Agnosticism Research Articles

Is agnosticism liveable?

In Weak agnosticism defended Graham Oppy set out to ’show that agnosticism can be so formulated that it is no less philosophically respectable than theism and atheism’. Oppy begins by differentiating between strong agnosticism, which obliges rational

Teaching & learning guide for agnosticism

Teaching & learning guide for agnosticism

Paulo Margutti & José Crisóstomo de Souza sobre o artigo “Nota sobre linguagem e realidade, práticas e coisas”

Paulo Margutti e José Crisóstomo discutem sobre a possiblidade ou a impossibilidade de ultrapassar o representacionismo correspondentista e principalmente o eventual linguocentrismo da filosofia contemporânea, pós-virada linguística, em que parece que da linguagem pode-se passar apenas à linguagem, a cujo círculo mágico estaríamos, desse modo, inevitavelmente presos. Sendo assim, o mundo “aí fora” novamente nos escapa e o relativismo, o agnosticismo e o ceticismo de novo nos espreitam. Em Nietzsche, é a linguagem, sempre metafórica, que se adéqua aos nossos modos prático-perspectivistas, corpóreos e afetivos, de “recortar” o mundo, ou é o contrário? E em Maturana, o que vem primeiro? Para Crisóstomo, para quem no começo está o ato, ultrapassamos tudo isso através de nosso emaranhamento prático com o mundo, por meio da natureza sensível criativa de nossas práticas e pela tradução de crenças em condutas. Enquanto que, para Margutti, nada disso parece deslocar a primazia incontornável da linguagem, como prática ela própria. Sobre isso, Margutti pergunta pelo suposto aproveitamento, por Crisóstomo, no seu ponto de vista prático-poiético criativo, em versão alegadamente não idealista nem dualista, da noção de autoconsciência, central no idealismo alemão.

El Agnosticismo Pedagógico de la Educación Andragógica de los Derechos Humanos

La presente investigación está circunscrita bajo un enfoque epistemológico interpretativo, orientado a la comprensión conceptual de los derechos humanos desde la perspectiva crítica del porqué del agnosticismo pedagógico en la educación andragógica. Tiene como objetivo general, analizar la evolución histórica de los derechos humanos en la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, con el propósito de conocer el porqué del agnosticismo pedagógico de los derechos humanos en la ciudadanía. Para ello se realizó una revisión bibliográfica de las bases filosóficas de los derechos humanos, la evolución filosófica de las constituciones existentes en el país, desde la época denominada transición a la democracia, se indagar la fundamentación teórica y filosófica de los derechos humanos en Venezuela, como axioma formativo para la gnoseología andragógica. Como conclusión, se da a conocer el porqué del agnosticismo pedagógico de la educación andragógica de los derechos humanos.

Atheism and Agnosticism. By Graham Oppy

Atheism and Agnosticism. By Graham Oppy

AN UNBELIEVABLE MYTH: THE INVENTION OF JESUS?

A response to Lataster's article defending Jesus’ agnosticism in Think 43

In the trap of agnosticism: Judas according to Emiliyan Stanev

In the trap of agnosticism: Judas according to Emiliyan StanevThe article discusses the modern sensation of complete enslavement. It offers an in-depth analysis of Emiliyan Stanev’s short story Lazarus and Jesus (Lazar i Isus; 1977) in the context of relevant entries from the author’s diaries. The article centres on the presentation of Judas as a debunker of Christ’s teaching. Stanev presents his vision of a permanent rift between spirit and reason that is not only a clear expression of the tragedy of agnosticism, but also, paradoxically, an indication that the state of ignorance is blessed, albeit impossible to achieve. Stanev’s story can be interpreted as a deeply ambiguous polemic not only with Christian religion understood as an “irrational” truth about transcendence but also with ideology, i.e. a doctrine that promises future happiness but is just as oppressive as formal secular power. W pułapce agnostycyzmu, czyli Judasz według Emiliana StanewaArtykuł omawia problematykę nowoczesnego poczucia totalnego zniewolenia. Przed­miotem uwagi jest opowiadanie Emiliana Stanewa Лазар и Исус (Łazarz i Jezus, 1977), zaś kontekstem – osobisty dziennik autora oraz rola jego Judasza jako demistyfikatora Chrystusowej nauki. Postawiona przez pisarza diagnoza wiecznego rozdarcia między duchem a rozumem staje się nie tylko kryptonimem tragizmu postawy agnostycznej, lecz – paradoksalnie – także przesłanką dla tezy o błogosławionym, choć niemożliwym do osiągnięcia stanie niewiedzy. Utwór interpretowany jest jako głęboko ambiwalentna polemika nie tyle z religią chrześcijańską jako irracjonalną „prawdą” o transcendencji, co z ideologią, tj. doktryną obiecującą przyszłe szczęście, choć równie zniewalającą jak formalna władza świecka.

