book. Winkler finds the omission of positive psychology confusing in the book, and criticises de Botton's assumption that "because the mechanics used in a religious setting work, and have worked for thousands of years, they will work in a secular setting", and describes this assumption as naive at best and "slightly totalitarian" at worst. Despite his criticisms, Winkler recommends Religion for Atheists because he finds the book eloquent and thought-provoking. [7] Christopher Hirst writes of the book: "De Botton has reduced religion to a mechanism", and describes the tone of the book as "bossy, but readable". [8] James Croft describes the book as having a lack of balance, and under-valuing the achievements of humanity. [9]

Barney Zwartz says "De Botton selects areas of need community, kindness, education, tenderness, perspective, architecture and art and draws out detailed, practical lessons." [10] José Teodoro suggests the book is "subtly condescending in the way it demands that everything in our shared environment constantly remind us that we're not alone in our anxieties and disappointments". [11] The Economist, in a comparison with Roger Scruton's The Face of God, writes that de Botton "often stretches a good idea beyond its elastic limit". [12] John Armstrong regards this book as not being part of 'militant Atheism', not arguing whether religion is true or not, but looking at its effects in people's daily lives. [13] Stephen Cave, writing for the Financial Times , regards a theme of Religion for Atheists to be "we are less grown-up than liberal societies assume we are and frequently in need of guidance, reassurance and tenderness". [14] Richard Holloway, writing for the Literary Review , notes that when examining the purpose of religion in life, de Botton "rethinks the nature and purpose of higher education and national cultural policy" Holloway felt that the audience of the book is the mass of "uneasy believers", whom he argues will likely "welcome it like a well of water in a dry place". [15]

Marc Mohan suggests that an "ideal reader" of this book would be a religious person who doubts, but is hesitant to stop being religious because they fear that a life without religion is a life without ethics. [16] The Telegraph's Tom Payne writes that the author continues from Ovid's assertion on the utility of gods: "It's useful that there are gods, and that's why we believe in them". According to Payne, de Botton argues that religion provides useful boundaries, in addition to inspiring a sense of awe. Payne praises de Botton's prose and charm, but notes that de Botton seems to find libertarianism distasteful. Payne describes the book as being both prescriptive and optimistic, but sums it up in the book's central premise the hope that religion can be made to "really suit us". [17] Charles Moore, writing for The Telegraph, states that de Botton's purpose in the book is to study religions and learn from them. Moore states that de Botton "has an instinctively religious grasp of the power of paradox" in that the concept of original sin is depicted in the book as "comforting". Moore suggests that de Botton knows that his suggested secular solutions to the problems of life are "mostly a bit silly", and notes that while de Botton discusses failed attempts at secular religion, like August De Comte's, de Botton "does not seem to ask himself why" they failed. For Moore, religious "uses" come from the "truth" at the heart of religions, and de Botton does not recognise this. [18]

When published in the United States, the book placed on the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover non-fiction. [19] [20]

The reviewer for Bookmarks notes that critics have considered de Botton to be closer to C.S. Lewis and Augustine in his views, rather than the atheists Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, and that de Botton seems to delight in being subversive in Religion for Atheists, giving the book three stars out of five. [21] A.N. Wilson, who had been an atheist but converted to Christianity, criticized first the amount of illustrations and blank pages in the book. Wilson sums up de Botton's argument as being that religion is too serious to be confined to the General Synod, and describes this argument as attractive although noting that the 'Education' chapter is the least convincing. Still, Wilson is glad for the optimism in the book. [22] An early review by Kirkus suggests that de Botton's message is that religions take care of two important needs which secular society has not been able to the need for community and the need for consolation in the face of life's problems.

