An Agnostic Defends God

This book contains a unique perspective: that of a scientifically and philosophically educated agnostic who thinks there is impressiveif maddeningly hiddenevidence for the existence of God. Science and philosophy may have revealed the poverty of the familiar sources of evidence, but they generate their own partial defense of theism.

Bryan Frances, a philosopher with a graduate degree in physics, judges the standard evidence for God's existence to be awful. And yet, like many others with similar scientific and philosophical backgrounds, he argues that the usual reasons for atheism, such as the existence of suffering and success of science, are weak.

In this book you will learn why so many people with scientific and philosophical credentials are agnostics (rather than atheists) despite judging all the usual evidence for theism to be fatally flawed.

Defends agnosticism in an accessible yet sophisticated way

Explains why many people with scientific and philosophical backgrounds are agnostics

Argues that whilst atheism tends to be the natural alternative to religious belief, much of the research in science and philosophy urges us strongly toward agnosticism rather than the absolute claims of theism on the one hand and atheism on the other

Autorentext

Bryan Frances is Associate Professor of Philosophy at United Arab Emirates University, UAE.

Inhalt
Acknowledgements

1. Introduction: A Peculiar Defense of God.

Part One: The Rationality and Irrationality of Religious Belief.

2. Rational Belief in God.

3. Irrational Belief in God.

   Part Two: The Failure of Arguments for God.

4. The Design of Life and the Laws of Nature.

5. The Origin of the Universe. Part Three: The Failure of Arguments against God.

   6. The Problem of Suffering.

6. Intractable Religious Disagreement.

7. Why Advanced Science and Philosophy Support Humility.

   Part Four: The Case for Agnosticism

8. The Experience Argument for God

10: Two Troubles with Agnosticism