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Are the editors of this sure it is appropriate to have Nietzsche here, as many regard him NOT to be an atheist?
84.56.110.103 03:07, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
To Nietzsche God is seen only as an authority, an authority that in his time he felt had "died". Hence, "God is dead". But Nietzsche certainly did not believe in any THEISTIC God, which does in fact make him an atheist. In order to properly understand the definition of ATHEIST we need first address the term THEIST. A theist is one who believes in an omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent God. Even if Nietzsche were to believe in some sort of higher power it would not qualify him as a theist because the said higher power would not possess these traits. Nietzsche is as much an atheist as Sartre, as their theories stem from similar branches of existentialism, and they are frequently contrasted with the theistic existentialists such as Kierkegaard. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.95.162.207 ( talk) 17:24, 12 July 2008 (UTC)
Having only studied Jenseits von Gut und Boese, his main criticism seems to be of religion, which he regards as proposterous on a moral basis and ridiculous on a Reasonable one. He, much like Kant, though, refers to "Nature", which would appear to show a belief in some sort of being, just not necessarily an omnipotent, benevolent (he describes Nature as being totally indifferent toward mankind) one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 163.1.156.219 ( talk) 17:00, 28 February 2011 (UTC)
A "theist" is defined as anyone who believes in God or gods, regardless of their, or his qualities. There is not a single idea of God, so why should theism be defined as a belief in a specific God?-- 108.20.189.221 ( talk) 18:33, 16 July 2012 (UTC)
Agreed. "Theist" does not mean "Christian", and even in Christianism opinions differ about God's qualities. Kedez Iklam ( talk) 19:45, 18 August 2014 (UTC)
Nor should Bertrand Russell be included: he is a self-confessed agnostic. (Which, of course, is clearly distinguishable from atheism as an agnostic simply doesn't know; and a atheist does know, but denies.)
Russell distinguished between atheism and agnosticism on the basis of his audience. He was, for all intents and purposes, an atheist. He said that if he were talking to the public, then he would describe himself as an atheist, but if he had been speaking to colleagues, he would have called himself an agnostic. I think based on his own writings (such as his famous quote "I am as firmly convinced that religions do harm as I am that they are untrue.") He simply avoided saying that he was an atheist because he thought that such a term implied that he could prove there was no god. The definition of an atheist, as I understand it, is a person who does not believe in a god or gods--Russell fits quite well into this category.
"The definition of an atheist, as I understand it, is a person who does not believe in a god or gods--Russell fits quite well into this category." I think that athiests make a full blown assertion e.g. "there is no bearded man in the sky" where as agnostics might say, "I have no evidence to believe there is a bearded man in the sky." Nevertheless I think that Russell is importantly associated with the secularist movement and should be included. Not sure about Hume though.
84.56.110.103 03:13, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
Agnosticism neither denies, nor accepts the existence of God. It sits in between the fence. It's not even "disbelief." Why do so many people make this common fallacy? It is mere nothingness. There is a void rather than a decision.-- 108.20.189.221 ( talk) 18:28, 16 July 2012 (UTC)
I have yet to find a reference to Karl Popper identifying himself as an atheist. If such a reference exists, I would like to see it.
Aren't there any philosophers from Latin Amrica that are atheist? At least, I haven't found any on that list.
What purpose does the Schopenhauer Subcategory serve? Not only does it seem random and out of place, but I'm pretty sure Schopenhauer wasn't an atheist. Ejectgoose 02:58, 23 March 2007 (UTC)
To "Ejectgoose": though it may appear that Nietzsche was an obvious atheist, many dispute this claim. If you have read his stuff you'll know that much of his arguments were not quite against god, but mans relation to god, what man used god for and the values man took from god. In the anti Christ he quite clealy celebrates the Jews and the Buddhists. But he was surely not a powerful theist. Perhaps a weird combination, it's hard to know. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.116.230.51 ( talk) 22:13, 2 April 2013 (UTC)
Marquis de Sade?
Clearly the grand philosopher of the flesh would register as an atheist philosopher.
"Return to your senses preacher, your Jesus is not better than Mohammed, Mohammed no better than Moses, and the three of them combined no better than Confucious, who did after all have some wise things to say while the others did naught but rave; in general, though, such people are all mere frauds; philosophers laughed at them, the mob believed them, and justice ought to have hanged them." -- Donatien Alphonse Francois Sade
Surely the man who took down Thomas Aquinas would constitute as an atheist.
Hume identifies closer to theism, certainly NOT an atheist. The introduction of his "Natural History of Religion" states: "The whole frame of nature bespeaks and intelligent author; and no rational enquirer can, after serious reflection, suspend his belief a moment with regard to the primary principles of genuine Theism and Religion." While much of his writing may put him closer to what would later become known as "deism", he certainly was not an atheist. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.73.2.27 ( talk) 06:01, 4 February 2011 (UTC)
This list needs work. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.128.72.3 ( talk) 22:08, 3 April 2010 (UTC)
A link should be provided to Victor Stenger's page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.86.13.186 ( talk) 22:32, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
I know his main focus may not be philosophy, but i think Dawkins has definitely contributed enough to atheist philosophy to be included on this list! Moomoopashoo ( talk) 23:34, 16 June 2011 (UTC)
While one could easily argue that everyone on this list is (or was) an atheist, not all of them are "philosophers." Marquis de Sade, Alan Turing, Victor Stenger, and Max Stirner -- just off the top of my head -- do not belong here. Nor does Richard Dawkins. This list needs a lot of work. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.249 ( talk) 22:53, 14 January 2014 (UTC)
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Are the editors of this sure it is appropriate to have Nietzsche here, as many regard him NOT to be an atheist?