The reviewer describes de Botton's examples from religions as being "cherry-pick[ed]", and states that de Botton's secular alternatives are less than persuasive, and "insulting". The reviewer notes that de Botton discounts the achievements of civic culture such as libraries, and regards it as a poorer work than de Botton's The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work and The Architecture of Happiness . [23] Jeremy Biles considers de Botton's goal to be to keep philosophy in everyday life. Biles compares Religion for Atheists unfavorably to de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy , saying that Religion for Atheists seems at times "willfully blind" to aspects of reality, describing the book as a "hopeful fantasy". Biles criticizes the generalizations in the book, and de Botton failing to address how "politics and power" keep the dogmatic parts of religion together with the parts of religion de Botton says should be emulated in a secular fashion. [24] James DeRoche, writing for Library Journal, states that many of de Botton's benefits of religion may have escaped atheists' view before, although religious people might take "some of [the book] for granted". It is described as a book that will promote discussion between atheists and religious people. [25] The reviewer for the Journal of Ecumenical Studies recommends Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious over Religion for Atheists, criticizing Religion for Atheists for not providing citations for its quotes, and describes the book as a "glib and finally unconvincing proposal". [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secular humanism</span> Life stance that embraces human reason, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism

Secular humanism is a philosophy, belief system or life stance that embraces human reason, logic, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism, while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceremony</span> Event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion

A ceremony is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alain de Botton</span> British philosopher and author (born 1969)

Alain de Botton is a Swiss-born British author and public speaker. His books discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. He published Essays in Love (1993), which went on to sell two million copies. Other bestsellers include How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997), Status Anxiety (2004), and The Architecture of Happiness (2006).

Irreligion is the neglect or active rejection of religion and, depending on the definition, a simple absence of religion.

Jewish atheism refers to the atheism of people who are ethnically and culturally Jewish. Contrary to popular belief, the term "Jewish atheism" is not a contradiction because Jewish identity encompasses not only religious components, but also ethnic and cultural ones. Jewish law's emphasis on descent through the mother means that even religiously conservative Orthodox Jewish authorities would accept an atheist born to a Jewish mother as fully Jewish.

<i>The God Delusion</i> 2006 book by Richard Dawkins

The God Delusion is a 2006 book by British evolutionary biologist and ethologist Richard Dawkins. In The God Delusion, Dawkins contends that a supernatural creator, God, almost certainly does not exist, and that belief in a personal god qualifies as a delusion, which he defines as a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence. He is sympathetic to Robert Pirsig's statement in Lila (1991) that "when one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion." In the book, Dawkins explores the relationship between religion and morality, providing examples that discuss the possibility of morality existing independently of religion and suggesting alternative explanations for the origins of both religion and morality.

Accurate demographics of atheism are difficult to obtain since conceptions of atheism vary considerably across different cultures and languages, ranging from an active concept to being unimportant or not developed. Also in some countries and regions atheism carries a strong stigma, making it harder to count atheists in these countries. In global studies, the number of people without a religion is usually higher than the number of people without a belief in a deity and the number of people who agree with statements on lacking a belief in a deity is usually higher than the number of people who self-identify as "atheists".

Discrimination against atheists, sometimes called atheophobia, atheistophobia, or anti-atheism, both at present and historically, includes persecution of and discrimination against people who are identified as atheists. Discrimination against atheists may be manifested by negative attitudes, prejudice, hostility, hatred, fear, or intolerance towards atheists and atheism or even the complete denial of atheists existence. It is often expressed in distrust regardless of its manifestation. Perceived atheist prevalence seems to be correlated with reduction in prejudice. There is global prevalence of mistrust in moral perceptions of atheists found in even secular countries and among atheists.

<i>God Is Not Great</i> 2007 book by Christopher Hitchens

God Is Not Great is a 2007 book by British-American author and journalist Christopher Hitchens in which he makes a case against organized religion. It was originally published in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Books as God Is Not Great: The Case Against Religion and in the United States by Twelve as God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, but was republished by Atlantic Books in 2017 with no subtitle.

Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists.

In the United States, between 6% and 21% of citizens demonstrated nonreligious attitudes and naturalistic worldviews, namely atheists or agnostics. The number of self-identified atheists and agnostics was around 4% each, while many persons formally affiliated with a religion are likewise non-believing.

