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Executive Times |
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2008 Book Reviews |
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There Is
a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind by Antony
Flew and Roy Abraham Varghese |
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Rating: |
* |
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(Read only if your interest is
strong) |
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Click
on title or picture to buy from amazon.com |
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180 British
philosopher Antony Flew describes the reasons he reversed a long-held
viewpoint in his new book, There Is
a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. Readers
with an interest in philosophy or theology may find tidbits of interest here,
as well as some insight into the process used by philosophers to reach
conclusions. Here’s an excerpt, from Chapter 4, “A Pilgrimage of Reason,” pp.
88-89: LAYING THE CARDS ON THE TABLE Moving on now from the parable,
it's time for me to lay my cards on the table, to set out my own views and
the reasons that support them. I now believe that the universe was brought
into existence by an infinite Intelligence. I believe that this universe's
intricate laws manifest what scientists have called the Mind of God. I
believe that life and reproduction originate in a divine Source. Why do I believe this, given
that I expounded and defended atheism for more than a half century? The short
answer is this: this is the world picture, as I see it, that has emerged from
modern science. Science spotlights three dimensions of nature that point to
God. The first is the fact that nature obeys laws. The
second is the dimension of life, of intelligently organized and
purpose-driven beings, which arose from matter. The third is the very
existence of nature. But it is not science alone that has guided me. I have
also been helped by a renewed study of the classical philosophical arguments. My
departure from atheism was not occasioned by any new phenomenon or argument.
Over the last two decades, my whole framework of thought has been in a state
of migration. This was a consequence of my continuing assessment of the
evidence of nature. When I finally came to recognize the existence of a God,
it was not a paradigm shift, because my paradigm remains, as Plato in his Republic scripted
his Socrates to insist: "We must follow the argument wherever it
leads." You
might ask how I, a philosopher, could speak to issues treated by scientists.
The best way to answer this is with another question. Are we engaging in
science or philosophy here? When you study the interaction of two physical
bodies, for instance, two subatomic particles, you are engaged in science.
When you ask how it is that those subatomic particles—or anything physical—could
exist and why, you are engaged in philosophy. When you draw philosophical conclusions
from scientific data, then you are thinking as a philosopher. Got
that straight? Then, you’re likely to enjoy reading There Is
a God. Otherwise, you should take a pass. Steve
Hopkins, March 21, 2008 |
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The recommendation rating for
this book appeared in the April 2008 issue of Executive Times URL for this review: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/Books/There Is a God.htm For Reprint Permission, Contact: Hopkins & Company, LLC • E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com |
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