by Chris Torgersen

Created on: June 19, 2009   Last Updated: June 22, 2009

The word "atheism" has come to mean different things to different people, and the definition one uses often depends on whether one is endorsing it or denouncing it. The primary source of contention is whether atheism represents a view that actively rejects the concept of a deity or it represents a spectrum of beliefs which have in common that they lack a belief in such a concept. The former position, usually argued for by those who seek to discredit the concept of atheism, effectively makes atheism a belief system in itself, while the latter, a position taken by most atheists, encompasses a much broader spectrum of ideas, including those of the former. Those who hold the former view argue that the latter view is better described as agnosticism.

So, then, before I can reflect upon atheism, I must define it.

I have found that in most cases, when deciding upon a definition of a philosophy, it is better to choose the one used by followers of the philosophy than the one used by its detractors. This eliminates the possibility of a straw man, in which a particular viewpoint is held up to scorn based on distorted or misrepresentative notions about it. Just as Christians can best define Christianity and Muslims can best define Islam, so atheists can best define atheism.

Additionally, if one looks at the etymological roots of the word, one finds support for its broader definition. The prefix "a-" does not denote opposition. It simply means "without" or "not". There are numerous examples of its use as such in English: apathy, asexual, asocial... the list goes on and on. Attached to "theism" - the belief in a deity - it simply means "without belief in a deity". A denial of something is denoted by the prefix "anti-", as in antipathy. A better term for what many people think of as the definition of atheism is "antitheism".

How, then, does one account for the difference between those who deny god and those who simply lack a belief in one if both can be referred to as atheists?

Atheists generally divide themselves into two broad categories: "strong" or "positive" atheists, a minority among the broader group, do indeed deny the existence of a deity; while "weak" or "negative" atheists simply state that they do not know or do not care. Most atheists, asked to describe their beliefs, would endorse a negative atheistic view. Among weak atheists, there are many who strongly suspect that positive atheism is correct but do not make the leap of faith necessary to fully support

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>