Secular morality is the aspect of philosophy that deals with morality outside of religious traditions. Modern examples include humanism, freethinking, and most versions of consequentialism. Additional philosophies with ancient roots include those such as skepticism and virtue ethics. Greg M. Epstein also states that, "much of ancient Far Eastern thought is deeply concerned with human goodness without placing much if any stock in the importance of gods or spirits." An example is the Kural text of Valluvar, an ancient Indian theistic poet-philosopher whose work remains secular and non-denominational. Other philosophers have proposed various ideas about how to determine right and wrong actions. An example is Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative.

The term New Atheism describes the positions of some atheist academics, writers, scientists, and philosophers of the 20th and 21st centuries. New Atheism advocates the view that superstition, religion, and irrationalism should not simply be tolerated. Instead, they advocate the antitheist view that the various forms of theism should be criticised, countered, examined, and challenged by rational argument, especially when they exert strong influence on the broader society, such as in government, education, and politics. Major figures of New Atheism include Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennett, collectively referred to as the "four horsemen" of the movement, as well as Ayaan Hirsi Ali until her conversion to Christianity in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awe</span> Emotion comparable to wonder

Awe is an emotion comparable to wonder but less joyous. On Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions awe is modeled as a combination of surprise and fear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Copson</span> British humanist leader (born 1980)

Andrew James William Copson is a humanist leader and writer. He is the Chief Executive of Humanists UK and the President of Humanists International. He has worked for a number of civil and human rights organisations throughout his career in his capacity as executive committee member, director or trustee and has represented Humanist organisations before the House of Commons, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations. As a prominent spokesperson for the Humanist movement in the United Kingdom he is a frequent contributor to newspaper articles, news items, television and radio programmes and regularly speaks to Humanist and secular groups throughout Britain. Copson has contributed to several books on secularism and humanism and is the author of Secularism: Politics, Religion, and Freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikivu Hutchinson</span> African-American feminist, author, and atheist activist

Sikivu Hutchinson is an American author, playwright, director, and musician. Her multi-genre work explores feminism, gender justice, racial justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, humanism and atheism. She is the author of Humanists in the Hood: Unapologetically Black, Feminist, and Heretical (2020), White Nights, Black Paradise (2015), Godless Americana: Race and Religious Rebels (2013), Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars (2011), and Imagining Transit: Race, Gender, and Transportation Politics in Los Angeles (2003). Her plays include "White Nights, Black Paradise", "Rock 'n' Roll Heretic" and "Narcolepsy, Inc.". "Rock 'n' Roll Heretic" was among the 2023 Lambda Literary award LGBTQ Drama finalists. Moral Combat is the first book on atheism to be published by an African-American woman. In 2013 she was named Secular Woman of the year and was awarded Foundation Beyond Belief's 2015 Humanist Innovator award. She was also a recipient of Harvard's 2020 Humanist of the Year award.

The relationship between the level of religiosity and the level of education has been studied since the second half of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemant Mehta</span> American activist (born 1983)

Hemant Mehta is an American author, blogger, YouTuber and atheist activist. Mehta is a regular speaker at atheist events, and has been a board member of charitable organizations such as the Secular Student Alliance and the Foundation Beyond Belief.

<i>The Necessity of Secularism</i>

The Necessity of Secularism:Why God Can't Tell Us What to Do is a book by Center for Inquiry CEO Ronald A. Lindsay arguing that secularism in government is the best solution to the problems posed by a society with differing and incompatible perspectives on religion, and that for democratic discourse to be successful, religious doctrines need to be kept out of public policy discussions.

