What I'm asking here is couldn't athesim be considered a philosphy? Maybe it could be a relegion but its not really since it doesn't support worshiping anything...so do you say its a philsopy? I mean they live their everyday life by it, base a lot of what they view the world as on it. So is it a philosphy or could it be a relgion?
2007-12-10 09:11:39 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Neither.
A religion is a set of beliefs about one or more gods, along with any associated rites and rituals. Atheism is a lack of belief in any gods. If atheism is a religion, then bald is a hair color.
Being unconvinced that something exists is not a philosophy. However, most atheists are materialists, which is a philosophy. Many are empiricists, which is also a philosophy.
Now, if you could consider anything to be an atheist religion, it would be humanism. Religion tends to play three roles. First, it is a set of beliefs about one or more gods. Second, most religions push a certain morality. Third, it also tends to fulfill a social function. Atheism is just our lack of need for that first role. Humanism fulfills that second role, since it is a basis for morality, or at least a philosophy about morality. And there are various secular organizations which fulfill any social needs, there are even analogs to churches that some atheists attend. An ethical union is one example of this.
2007-12-10 09:14:26 · answer #1 · answered by nondescript 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Atheism is the lack of a religion. Since it has only a negative claim, it cennot be a religion or a philosophy.
2016-05-22 22:06:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheism is what it is. Atheists don't believe in a god and all the wrappings that come with it. It's not philosophy, it's not "religion", it's not a "belief".
We live our lives pretty much the way everybody else does....we just don't buy the fairytales and myths concerning any religion. Makes no sense, no evidence that anything written in any holy text is true.....
2007-12-10 09:26:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheism and religion are both philosophies. The basic assumption "god" or "no god" is an unprovable assumption. Basing one's logic on this basis assumption is purely faith based--all logic of either position evolves from this faith based assumption. That would define both as philosophy. We would give a particular philosophy with a given set of rules/assumptions following from this prime God assumption the title of a religion. If one makes the God assumption--one has to suspend causality and invoke magic. If one makes the not God assumption--then logic is based on the fundamental properties and interactions of matter and energy in this universe.
2007-12-10 09:19:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, it's not any more a religion or a philosophy than theism is: there are many different theistic religions. It's just an aspect of a worldview, not a complete wordlview.
2007-12-10 09:16:50 · answer #5 · answered by Ray Patterson - The dude abides 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not a religion, nor is it a philosophy. It is the absence of belief in deities, that's all. I consider it a world view.
2007-12-10 09:15:02 · answer #6 · answered by Godless AM™ VT 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, a lack of belief in the existence of deities (that's ALL atheism is) can't be considered a philosophy in and of itself.
2007-12-10 09:16:23 · answer #7 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it's more of a philosophy. It's a religion in the same sense that bald is a hair color.
2007-12-10 09:23:37 · answer #8 · answered by War Games AM 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's neither.Why do some people have to overcomplicate things?
Quite simply being an atheist means that you do not believe in the existence of any gods.That's it,nothing more.
2007-12-10 09:16:42 · answer #9 · answered by darwinsfriend3 AM 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atheism is neither philosophy nor religion...
Atheism rivals against religion.... putting thier misguided faith in themselves.
Philosophy is based on knowledge and logic.... both to which an atheist is void of, once they deny God.
2007-12-10 09:33:30 · answer #10 · answered by Servant Leader 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