Morality Without God? (Philosophy in Action)

Walter Sinnott-Armstrong

2009

Oxford University Press

Some argue that atheism must be false, since without God, no values are possible, and thus "everything is permitted." The author argues that God is not only not essential to morality, but that our moral behavior should be utterly independent of religion. He attacks several core ideas: that atheists are inherently immoral people; that any society will sink into chaos if it is becomes too secular; that without religion, we have no reason to be moral; that absolute moral standards require the existence of God; and that without religion, we simply couldn't know what is wrong and what is right.

The author brings to bear convincing examples and data, as well as a lucid, elegant, and easy to understand writing style. This book should fit well with the debates raging over issues like evolution and intelligent design, atheism, and religion and public life as an example of a pithy, tightly constructed argument on an issue of great social importance.