Is Atheism (et al) a Worldview?

[IndigoChild5559]

It certainly is simplistic and wrong as well. Both the idea that science will eventually lay bare all truth and the idea that religions just is a holdover of a time when we knew less are simply wishful thinking on the part of those who have an urgent reason to want to reject religion without ever understanding what it is really for.

I found philosophical support for thinking a physicalist/deterministic POV inadequate by reading Iain McGilchrist's book The Matter With Things. I'm not an apostle of that thesis but it has greatly impacted my own.

My own conclusions from research are that the primary origin of religion was as an emotional response to the awe of the universe. Apes were dancing at waterfalls and in thunderstorms long before any concept of a deity had been formed. IOW, religious experiences and actions preceded religious ideas.

 

[Whateverist]

My own conclusions from research are that the primary origin of religion was as an emotional response to the awe of the universe.

So then the question becomes can our emotional intelligence unpack this awe and wonder in a meaningful way. I’d answer yes but not in a very informational way. Deeper rather than broader.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

So then the question becomes can our emotional intelligence unpack this awe and wonder in a meaningful way. I’d answer yes but not in a very informational way. Deeper rather than broader.

We are on the same page.

 

[AppieB]

It was suggested and refuted in another thread that atheism is a worldview. Is it? Is theism? Agnosticism? Apatheism? Ignoticism? Transtheism?

Or are they a part of what constitutes a worldview?

Explain your reasoning.

No, it's not a worldview. It's just a position on the existence of god or gods: there is no belief such a being or beings exists. That's it.
I see a lot of people (theists mostly) equivocating atheism with atheist.
Atheism is just a lack of a belief in a god or gods or sometimes the belief that god or gods don't exist (depening the definition).
Atheist is a person that doesn't belief in a god or gods, but has lots of other beliefs and has a worldview. And those beliefs and worldview can differ from other atheists.

 

[AppieB]

No. If anyone believes they can describe their entire worldview with a single word, they've not given it anything like enough thought.

Atheism is not a description. It's a label.

 

[AppieB]

I am claiming that atheism is a significant PART of a world view that is common among atheists (but not exclusive to them).

So who, other than atheists, have a worldview where atheism is a part of their worldview?

 

[AppieB]

It's fair to say that atheism is not a worldview.
But that it tends to lead many to one to secular humanism.
Some believers head there too, so it's not exclusive to us heathens.

I would say that humans tend to lead to humanism. Either that's humanism on a religious foundation or, if one doesn't have a religion or beliefs in a god, it's going to be secular humanism. Which indeed is also available for religious people.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I see a lot of people (theists mostly) equivocating atheism with atheist.

I don't see a problem with this. Atheism is a position, and atheist is a person who holds such a position.

 

[AppieB]

I don't see a problem with this. Atheism is a position, and atheist is a person who holds such a position.

But those are two different things as you stated yourself.

According to the Cambridge dictionary:
to speak in a way that is intentionally not clear and confusing to other people, especially to hide the truth:

equivocating

1. present participle of equivocate 2. to speak in a way that is intentionally…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Seems to me that is a problem.

 

[SalixIncendium]

But those are two different things as you stated yourself.

According to the Cambridge dictionary:
to speak in a way that is intentionally not clear and confusing to other people, especially to hide the truth:

equivocating

1. present participle of equivocate 2. to speak in a way that is intentionally…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Seems to me that is a problem.

Different in that they are two form of the same word...like gymnastics and gymnast.

Can you provide an example of this equivocation? Because I'm still unclear on what you are talking about here.

 

[Altfish]

It was suggested and refuted in another thread that atheism is a worldview. Is it? Is theism? Agnosticism? Apatheism? Ignoticism? Transtheism?

Or are they a part of what constitutes a worldview?

Explain your reasoning.

No.
Atheism is the simple statement that "No God Exists".
It says nothing about the world or any other beliefs held by an atheist.
Humanism takes atheism and adds more; that is a world view.

 

[AppieB]

Different in that they are two form of the same word...like gymnastics and gymnast.

Can you provide an example of this equivocation? Because I'm still unclear on what you are talking about here.

The very subject of this topic: the fact that people consider atheism to be a worldview, because atheists have many beliefs and/or a worldview. Those are not the same.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

No.
Atheism is the simple statement that "No God Exists".
It says nothing about the world or any other beliefs held by an atheist.
Humanism takes atheism and adds more; that is a world view.

There are other beliefs about what atheism is:
"Atheism is one thing: A lack of belief in gods.
It is simply a rejection of the assertion that there are gods. Atheism is too often defined incorrectly as a belief system. To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods."

What is Atheism?

Atheism is one thing: A lack of belief in gods. It is not an affirmative belief that there is no god nor does it answer any other question about a person.

www.atheists.org

 

[AppieB]

There are other beliefs about what atheism is:
"Atheism is one thing: A lack of belief in gods.
It is simply a rejection of the assertion that there are gods. Atheism is too often defined incorrectly as a belief system. To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods."

To me that's a strange description of atheism. If atheism is a rejection of the assertion that there are gods, how is it that disbelief in gods is not the same a a lack of belief in gods?

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

To me that's a strange description of atheism. If atheism is a rejection of the assertion that there are gods, how is it that disbelief in gods is not the same a a lack of belief in gods?

Yeah, but you and I are not all humans.

 

[PureX]

So who, other than atheists, have a worldview where atheism is a part of their worldview?

Why are you trying so hard not to understand?

 

[AppieB]

Why are you trying so hard not to understand?

Why are you trying so hard not to explain?
It seems like a contradiction, but if you think it's not then please enlighten me.

 

[PureX]

Atheists are not the only people that choose a world view based solely on their own capacity to ‘know’. “If I don’t know it to be so, then it isn’t so.” Even some very ardent theists think this way.

 

[AppieB]

Atheists are not the only people that choose a world view based solely on their own capacity to ‘know’. “If I don’t know it to be so, then it isn’t so.” Even some very ardent theists think this way.

What has "to know" anything to do with atheism or atheists? Atheism is not believing a god or gods exists. Atheist don't believe a god exists. Who else doesn't believe a god or gods exists?

 

[PureX]

What has "to know" anything to do with atheism or atheists? Atheism is not believing a god or gods exists. Atheist don't believe a god exists. Who else doesn't believe a god or gods exists?

What someone calling themselves an atheists believes or does not believe does not define atheism. If you cannot or will not understand this, there is no point to our having this conversation.