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Author : Susan Jacoby
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2013-01-08
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780300137255
A biography that restores America's foremost 19th-century champion of reason and secularism to the still contested 21st-century public square.
Author : Susan Jacoby
Publisher : Metropolitan Books
Page : 452 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2005-01-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781429934756
An authoritative history of the vital role of secularist thinkers and activists in the United States, from a writer of "fierce intelligence and nimble, unfettered imagination" (The New York Times) At a time when the separation of church and state is under attack as never before, Freethinkers offers a powerful defense of the secularist heritage that gave Americans the first government in the world founded not on the authority of religion but on the bedrock of human reason. In impassioned, elegant prose, celebrated author Susan Jacoby paints a striking portrait of more than two hundred years of secularist activism, beginning with the fierce debate over the omission of God from the Constitution. Moving from nineteenth-century abolitionism and suffragism through the twentieth century's civil liberties, civil rights, and feminist movements, Freethinkers illuminates the neglected accomplishments of secularists who, allied with liberal and tolerant religious believers, have stood at the forefront of the battle for reforms opposed by reactionary forces in the past and today. Rich with such iconic figures as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Clarence Darrow—as well as once-famous secularists such as Robert Green Ingersoll, "the Great Agnostic"—Freethinkers restores to history generations of dedicated humanists. It is they, Jacoby shows, who have led the struggle to uphold the combination of secular government and religious liberty that is the glory of the American system.
Author : Robert Green Ingersoll
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 28 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 1900
Category : Agnosticism
ISBN : NLI:3167749-10
Author : André Comte-Sponville
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 236 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0670018473
Poses an argument for living a spiritual life that is not dependent on religion, explaining that an acceptance of philosophical spiritual traditions and values does not require practitioners to embrace the existence of a higher order.
Author : James Kirk Wall
Publisher : iUniverse
Page : 177 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2009-08-14
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781440166570
To Be an Agnostic Seeking knowledge, truth and wisdom through the philosophy of agnosticism Chicago Todays America seems to split in two opposing parties: those who feel religion is under attack, and those who feel religion is unjustly pushing itself into secular life. While many books exist that either promote or bash religion, few book explore religion and spirituality from a neutral, agnostic standpoint. Author James Kirk Wall, an agnostic himself, set out to fill this void with his new book, To Be an Agnostic. To Be an Agnostic neither endorses nor opposes religion. Rather, Mr. Wall takes his readers on a journey of intellectual exploration, using both ancient and modern philosophers to explain the greater meaning of life. The book teaches: an agnostic approach to problem solving solid foundations of learning and obtaining knowledge argumentation techniques decision making skills religious tolerance how to face the issue of death and dying promoting opportunity, freedom and justice Ultimately, this book promotes simplicity as the essence of truth, says author James Wall. Morality and ethics are regarded above all else. We must know what is good, promote what is good, and defend what is good. To Be an Agnostic includes insight and words of wisdom from great philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, Eastern philosophers Confucius and Lao Tzu, Americas Founding Fathers, U.S. presidents, military commanders, religious figures, activists, celebrities, heroes and well-known agnostic thinkers such as Thomas Huxley. Without attacking or dismissing religion or faith, the book frames agnosticism as a modern bridge between religion and atheism. Readers, whether religious or not, will enjoy the opportunity to expand their horizons and increase their understanding of alternate viewpoints as it relates to matters of faith or lack thereof.
Author : Robert Ingersoll
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 68 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2013-01-08
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1481938894
"For while I am opposed to all orthodox creeds, I have a creed myself, and my creed is this:Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.This creed is somewhat short, but is long enough for this life; long enough for this world. If there is another world, when we get there we can make another creed. But this creed certainly will do for this life."Robert G. Ingersoll Freethought flowered in the United States in the latter half of the 19th century, and its best known advocate was Robert Green Ingersoll, a lawyer and Civil War officer, who travelled the continent for 30 years, speaking to capacity audiences. Although his repertoire included lectures on Shakespeare, Voltaire and Burns, the largest crowds turned out to hear him denounce the bible, and religion. As outspoken in his day as Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens are today, ROBERT GREEN INGERSOLL (1833-1899) was a notorious radical whose uncompromising views on religion and slavery, women's suffrage, and other contentious matters of his era made him a wildly popular forward thinking orator and critic of American culture and public life. Legendary as a speaker - he memorized his speeches and could talk for hours without notes - and as a proponent of freethought, Ingersoll is an American original whose words still ring with truth and power today.
