Is Goodness without God Good Enough? A Debate on Faith, Secularism, and Ethics

by Garcia, Robert K.; King, Nathan L.; Antony, Louise; Craig, William Lane; Hare, John; Hubin, Donald C.; Kurtz, Paul; Layman, C Stephen; Murphy, Mark C.; Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter; Swinburne, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780742551701
• ISBN10: 0742551709
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-08-20
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

"Morality and religion: intimately wed, violently opposed, or something else? Discussion of this issue appears in pop culture, the academy, and the media - often generating radically opposed views. At one end of the spectrum are those who think that unless God exists, ethics is unfounded and the moral life is unmotivated. At the other end are those who think that religious belief is unnecessary for - and even a threat to - ethical knowledge and the moral life." "This volume provides an accessible, charitable discussion that represents a range of views along this spectrum. The book begins with a lively debate between Paul Kurtz and William Lane Craig on the question, Is goodness without God good enough? Kurtz defends the affirmative position and Craig the negative. Following the debate are new essays by prominent scholars. These essays comment on the debate and advance the broader discussion of religion and morality. The book closes with final responses from Kurtz and Craig."--BOOK JACKET.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
The Debate
The Kurtz/Craig Debate: Is Goodness without God Good Enough?	p. 25
New Essays
A Moral Argument for the Existence of God	p. 49
Atheism as Perfect Piety	p. 67
Is Moral Goodness without Belief in God Rationally Stable?	p. 85
Why Traditional Theism Cannot Provide an Adequate Foundation for Morality	p. 101
Theism, Atheism, and the Explanation of Moral Value	p. 117
Empty and Ultimately Meaningless Gestures?	p. 133
What Difference Does God Make to Morality?	p. 151
Concluding Responses
This Most Gruesome of Guests	p. 167
Ethics without God: Theism versus Secular Humanism	p. 189
Further Reading	p. 215
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