Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart

October 15, 2014
Bayer and Figdor begin their book by acknowledging that the existence of a god or transcendent being can be neither proved nor disproved. Atheism and religious faith are, therefore, both belief systems. While religious traditions are good at defining the tenets of their faith, atheists too often define themselves merely by what they reject, failing to articulate affirmatively what they believe and why. This book sets out to right this wrong. The epistemological and ethical positions, presented in a highly readable and nontechnical fashion over several chapters, form the basis of the authors' 10 noncommandments, which state in part that there is no god or universal moral truth. Although the authors do not chart any new intellectual or philosophical territory, they should be commended for encouraging critical self-reflection and the examination and articulation of one's beliefs. Skepticism, rigorous logic, compassionate ethics, personal integrity, and morals may well be characteristics of atheist minds and humanist hearts. They are also characteristics of people of faith. Readers may contemplate whether the two camps are more alike than different.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)