Author : Frank Smith
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 436 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 1990
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : UCAL:B4374458
Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899) was a complex figure - a brilliant lawyer and orator who courageously advanced the concept of freethought; a magnetic extrovert whose public esteem, eagerly sought, never earned him the private favors he so generously bestowed on others. Ingersoll was a staunch republican in the great tradition of Abraham Lincoln, and he vigorously championed such progressive causes as equal rights for blacks, women, and children; liberal divorce laws; and better wages and conditions for workers. Perhaps Ingersoll's greatest legacy derives from his daring rejection of religious superstition (during an era which saw a tremendous revival of spiritualism and religious fundamentalism) and his ardent belief in humanity: "When I became convinced that the Universe is natural - that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell, the dungeon was flooded with light and all the bolts and bars, and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf, or a slave." Ingersoll is considered one of the most prominent figures of the 19th century. From about 1880 to his death in 1899, he probably spoke to more Americans in person than anyone before or since; he had daily audiences of as many as three thousand people while he was on tour, several months a year for many years. Despite this, Ingersoll's career has not yet received the attention it clearly merits. In this comprehensive work, Frank Smith explores the life and thought of this charismatic figure, using newspaper accounts of the time and extensive quotations from Ingersoll's correspondence. Ingersoll's words provide a vivid portrait of 19th-century America from the stormy antebellum period to the beginnings of modern industrialism. His life reflects the great current of his age and speaks forcefully to the problems of our own.
Author : Bernard Lightman
Publisher : JHU Press
Page : 300 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2019-12-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9781421431413
Originally published in 1987. The Origins of Agnosticism provides a reinterpretation of agnosticism and its relationship to science. Professor Lightman examines the epistemological basis of agnostics' learned ignorance, studying their core claim that "God is unknowable." To address this question, he reconstructs the theory of knowledge posited by Thomas Henry Huxley and his network of agnostics. In doing so, Lightman argues that agnosticism was constructed on an epistemological foundation laid by Christian thought. In addition to undermining the continuity in the intellectual history of religious thought, Lightman exposes the religious origins of agnosticism.
Author : Robert Ingersoll
Publisher : Steerforth
Page : 148 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2011-12-13
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781586421977
Robert Ingersoll (1833—1899) is one of the great lost figures in United States history, all but forgotten at just the time America needs him most. An outspoken and unapologetic agnostic, fervent champion of the separation of church and state, and tireless advocate of the rights of women and African Americans, he drew enormous audiences in the late nineteenth century with his lectures on “freethought.” His admirers included Mark Twain and Thomas A. Edison, who said Ingersoll had “all the attributes of a perfect man” and went so far as to make an early recording of Ingersoll’s voice. The publication of What’s God Got to Do with It? will return Robert Ingersoll and his ideas to American political discourse. Edited and with a biographical introduction by Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Page, this new popular collection of Ingersoll’s thought – distilled from the twelve-volume set of his works, his copious letters, and various newspaper interviews – promises to put Ingersoll back where he belongs, in the forefront of independent American thought.
Author : Khushwant Singh,Ashok Chopra
Publisher : Hay House, Inc
Page : 159 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2011-10-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789381398234
Instead of entering into a pointless debate on whether or not God exists, it is more important to bear in mind that belief in the existence of God has little bearing on making a person a good or a bad citizen. One can be a saintly person without believing in God and a detestable villain believing in Him. In my personalized religion, there is NO GOD! Khushwant Singh, over the decades, has built up a reputation for coming up with something new and controversial in each book, and he does not disappoint his readers this time too. He begins with a chapter on the ‘need for a new religion – without God’, in which he questions the relevance of God. He then moves on to describe how religion has proved to be more harmful than beneficial and, in the process, debunks astrologers and the breed of so-called ‘godmen’. However, he is not dismissive of religion. Through his lucid writing, he brings out the beauty and significance of holy books such as the Bhagvad Gita, the Quran and the Granth Sahib. He provides relevant extracts to highlight the poetry and the music in such books. The author next tries to dispel the prejudices held by many non-Muslims against their Muslim compatriots by giving down-to-earth examples. He also emphasizes the importance of the Ramzaan fast. Khushwant Singh’s description of the life and times of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh and his in-depth analysis of the Granth Sahib throw new light on a particularly troubled period in India’s history. The chapter devoted to the interaction of the author (a confirmed agnostic) with the Dalai Lama (probably the world’s most renowned spiritual leader) makes for fascinating reading. Here’s one book containing a wealth of knowledge and information that you would want to read or consult again and again.
