Book Thoughts: The God Argument: The Case against Religion and for Humanism by A.C. Grayling

The God Argument: The Case against Religion and for Humanism by A.C. Grayling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've long had this book on my radar to read, and am glad I did, as it proved to be a worthy, though-provoking philosophical read in the philosophy of religion area. Grayling has a concise writing style, which makes the text more accessible than it would be otherwise. That said, having a background in philosophy would probably be helpful in reading this book. Grayling makes references throughout to certain arguments concerning the existence of God (teleological, cosmological, ontological), along with references to the works of various philosophers (Kant, Hume, etc.), that if one doesn't have at least a general awareness of what he is referring to, the book may be more difficult to understand, and, as a result, cause the reader to miss some of the book's deeper discussions and finer insights.

A couple points that stick out to me...

Grayling's analysis of the ontological argument is particularly good, especially with his inclusion of Kant, noting that "He pointed out that 'existence' is not a property of anything, but a condition of anything's having a property." (88). Understanding that distinction, simply stated but profound, is incredibly helpful in understanding both the power of the ontological argument, and its possible basic fault.

In discussing what is involved in a good life, Grayling stresses the concept of authentic living, thinking for one's self, not lying to one's self. As he states, "to live inauthentically is to be enslaved, at least in part, to the falsity of the person one thus is." (170). He also discusses, in expounding on this sense of living, authentically and with the cultivation of relationships (as we are social creatures) and in the act of doing (inactivity would become boring and eventually irritating), relies upon the moral foundation of freedom of will. Such discussion necessarily leads to questions about the existence of free will, which Grayling acknowledges but doesn't discuss. While I wished this opportunity would have been taken, its understandable that its place would be in a different book.

In the second half of the book, Grayling discusses and argues for humanism as a life philosophy. Grayling shows how humanism can address the moral questions surrounding what constitutes a good life, the seeking of worldwide human rights, understanding our human diversity, how sex and relationships function in a humanist model, as well as addressing end-of-life issues from the humanist perspective. The result of this discussion is a convincing case that humanism can be considered a holistic worldview that provides meaning for guidance for those who wish to follow it. Ultimately, more than any arguments he makes against the existence of God, I believe this is what Grayling seeks to accomplish in this book; and he does so very well.

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