In a conversational style, Mr. Kitcher lays out a reasonable position for a non-dogmatic atheism. The two problems he sees with a dogmatic religious position are the symmetry problem and the problem of identifying value. The symmetry problem arises when one takes a position based on faith. The problem of value arises when one asks the question of who decides what the correct values are. Even if you say the bible has the correct values, you have to decide who provides the correct interpretation. In either case, you are thrown back on human fallibility.

In either case, evidence becomes irrelevant, all faith positions become epistemologically equivalent, and you must appeal to a non-faith based criterion to adjudicate between them. In the end, Kitcher says, no matter how you slice it, humans...real living breathing humans decide what is valuable and what counts as important. The human community has decided that is not OK to exterminate whole classes of human beings from the planet based on their ethnicity, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or beliefs...haven't we?

Two things I wished he had addressed more strongly is the stunted lives religious people live. The presumption is always that religious people have more fulfilling lives. I have found in practice, the opposite.
Secondly, I wish he had addressed more strongly the fact that the source of values is separate from the legitimation of values. This is analogous to Popper's distinction between the context of discovery and the context of justification.

That one finds one's values from the Hebrew bible, Christian bible, Muslim bible or satanic bible is largely irrelevant from the issue of the legitimation of those values.

Satan can speak truths and lies...how does one discern? This is the crux of the Islamic problem of the satanic verses of the Koran.

It is a book well worth reading if you have any interest in these issues. ( )

LIFE AFTER FAITH by Philip Kitcher provides a thoughtful and well-researched examination of how secularism can respond to the challenges of life.

A professor of philosophy, Kitcher uses his knowledge of both religion and secularism to address an imagined critic. Chapter by chapter he skillfully engages the reader in increasingly deeper discussions of the issues and arguments surrounding the creation and justification of a meaningful life without religion. His frank and well-articulated discussion provides a positive alternative to society’s historic reliance on religion. Each chapter focuses on commonly asked questions from issues associated with mortality to the meaning in life.

The author’s conversational writing style make even the most complex discussions enjoyable to read and easy to comprehend. Kitcher acknowledges the purposes that religions have traditionally served and is concerned that contemporary atheists ignore the role of religion in the lives of many humans. He skillfully explains why people are draw to religion and continue to practice rituals instilled in childhood throughout their lives. Pointing out strategies religious people use to defend their religion, he provides persuasive arguments for why religion isn’t necessary in today’s society. Kutcher states that “faith is belief that outruns the evidence available to the believer.”

The author stresses that secularists can’t rule out the possibility that new evidence may be presented because throughout history humans continue to build knowledge. He notes that “soft atheism acknowledges the bare possibility of the transcendent, but regards the present assertion of any such aspect of reality as entirely unwarranted.”

The book features discussions on a wide range of issues but places emphasis on the relationship between ethics and religion noting that the secular view of ethics allows for new information and change. Rather than putting religion in a negative light, the author prefers to focus on the positive. He notes that people like Mary Wollstonecraft, Jesus, and Buddha have all sparked thinking about important topics and provided a framework for developing arguments outside their connections to particular movements or religions. The author notes that these people can be “recast as initiators of a thoroughly secular conversation.”

Kitcher’s innovative approach is best reflected in his discussion of how humans possess a mixture of factual beliefs and value judgements. He stresses that humans are impacted by their feelings. From the varied perspectives of early abolitionists to the impact of Dicken’s works on Victorian reader’s views on poverty, the author does an outstanding job providing detailed examples from history to help readers understand the connection between facts and feelings. He stresses that emotions often associated with religion such as joy, gratitude, respect, and awe can all be connected to ethical traditions that don’t require religion. Kitcher states that “my version of secularism places humanity at the center of value. It does not need a detour through some dim and remote transcendent. Nor does it see vivid vindication of human worth in supposing, whether literally or metaphorically, that we are children or servants of God. My naturalism conceives us as both creators and loci of value.”

The author does an extraordinary job addressing abstract concepts in an accessible way. Using easy to understand examples, Kitcher walks the reader through each chapter laying out his arguments. However, this isn’t a book for beginners. Those without a background in the work of Hume, Kant, and others may momentarily feel lost. However those with a limited background in philosophy will be able to follow the author’s clear arguments and well-organized narrative. A chapter by chapter list of sources provides the reader with background information. In many cases, additional explanations are also provided.

Throughout the book, Kitcher focuses on ways that secular humanists can have a fulfilling life without religion. For those readers just beginning to let go of their religion, this book may be very useful in helping them make the transition to a meaningful life without religion.

For happy secular humanists like this reviewer, the book provides useful suggestions for talking with religious friends about the secular humanist perspective on life. By employing cases from literature, mathematics, and other fields, readers can easily identify examples that connect with their backgrounds and philosophies. I highly recommend this innovative approach to secular humanism.

ARC NetGalley ( )