Author : Lesley Hazleton
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2016-04-05
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780698194472
“Vital” –The New York Times Book Review “Provocative…[Hazleton] paddles the river of doubt with energy and exuberance.” –The Seattle Times A widely admired writer on religion celebrates agnosticism as the most vibrant, engaging—and ultimately the most honest—stance toward the mysteries of existence. One in four Americans reject any affiliation with organized religion, and nearly half of those under thirty describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” But as the airwaves resound with the haranguing of preachers and pundits, who speaks for the millions who find no joy in whittling the wonder of existence to a simple yes/no choice? Lesley Hazleton does. In this provocative, brilliant book, she gives voice to the case for agnosticism, breaks it free of its stereotypes as watered-down atheism or amorphous “seeking,” and celebrates it as a reasoned, revealing, and sustaining stance toward life. Stepping over the lines imposed by rigid conviction, she draws on philosophy, theology, psychology, science, and more to explore, with curiosity and passion, the vital role of mystery in a deceptively information-rich world; to ask what we mean by the search for meaning; to invoke the humbling yet elating perspective of infinity; to challenge received ideas about death; and to reconsider what “the soul” might be. Inspired and inspiring, Agnostic recasts the question of belief not as a problem to be solved but as an invitation to an ongoing, open-ended adventure of the mind.
Author : Ingersoll Robert G
Publisher : Double 9 Books
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2023-05
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9358711620
American atheist and orator Robert G. Ingersoll's essays and works are collected in "The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 4" from the 19th century. The book discusses a wide range of topics, including politics, science, literature, and religion. Ingersoll's critique of religion and his advocacy for free thought and reason serve as a significant topic throughout the whole book. According to him, religion is founded on blind faith rather than logic or evidence, and this is the root of many global issues. Ingersoll supports a society based on reason and science as opposed to religious doctrine. In addition to criticizing religion, Ingersoll also discusses the role of government, women's rights, and the death penalty. No of their gender, ethnicity, or level of money, he works for everyone's freedom and equal rights. The whole book is written in an elegant, humorous, and logical style by Ingersoll. His lectures and publications were highly received in his day, and today's scholars and readers continue to value and explore them.
Author : PZ Myers
Publisher : Vintage
Page : 210 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2014-05-06
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780307739803
On his popular science blog, Pharyngula, PZ Myers has entertained millions of readers with his infectious love of evolutionary science and his equally infectious disdain for creationism, biblical literalism, intelligent design theory, and other products of godly illogic. This funny and fearless book collects and expands on some of his most popular writings, giving the religious fanaticism of our times the gleeful disrespect it deserves by skewering the apocalyptic fantasies, magical thinking, hypocrisies, and pseudoscientific theories advanced by religious fundamentalists of all stripes. Forceful and articulate, scathing and funny, The Happy Atheist is a reaffirmation of the revelatory power of humor and the truth-revealing powers of science and reason.
Author : S. T. Joshi
Publisher : Great Minds Series
Page : 400 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : UOM:39015070751584
This reader prints selections of some of the most profound and pioneering discussions of agnosticism over the past two centuries, including essays by Thomas Henry Huxley (who coined the term), Bertrand Russell, Albert Einstein, Isaac Asimov, and others.
Author : Paul Horwitz
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 351 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2011-02-17
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780199737727
"Argues that the fundamental reason for church-state conflict is our aversion to questions of religious truth. By trying to avoid the question of religious truth, law and religion has ultimately reached a state of incoherence. He asserts that the answer to this dilemma is to take the agnostic turn: to take an empathetic and imaginative approach to questions of religious truth, one that actually confronts rather than avoids these questions, but without reaching a final judgment about what that truth is"--Jacket.