The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the NonbelieverChristopher Hitchens's personally curated New York Times bestselling anthology of the most influential and important writings on atheism, including original pieces by Salman Rushdie and Ian McEwan From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of God Is Not Great, a provocative and entertaining guided tour of atheist and agnostic thought through the ages--with never-before-published pieces by Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of the influential voices--past and present--that have shaped his side of the current (and raging) God/no-god debate. With Hitchens as your erudite and witty guide, you'll be led through a wealth of philosophy, literature, and scientific inquiry, including generous portions of the words of Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, George Eliot, Bertrand Russell, Emma Goldman, H. L. Mencken, Albert Einstein, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and many others well-known and lesser known. And they're all set in context and commented upon as only Christopher Hitchens--"political and literary journalist extraordinaire" (Los Angeles Times)--can. Atheist? Believer? Uncertain? No matter: The Portable Atheist will speak to you and engage you every step of the way. |
Contents
1 | |
BENEDICT DE SPINOZA TheologicalPolitical Treatise | 21 |
JAMES BOSWELL An Account of My Last Interview | 46 |
KARL MARX Contribution to the Critique of Hegels | 64 |
CHARLES DARWIN Autobiography | 93 |
ANATOLE FRANCE Miracle | 112 |
MARK TWAIN Thoughts of God From Fables of Man | 116 |
Bible Teaching and Religious Practice From Europe and Elsewhere and A Pen Warmed Up In Hell | 119 |
An Old Story | 178 |
BERTRAND RUSSELL An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish | 181 |
PHILIP LARKIN Aubade | 207 |
Church Going | 209 |
MARTIN GARDNER The Wandering Jew and the Second Coming | 211 |
CARL SAGAN The DemonHaunted World | 218 |
The God Hypothesis | 226 |
JOHN UPDIKE From Rogers Version | 239 |
JOSEPH CONRAD Authors Note to The Shadow Line | 123 |
THOMAS HARDY Gods Funeral | 126 |
EMMA GOLDMAN The Philosophy of Atheism | 129 |
H P LOVECRAFT A Letter on Religion | 134 |
CARL VAN DOREN Why I Am An Unbeliever | 138 |
H L MENCKEN Memorial Service | 143 |
SIGMUND FREUD From The Future of an Illusion Translated and edited by James Strachey | 147 |
ALBERT EINSTEIN Selected Writings on Religion | 155 |
GEORGE ORWELL From A Clergymans Daughter | 166 |
JOHN BETJEMAN In Westminster Abbey | 168 |
CHAPMAN COHEN Monism and Religion | 170 |
Arguments for and against the Existence of God | 246 |
A Scientific Creation Story | 267 |
A Personal Word | 282 |
the Failed Hypothesis | 311 |
DANIEL C DENNETT A Working Definition | 328 |
PENN JILLETTE There Is No God | 349 |
STEVEN WEINBERG What About God? | 366 |
SAM HARRIS In the Shadow of God | 454 |
A C GRAYLING Can an Athiest Be a Fundamentalist? | 473 |
Other editions - View all
The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever Christopher Hitchens Limited preview - 2007 |
The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever Christopher Hitchens No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
accept according answer appear argument asked atheist authority become beginning believe Bible called cause century Christian church claim complex considered course created criticism death divine doctrine doubt earth effect evidence evil example existence experience explain fact faith fear feel follow force German give God’s gods hand heaven human idea imagine individual Islam Jesus Jews kind knowledge Koran later laws least less living look matter means mind miracle moral Muslim nature never object observed once origin philosophers physical possible practice present principle proved quantum mechanics question reality reason regard religion religious revelation scientific seems sense social story suppose tells theory things thought tion tradition true truth turn universe whole women