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The clash between atheism and religion has become the defining battle of the 21st century.

Books on and about atheism retain high profile and popularity, and atheist movements on both sides of the Atlantic capture headlines with high-profile campaigns and adverts. However, very little has been written on the history of atheism, and this book fills that conspicuous gap.

Instead of treating atheism just as a philosophical or scientific idea about the non-existence of God, Atheists: The Origin of the Species places the movement in its proper social and political context. Because atheism in Europe developed in reaction to the Christianity that dominated the continent's intellectual, social and political life, it adopted, adapted and reacted against its institutions as well as its ideas. Accordingly, the history of atheism is as much about social and political movements as it is scientific or philosophical ideas.

This is the story not only of Hobbes, Hume, and Darwin, but also of Thomas Aitkenhead hung for blasphemous atheism, Percy Shelley expelled for adolescent atheism, and the Marquis de Sade imprisoned for libertine atheism; of the French revolutionary Terror and the Soviet League of the Militant Godless; of the rise of the US Religious Right and of Islamic terrorism.

Looking at atheism in its full sociopolitical context helps explain why it has looked so very different in different countries. It also explains why there has been a recent upsurge in atheism, particularly in Britain and the US, where religion has unexpectedly come to play such a significant role in political affairs. This leads us to a somewhat paradoxical conclusion: we should expect to hear more about atheism in the future for the simple reason that God is back.

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  • We started tracking this book on September 27, 2015.
  • This book was £11.04 when we started tracking it.
  • The price of this book has changed 118 times in the past 3,105 days.
  • The current price of this book is £9.51 last checked 14 hours ago.
  • This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is £7.97.
  • The lowest price to date was £4.87 last reached on December 1, 2019.
  • This book has been £4.87 one time since we started tracking it.
  • The highest price to date was £16.14 last reached on November 17, 2018.
  • This book has been £16.14 2 times since we started tracking it.

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  • Text-to-Speech: Disabled
  • Lending: Disabled
  • Print Length: 321 Pages
  • File Size: 3,719 KB

We last verified the price of this book about 14 hours ago. At that time, the price was £9.51. This price is subject to change. The price displayed on the Amazon.co.uk website at the time of purchase is the price you will pay for this book. Please confirm the price before making any purchases.