Friday, January 06, 2006

Is Atheism a Worldview?

In the comments on a posting to another blog, one reader argued that atheism is a worldview because it "answers the big questions in life."

The issue of whether atheism is a worldview seems to come up from time to time. And that issue depends upon two cans of worms: the definition of "atheism" and the definition of "worldview." I commented on the meaning of "atheism" in a previous post. I'm not sure there is widespread agreement regarding the meaning of "worldview." In a book review of David Noebel's Understanding the Times, I quoted Christian philosopher Ronald Nash who defined it this way, "A well-rounded world-view includes what a person believes in at least five major topics: God, reality, knowledge, morality, and humankind." David Noebel defines the concept in an even more expansive way. Probably the most noncontroversial statement that can be made about the idea of a "worldview" is that it includes a belief about ethics or morality.

On that basis, atheism alone is not enough to construct a worldview. Atheism does not entail any particular ethical theory; all that atheism entails is a rejection of theological ethical systems, such as divine command theory. Atheism is an important building block for various secular worldviews, however. For example, secular humanism is an atheist worldview, but it is not the only atheist worldview.

3 comments:

Jeff said...

Jeffery. Good name! We share at least one thing in common, although your "e" is in the wrong place :)

Anyway, thought my blog and Website would interest you.

Jeffrey Downs

Secular Outpost said...

Metaphysician -- great comment. If one accepts a definition of "worldview" that includes a belief about ethics (more than just a rejection of the divine command theory), however, I'm not sure if physicalism would qualify as a worldview, since physicalism also does not seem entail an acceptance of any particular metaethical or ethical theory. For example, physicalism is logically consistent with non-cognitivism (in all of its various forms), error theory, and success theory (ethical naturalism). I could be wrong, but it seems to me this leaves the metaethical 'variable' in the worldview 'equation' way too unresolved in order for physicalism to qualify as a worldview. On the other hand, physicalism does seem to get closer than atheism to fulfilling the criteria for a worldview, simply because physicalism provides a more complete thesis about ontology than atheism does. Your thoughts?

Secular Outpost said...

Brad -- atheism is the denial of theism, but I'm not sure I can agree with the statement that theism is a worldview. By itself, theism also doesn't seem to entail any particular view on ethics or metaethics. Theism is compatible with a variety of (cognitivist) metaethical theories, including but not limited to the divine command theory. So I think both theism and atheism fail to qualify as worldviews, though each are important elements in a variety of worldviews.