I. Introduction - "Sense and Goodness Without God"

This thread is for the discussion of the Introduction to "Sense and Goodness Without God."

In the Introduction to Sense and Goodness Without God, Richard Carrier defines philosophy as the science of explaining to everyone the meaning and implications of what we say and think. A spiritual aimlessness, he says, comes from the divorce of human beings from a devoted exploration of philosophy, which should aim to be coherent, sensible and complete, well supported by evidence. To hit upon wisdom takes serious care.

Carrier says philosophy is his religion, with reading and thinking to get at the truth and root out error replacing religious ritual and devotion. His worldview of metaphysical naturalism excludes anything supernatural, while allowing the strange concession for an atheist that if God appeared his views would change.

His big questions are: if God does not exist then what does? Is there good and evil? Should we even care? How do we know what’s true anyway? Can we make any sense of this universe? Can we even make sense of our own lives?

I bought this book intending to give an objective overview of each chapter. Yet I can't find any disagreement. Richard Carrier expresses my own worldview to a T, and fills in some of the blanks on the way.

I highly encourage Flann or ant to pick this book up and engage in discussion. It would help to have source material to replace strawmen(ant). It would help to have a thorough explanation to find where we disagree(Flann).

While I have always referred to my worldview as philosophical naturalism, Carrier expresses his as metaphysical naturalism. I wonder if there is a difference.

I'm really not into fiction.
I prefer non fiction.

Thanks for the invite anyway.

ant wrote:I'm really not into fiction.
I prefer non fiction.

Thanks for the invite anyway.

I was only kidding.

I'm going to look for it on Kindle.
I had already thought of reading it.

Hi Interbane,
Thanks for the suggestion.I'll consider it.
So it's definitely non fiction? I enjoy your sense of humour ant.
Carrier I think, shares Robert's enthusiasm for mythologising Christianity, though not for D.M.Murdock!
Thanks, I'll think about reading it.

I encourage you to participate. It's the perfect opportunity to see what a naturalist believes that is more than mere atheism. Carrier has already mentioned a few things I think Robert and I have sparred over.

Disagreement with Plato's version of idealism, where ideas are seen as entities rather than as byproducts of the compression of concepts into words.

The idea that absolute certainty is unviable. Although rather than use confidence level terminology, he refers to things as levels of certainty, which I'm okay with but don't see myself changing. Part of his description is an appeal to the Cartesian demon. While certainty is unfounded, so is belief that our reality is an illusion.

Ok,Interbane, Sounds interesting.I'll do like ant and get it on kindle.That way I can't burn it!
Thanks.
Ok, Got it on kindle eventually.

Flann 5 wrote:Ok,Interbane, Sounds interesting.I'll do like ant and get it on kindle.That way I can't burn it!
Thanks.
Ok, Got it on kindle eventually.

And for 3 bucks you cant go wrong! (or can you?)

Hi ant, Yes,not a bad price.After reading the intro and second chapter though,I guess wisdom is not available at that price!

Quite a Hitchen's, Harris and Dawkin's like outburst of anger and supposedly reasoned attack on the bible and Christianity. I hardly know where to start.Anyway, I'll think about it,maybe read his 'critique' again and say something here then.