Why Should Atheists Learn Philosophy? How Can Atheists Learn From Philosophy?
Thursday October 9, 2008
Each branch of philosophy has some relevance to atheism, atheists, and the critiques which irreligious atheists use to challenge religion, religious beliefs, and theism. Some branches are more relevant than others and some are more relevant than most people realize, but all have something to offer. Although no one can be an expert in them all, there is thus some value in atheists trying to become familiar with the basics of each before focusing on learning more about one or two.
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Comments
Philosophy is good if it is clear and well written as in the case of Bertrand Russell who wrote about everything and most of it on a common sense level.
Most modern philosophy is turgid and dense. It is better to read learned books that reflect a respect for philosophy like Howard Zinn, or Lewis Coser. Once you become sensitive to philosophy, you will find it everywhere - even in the spew of Ann Coulter.
I am a 56 year old construction worker who is back in college to finally get a teaching degree that I have been pursuing for 40 years. I have been a student of philosophy for at least that long. I think that the most important subject that is not taught in our schools is philosophy. As Austin has stated philosophy ties all the other subjects together, and provides us with a means to look at life on a personal level. We all have a philosophy of life, but how many can say that you arrived at this philosophy in an independent study method that reflected many views before you made your choice. For example: I think that the catastrophe we are experiencing in the financial markets is a consequential failure of Pragmatic American philosophy that says something is good if it has “Cash Value.” Pragmatism is an American philosophy that has become the “American philosophy.” I think the combination of Pragmatism and Christian philosophy has poisoned our society. The idea that an act is good as long as I can get ahead is pervasive, along with the wishful thinking of Christianity, in our society. Pragmatism has also infected other financial philosophies around the world that have jumped on the American Band Wagon. This along with the deregulation that says regulations are not good if they deny cash value, is why we are in such a financial mess today. Liberals and Conservatives blame each other, but it is a result of their bad philosophy why we are in trouble today.
If you want to become a philosopher, all ya gotta do is get married!