Science and the Rise of Atheism

Philosopher Russell Blackford on the relationship between science and atheism

In his new book with Udo Schuklenk, 50 Great Myths About Atheism, Australian philosopher Russell Blackford examines myths, misconceptions, and misleading half-truths about atheism and atheists, giving each myth as fair a run as possible to see whether it might contain any grain of merit.
The book carries enthusiastic endorsements from Richard Dawkins, Peter Singer, Polly Toynbee, and other high-profile thinkers and authors. In his Conway Hall presentation, Dr Blackford will focus on the much-debated connection between the rise of modern science and the rise of modern atheist thought. Although it is often claimed that religion and science are compatible, this is, at best, seriously misleading. In fact, science has contributed significantly to the historical erosion of religious belief. The more we develop a worldview based on reason, and particularly on scientific investigation, the less plausible religion becomes. The history and the specific findings of science support the conclusion that atheism is the most reasonable response to the God question.
Russell Blackford is a renowned philosopher, literary critic, and commentator on a range of topics including legal and political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and philosophical bioethics. He is a prolific essayist, editor, and author whose works include 50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009; co-edited with Udo Schuklenk), Freedom of Religion and the Secular State (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 50 Great Myths About Atheism (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013; co-authored with Professor Schuklenk), and Humanity Enhanced: Genetic Choice and the Challenge for Liberal Democracies (forthcoming from MIT Press). Dr. Blackford is Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Evolution and Technology and a Conjoint Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

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