"The New Atheism" (2008), lecture by John Gray (part 3 of 4)

"The New Atheism", Theos/LICC lecture by Professor John N. Gray (June 16, 2008)

John Gray, the author of "Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia" and former professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics gave a lecture on the New Atheism at an event co-hosted by Theos, the public theology think tank, and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.

Originally published at Times Online (June 24, 2008).

See also the article by John Gray on the "atheist delusion": http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/mar/15/society

John Gray at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_N._Gray

NOTE: Stay on topic. Irrelevant comments will be removed without warning.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• humanities
• atheism
• Christianity
• Islam
• Buddhism
• Judaism
• monotheism
• New Atheism
• secularism
• positivism
• agnosticism
• social sciences
• John Gray
• John N. Gray
• Theos
• LICC
• theology
• atheist delusion
• secular fundamentalism
• atheist fundamentalism

[Schizopantheist]

Im not so sure Grey is right that science and religion can be kept as separate spheres. At the very least there is always a tension; but id say the two spheres are headed for continual conflict into the future. On the other hand humans are perfectly capable of living happily with ongoing contradictions (to the chagrin of Richard Dawkins).

[Schizopantheist]

@ibtrippen But are there really more atheists than there were in the 20th century or are they simply more willing to say so openly? Anyway the point can be made by looking at Japan and India too- profoundly religious countries; one developed, one rapidly developing.

[RiverChaopraya]

Very thoughtful lecture. Makes me wonder how marvelous it would be to hear Isaiah Berlin. Running off to buy Gray's books right now...

[surix]

I like John N Gray and he is my favourite living philosopher, but this lecture is just plain biased and bad.

[AlcesteEIL]

Auguste Comte, not Charles Comte.

[ibtrippen]

"New Atheists" don't acknowledge human religious needs? Has he never heard of Sam Harris, one of the most famous living atheists who has argued for years that humans have a need for spiritual fulfillment?

[ibtrippen]

When Dr. Grey states that the United States is just as religious as it has always been despite the growth in scientific knowledge, he is ignoring both the fact that most of this scientific progress has happened in the "blue" states and has in fact made them more secular and more atheist. He also ignores the growing population of people who describe themselves as atheists or agnostics.

[pirbird14]

Too bad you're hallucinating. You never posted anything to my talk page.

I don't remove remarks unless they are simply vile ad hominem.

[croscream]

To bad you removed my discussion from your talk page. I would have loved to continiue this chat.

[pirbird14]

I haven't a clue what you mean by characterizing my discussion of mythology as "Marxist".

You tried to counter JemyM's claim that" interest in mythology goes down as knowledge goes up" by pointing out that mythology is a stable part of the modern modern studies. I pointed out that interest is not necessarily the same as belief - that mythology can be studied in a rational manner.

What's Marxist about that?