Humanism

Here we have something a bit different - a book that is not so much about the claims whether there is a god or not but its goal is, as the title says, to explain the basics of Atheism. 

To do this, the Author examines the definition of atheism, the history of atheism, speaks about various notable atheists from history and examines whether they really were atheists in the same sense of the word as we use the word today, or were they “merely” skeptics or something else entirely. 

This book was first published in 1975 and it's considered by many to be profound and groundbreaking. And with good reason. Let's explore some of these reasons here and try to look at why is it so profound, why after 45 years it's still very relevant and why you should read it.

Some philosophies are more interested in what science proved and what logic and reason can tell us than what is written in some holy book. While atheism is simply a position of not having a belief in any god, humanism is a set of ideas, principles and values that might naturally flow from a lack of belief and from empathy for other humans and other living beings.

Time for part 2 of our Atheism Q&A. If you did not read Atheism Q&A Part One, starting there is suggested.

Is it Ok to think? is on Instagram. Here are some of the best posts so far. If you are on Instagram be sure to follow because when inspiration strikes, it is highly likely that something will be published there first, simply because I might feel that it’s too small a thought to warrant a full blog post. You’ll notice that some have very few likes. This is because at the beginning you don’t have so many followers, but they are still included because I feel they are essentially good. 

If you have some disposable income which you might consider donating to a YouTuber or a blogger, please stop and think about it for a bit. By donating it to an effective charity, that money could be used to make a far bigger positive impact in the world. Check out the charity evaluators GiveWell, The Life You Can Save or CharityWatch to see what the most effective charities are today and what could you accomplish by donating even a tiny amount.

As an anti-war activist, it is only fitting that Bertrand Russell wrote a book that tries to explain what are the reasons for any fighting between humans, not only war. It is even more important to notice that the book was written in 1916, during World War 1 and according to Wikipedia it was released in 1917 in response to devastations of WWI.