How do Atheists explain our existence and our unique mental abilities, I.E. intelligence, morality, etc.?

Question

It seems as though some have taken offense to my question. I am not looking for political fodder here. I am not Aethist so I was just asking for some insight into their views and beliefs. I humbly ask that anyone who just wants to hurl invectives that offer no intelligent information to find somewhere else to do it.

Answer 1

Yes, evolution explains it pretty well. Read the book "Dragons of Eden" by Carl Sagan. It's all about the evolution of the human brain.

Answer 2

Atheists don't feel any need to explain the existence of people and intelligence. some things are not discoverable--things that happened so long ago that there is no way to find evidence of their having happened.

An atheist feels that if you are going to believe something strictly on faith, then why not believe in Buddha, or Islam, or Shinto, or Shamanism, or Hinduism or Zoroastrianism or any other "ism" you can think of.

Morality. This is a good question. If you don't look to God as a source for morality then you must think of another foundation for good behavior.

Lots of famous philospohers have worked on this problem. Look up John Rawls "Theory of Justice" for one. Rawls' idea amounts to a defense of communism insofar as he suggests redribution of wealth and resources to level everyone to a similar economic level.

There are plenty of other philosphies, though. most are dense and comprehensible only to other philosophers...

Answer 3

To the all knowing idiots that said "They Can't"

The Universe is a mystery... It is obvious that all was created by a higher power...

The universe is so large that even if it were possible to travel it one could not do so in a life time...

Nine Tiny Little Planets in one Galaxy.... there is 1,000's of galaxies...

There are 1,000's of religions whose Divine book claims they have chosen the right path and that all others are headed for damnation....

All religions could be right... it could be that this is "their" interpretation of God...

There is no Proof that there was an Adam and Eve, or a Moses, or a David and Goliath.... I believe those stories were fables told to explain the unexplainable....

Creation is unexplainable whether God Created the Heaven and the Earth or there were a big bang... some how some way something was created from nothing that was always there....

It is just ignorant to take the christian faith to heart.... it takes a simple mind to believe in Jesus and all that Jazz when there is so much out there.... so much more.... your Bible doesn't really touch on creation other than it says that your God created the Heaven and Earth.... it does not say if he caused gas to explode into a Big bang or not... so your Bible does not deny the Big Bang...

Open your minds!! Deny Your Christ!!!

Answer 4

It is a shame that these questions cannot be answered with the same respect as they are sometimes asked--the finite realms of facts and figures explain processes, chemical design and reactions, yet these same tools of measurement cannot fully render those abstract components of Man that seem to suggest a certain 'duality' of Man's true nature--the construct of 'language' can be an example--if someone says 'food', then we understand that it means some form of sustenance--to obtain it, to feed, and to be replenished--then, using the same form of inert symbols known as language, we say 'love' or 'frustration' and somehow comprehend it without any physical evidence to make reference to--it is then when we have to rely on this intangible space known as 'experience' to make the connection to both the word and the concept--unless our knowledge encompasses both the known and the unknown, the physical and the abstract, we are left to reason within the parameters of our own known ability to comprehend 'what is'; is there anything else beyond what we know? Are we in error to move beyond the tangible universe in our search for knowledge and if so, why? Why are some people so drawn to this vast unknowable space that some refer to as "God" and stranger still, why is there equally such a repulsion from some people to that concept? In my opinion, this seems to underline our recognition of our own fallability--how can a 'god' of such a people be even probable or possible? I think that we recognize the 'flaws' inherent to religion and it's prospective zealots and transfer these frailties of humanity to the concept of a 'supreme being'. Using our finite understanding, we conclude that there is no need, no room, nor concrete evidence that mankind has any lineage to divine design, and that we are merely a moderately higher scale predatory animal enjoying "our turn at the wheel" in our "evolutionary field trip". It seems odd that there is a biblical scripture that states: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"; this seems to open the doors for Mankind to explore ALL knowledge so that we may have a keener insight to this anomaly called Man--to refute any knowledge is to refute all knowledge--yet some will equate this refusal of abstact understanding as 'intelligence'--how scientific or intelligent is it to discard any knowledge because the means to understand that knowledge prompts us to challenge our known and 'lab tested' findings? Denying a thing does not render it into non-existence neither does belief bring a thing into 'instant' existence--these are conclusions that seem only to satisfy the singular individual revelations that all find their way to that intangible space of 'experience' to which we decide of our own free will to share or withhold from our fellow travelers--perhaps the one thing we all truly share is a pursuit of "truth"...and a desire to see that we all "find" it...

Answer 5

Evolution

Answer 6

an quite long and drawn out question.the only element that we atheists have in uncomplicated is the reality that we don't have faith there is or ever replaced right into a God. religious persons produced an thought that there is a God, The onus is on them to coach this thought. we don't all have faith interior the thought of evolution, that needs to be shown in spite of the indisputable fact that it incredibly is lots closer to the mark than a God coming up all planets and existence varieties in actuality each and all of the universe. i'm probable to evaluate any concept in this different than the God element, yet you're needless to say splendid we don't know, and notwithstanding theories you get will purely be theories. The meaning of existence? Who cares? the reason of all existence is to procreate and so extend our species. So it incredibly is not any longer a waste of time, and particular I do think of that as quickly as we die it incredibly is it certainly no longer something we enter a void, no concepts no physique no Spirit. no longer a meaningless existence we've executed as we ought to extend our species. And interior the approach progressed, we proceed to evolve. faith isn't probable all that complicated , it may seem complicated yet it incredibly is easy using fact there are various distinctive ones interior the international, Christianity on my own has 2000 distinctive sects. it incredibly is all approximately gaining administration of the persons and it works! It factors a source of convenience and in return lays down handbook lines which will desire to be observed (in the different case)! Mao Tsetung was100% splendid while he pronounced "faith is the opium of the working people. a protracted time in the past i assumed up a sturdy tale line for a e book . It replaced into to be in accordance with 2 questions:- a million/ What might it take to make me belive in God? 2/ What evidence might quit persons believing in a God? large tale line, in actuality it would make 2 large books. All i mandatory to do now replaced into think of up the solutions. No probability, there is not any longer something that would convince me there's a God, there in no longer something that would convince a believer there is not any God. on a similar time as those little debates are thrilling they are rather meaningless, in basic terms helps persons to allow of slightly steam on occasion.

Answer 7

I am not atheist but your avatar name has intrigued me. Alpha Male, conservative, religious?, cerebral...well you have your image mapped out don't you?

All human beings instinctively know right from wrong. Morality is a choice and anyone can choose the positive path or, they can choose the negative.

What would Ann Coulter say? She could shed insight onto the negative that masquerades as the positive.

Answer 8

Humans only assume that they are superior to other species, an elephant displays intelligence also a porpoise and an ape. Other species also display emotions. Who are we to say that we are superior because we can preform mathematical gymnastics or invent complicated chemical compounds. A virus is far superior to us in replicating itself. It may be small but extremely efficient. As far as morality is concerned, how moral is a war? How moral is murder? How moral is rape? How moral is slavery? How moral is genecide?......An atheists viewpoint.....

Answer 9

Evolution and survival of the fittest. Morality is an adaptation necessary for being a social animal.

Answer 10

Development under favourable conditions. Or. Forced development under unfavourable conditions which led to our needing to have a higher mental capacity to survive.