References

  1. Lawton, Graham (March 2012), "The God issue: Religion for atheists", New Scientist, 213 (2856): 48–49, Bibcode:2012NewSc.213...48L, doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(12)60708-8
  2. "Keeping faith: the critics are out over de Botton's latest.(MOST REVIEWED BOOK OF THE WEEK)(Alain de Botton's Religion for Atheists)", The Bookseller, 5513, The Bookseller Media Group (Bookseller Media Ltd.): 39(1), 27 January 2012, ISSN   0006-7539
  3. Brooks, David (16 March 2012), "Without Gods", The New York Times
  4. Terry Eagleton (12 January 2012), "Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton - review | Books", The Guardian, retrieved 27 February 2015
  5. Aengus Woods (13 March 2012), 'Religion For Atheists': God, What Is He Good For?, NPR, retrieved 27 February 2015
  6. Gill, Martha (4 September 2013), Atheists have discovered their own brand of waffly spirituality. God, it's embarrassing – Telegraph Blogs, Blogs.telegraph.co.uk, archived from the original on 7 September 2013, retrieved 27 February 2015
  7. Joe Winkler (11 March 2012), Religion For Atheists: A Book Review | Joe Winkler, Huffingtonpost.com, retrieved 27 February 2015
  8. Christopher Hirst (1 March 2013), "Religion for Atheists, By Alain de Botton - Reviews - Books", The Independent, retrieved 27 February 2015
  9. James Croft (21 April 2012), A Review of Alain de Botton's Religion for Atheists, Patheos.com, retrieved 27 February 2015
  10. Barney Zwartz (18 February 2012), Religion for Atheists | Alain de Botton | book review, The Sydney Morning Herald , retrieved 27 February 2015
  11. Book Review: Religion for Atheists, by Alain de Botton | National Post, Arts.nationalpost.com, archived from the original on 13 March 2012, retrieved 27 February 2015
  12. The uses of religion: Comfort, joy and disagreement, The Economist, 10 March 2012, retrieved 27 February 2015
  13. John Armstrong (28 February 2012), Religion for Atheists: the struggle for the heart and soul of non-believers, The Conversation , retrieved 27 February 2015
  14. Cave, Stephen (20 January 2012), The God gap, FT.com, retrieved 27 February 2015
  15. Richard Holloway on Religion for Atheists, Literary Review, 31 January 2012, archived from the original on 23 February 2015, retrieved 27 February 2015
  16. Marc Mohan (7 April 2012), 'Religion for Atheists' review: Hard to put much faith in one-dimensional portrait of nonbelievers, OregonLive.com, retrieved 27 February 2015
  17. Tom Payne (27 January 2012), Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton: review, Telegraph, retrieved 27 February 2015
  18. Charles Moore (30 January 2012), Religion's usefulness is drawn from its truth, Telegraph, retrieved 27 February 2015
  19. "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - March 25, 2012 - the New York Times", The New York Times
  20. "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - April 8, 2012 - the New York Times", The New York Times
  21. Botton, Alain de. "Religion for Atheists." Bookmarks May–June 2012: 56+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
  22. Wilson, A.N. (21 January 2012), "Helping our unbelief.('Religion for Atheists')(Book review)", Spectator, 318 (9569), The Spectator Ltd. (UK): 36(2), ISSN   0038-6952
  23. "de Botton, Alain: RELIGION FOR ATHEISTS.(Book review)", Kirkus Reviews , Kirkus Media LLC, 1 December 2011, ISSN   1948-7428
  24. Biles, Jeremy (1 June 2013), "Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion By Alain de Botton.(Report)(Book review)", Religious Studies Review , 39 (2), Wiley Subscription Services, Inc: 77(1), doi:10.1111/rsr.12028_2, ISSN   0319-485X
  25. DeRoche, James F (1 January 2012), "de Botton, Alain. Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion.(Brief article)(Book review)", Library Journal , 137 (1), Library Journals, LLC: 108(1), ISSN   0363-0277
  26. Agnew, Mary Barbara (1 January 2013), "Alain de Botton, Religion for Atheists: a Non-Believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion.(Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious)(Book review)", Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 48 (1): 138(2), ISSN   0022-0558

Further reading