84.56.110.103 03:07, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
To Nietzsche God is seen only as an authority, an authority that in his time he felt had "died". Hence, "God is dead". But Nietzsche certainly did not believe in any THEISTIC God, which does in fact make him an atheist. In order to properly understand the definition of ATHEIST we need first address the term THEIST. A theist is one who believes in an omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent God. Even if Nietzsche were to believe in some sort of higher power it would not qualify him as a theist because the said higher power would not possess these traits. Nietzsche is as much an atheist as Sartre, as their theories stem from similar branches of existentialism, and they are frequently contrasted with the theistic existentialists such as Kierkegaard. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.95.162.207 ( talk) 17:24, 12 July 2008 (UTC)
Having only studied Jenseits von Gut und Boese, his main criticism seems to be of religion, which he regards as proposterous on a moral basis and ridiculous on a Reasonable one. He, much like Kant, though, refers to "Nature", which would appear to show a belief in some sort of being, just not necessarily an omnipotent, benevolent (he describes Nature as being totally indifferent toward mankind) one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 163.1.156.219 ( talk) 17:00, 28 February 2011 (UTC)
A "theist" is defined as anyone who believes in God or gods, regardless of their, or his qualities. There is not a single idea of God, so why should theism be defined as a belief in a specific God?-- 108.20.189.221 ( talk) 18:33, 16 July 2012 (UTC)
Agreed. "Theist" does not mean "Christian", and even in Christianism opinions differ about God's qualities. Kedez Iklam ( talk) 19:45, 18 August 2014 (UTC)
Nor should Bertrand Russell be included: he is a self-confessed agnostic. (Which, of course, is clearly distinguishable from atheism as an agnostic simply doesn't know; and a atheist does know, but denies.)
Russell distinguished between atheism and agnosticism on the basis of his audience. He was, for all intents and purposes, an atheist. He said that if he were talking to the public, then he would describe himself as an atheist, but if he had been speaking to colleagues, he would have called himself an agnostic. I think based on his own writings (such as his famous quote "I am as firmly convinced that religions do harm as I am that they are untrue.") He simply avoided saying that he was an atheist because he thought that such a term implied that he could prove there was no god. The definition of an atheist, as I understand it, is a person who does not believe in a god or gods--Russell fits quite well into this category.
"The definition of an atheist, as I understand it, is a person who does not believe in a god or gods--Russell fits quite well into this category." I think that athiests make a full blown assertion e.g. "there is no bearded man in the sky" where as agnostics might say, "I have no evidence to believe there is a bearded man in the sky." Nevertheless I think that Russell is importantly associated with the secularist movement and should be included. Not sure about Hume though.
84.56.110.103 03:13, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
Agnosticism neither denies, nor accepts the existence of God. It sits in between the fence. It's not even "disbelief." Why do so many people make this common fallacy? It is mere nothingness. There is a void rather than a decision.-- 108.20.189.221 ( talk) 18:28, 16 July 2012 (UTC)
I have yet to find a reference to Karl Popper identifying himself as an atheist. If such a reference exists, I would like to see it.
Aren't there any philosophers from Latin Amrica that are atheist? At least, I haven't found any on that list.
What purpose does the Schopenhauer Subcategory serve? Not only does it seem random and out of place, but I'm pretty sure Schopenhauer wasn't an atheist. Ejectgoose 02:58, 23 March 2007 (UTC)
To "Ejectgoose": though it may appear that Nietzsche was an obvious atheist, many dispute this claim. If you have read his stuff you'll know that much of his arguments were not quite against god, but mans relation to god, what man used god for and the values man took from god. In the anti Christ he quite clealy celebrates the Jews and the Buddhists. But he was surely not a powerful theist. Perhaps a weird combination, it's hard to know. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.116.230.51 ( talk) 22:13, 2 April 2013 (UTC)
Marquis de Sade?
Clearly the grand philosopher of the flesh would register as an atheist philosopher.
"Return to your senses preacher, your Jesus is not better than Mohammed, Mohammed no better than Moses, and the three of them combined no better than Confucious, who did after all have some wise things to say while the others did naught but rave; in general, though, such people are all mere frauds; philosophers laughed at them, the mob believed them, and justice ought to have hanged them." -- Donatien Alphonse Francois Sade
Surely the man who took down Thomas Aquinas would constitute as an atheist.
Hume identifies closer to theism, certainly NOT an atheist. The introduction of his "Natural History of Religion" states: "The whole frame of nature bespeaks and intelligent author; and no rational enquirer can, after serious reflection, suspend his belief a moment with regard to the primary principles of genuine Theism and Religion." While much of his writing may put him closer to what would later become known as "deism", he certainly was not an atheist. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.73.2.27 ( talk) 06:01, 4 February 2011 (UTC)
This list needs work. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.128.72.3 ( talk) 22:08, 3 April 2010 (UTC)
A link should be provided to Victor Stenger's page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.86.13.186 ( talk) 22:32, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
I know his main focus may not be philosophy, but i think Dawkins has definitely contributed enough to atheist philosophy to be included on this list! Moomoopashoo ( talk) 23:34, 16 June 2011 (UTC)
While one could easily argue that everyone on this list is (or was) an atheist, not all of them are "philosophers." Marquis de Sade, Alan Turing, Victor Stenger, and Max Stirner -- just off the top of my head -- do not belong here. Nor does Richard Dawkins. This list needs a lot of work. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.249 ( talk) 22:53, 14 January 2014 (UTC)