How should Biologists Engage with Controversial Mathematical Theory

Mathematics is beautiful and precise and often necessary to understand complex biological phenomena. And yet biologists cannot always hope to fully understand the mathematical foundations of the theory they are using or testing. How then should biologists behave when mathematicians themselves are in dispute? Using the on-going controversy over Hamilton's rule as an example, I argue that biologists should be free to treat mathematical theory with a healthy dose of agnosticism. In doing so biologists should equip themselves with a disclaimer that publicly admits that they cannot entirely attest to the veracity of the mathematics underlying the theory they are using or testing. The disclaimer will only help if it is accompanied by three responsibilities - stay bipartisan in a dispute among mathematicians, stay vigilant and help expose dissent among mathematicians, and make the biology larger than the mathematics. I must emphasize that my goal here is not to take sides in the on-going dispute over the mathematical validity of Hamilton's rule, indeed my goal is to argue that we should refrain from taking sides.

Enchanted agnosticism, awe, and existential-integrative therapy.

Enchanted agnosticism, awe, and existential-integrative therapy.

Religious Agnosticism

Religious Agnosticism

Voices of unbelief: documents from atheists and agnostics

Voices of unbelief: documents from atheists and agnostics

Agnosticism as a path towards a mature religiousness

Agnosticism as a path towards a mature religiousness

The Possibility of Agnosticism

The Possibility of Agnosticism

Undermining the case for evidential atheism

AbstractEvidential atheism, as espoused by various philosophical atheists, recommends belief that God does not exist on the basis of not just the evidence of which we are aware, but also our overall available evidence. This article identifies a widely neglected problem from potential surprise evidence that undermines an attempt to give a cogent justification of such evidential atheism. In addition, it contends that evidential agnosticism fares better than evidential atheism relative to this neglected problem, and that traditional monotheism has evidential resources, unavailable to evidential atheism, which promise to save it from the fate of evidential atheism.

Have you never a Hill Mizar to Remember?: Some thoughts on Agnosticism and Meaning

Have you never a Hill Mizar to Remember?: Some thoughts on Agnosticism and Meaning

Ateism, Agnosticism, and Apothatic Theism

Ateism, Agnosticism, and Apothatic Theism

Skeptic’s Confession

The concept of God refers to the being infinite, self-contained, transcendent to the world, necessary, omnipotent, unique, and personal. Because there is no valid proof that such concept is incoherent, we can presume that it is coherent. Then it is possible to start the rational discussion whether the concept has real referent. Among four possible positions concerning the existence of God (theism, atheism, agnosticism and skepticism) the skepticism makes the fewest theoretical troubles. All attempts to justify theism (the sentence “God exists” is true) presuppose the conclusion (to accept the premises of the argument for theism, we need to accept the conclusion of the argument). The similar troubles concern atheism (the sentence “God does not exist” is true). Agnosticism (we do not know and we will never know neither that God exists, nor that God does not exist) is not justified (we do not know does not entail that we will never know in the future). That is why we should say that the most justified position concerning the existence of God is skepticism: we do not know which of the three (theism, atheism or agnosticism) is true or more probable than others. Skepticism concerning the existence of God is not global but local (limited to our present knowledge of the existence/nonexistence of God).

AGNOSTICISM AND TOLERANCE: A REPLY TO MILLS

AGNOSTICISM AND TOLERANCE: A REPLY TO MILLS

Should atheists be agnostics?

Should atheists be agnostics?

Consistency in Presuming Agnosticism

Consistency in Presuming Agnosticism