Adrian Hayter of The Atheist Blogger recently brought to my attention Dr. Eric Maisel’s Book The Atheist Way – Living Well without Gods.
I will preface the following with
- I have not read the book due to its limited release
- and my shortness of funds
My hackles are raised first of all by the title. It suggests to me ( jeez I can be a judgemental prick) that the book is an exercise in cat herding, in bringing together the Atheist “movement”. To me the idea of “the” Atheist way is too …dogmatic, it sounds like the Tao or the Dao, <insert co-opted eastern religious concept here>.
I prefer the subtitle Living well without gods. I gather though, that the current title was chosen to encourage more sales. I spent a little time on Dr Maisel’s website – it’s a mix of life coaching, training and secular study in meaning.
To my mind it strikes me as a fine endeavour for those seekers out there, those that have developed a need to be led or guided in a stricter fashion, but to call it The Atheist Way?
So my question is - do atheists need a “way”, a guide book, a course to help us chart the waters of life? I quite enjoy reading from a variety of sources and discussing the issues that the book seems to cover with people online. That and I think that most of us find our own way, using different tools at different times, guided by our mistakes and triumphs. Perhaps I am a reflective, contemplative person though?
What say you?
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Oh, I don't know, I'm a pretty fine cat herder, myself. There are a lot of benefits to being organized, and organization doesn't equal religion…
I definitely don't need a book how to tell me to be a good atheist person. Like you said, it's like any other guide book, but removes god as the purpose of being moral…
Sounds a bit too much like woo for my taste.
Oh I agree whole heartedly. I do cat herd as well. Thie title of this book as I said appears to be too dogmatic
Yeah, it does sound like some dogma. I'm not sure yet, though, as I haven't read it! Maybe I'll check it out, who knows. There are so many atheist books around now, not that I'm complaining.
I think there is a need for this sort of book, whilst there are many confident atheists (many of whom have blogs) there will always be people who need some guidance or assistance. Perhaps this book may help those sort of people?
If I want to know how to be a good atheist, I've already got the Lao Tzu and the Chuang Tzu, thank you very much. But that doesn't mean it's the atheist's way, many atheists have completely different "ways".
The author does recognize this (reading in the first chapter) but if the truth is their are many atheist ways I think the subtitle would have been better.
Yeah, you are probably right. I tend to be self directing. I guess time and demand will tell. I did feel a little uncomfortable with the other business structures set up around the book – ie unaccredited "meaning' coaches – but I guess no one is forcing you.
I have emailled Dr Maisel to participate as part of his virtual book tour.
I think the book is confusing a few things (though I haven't read it). Perhaps a better approach would be "The Humanist Way" as humanism is a philosophy towards life whereas atheism is simply not believing in a god. There needs to be that distinction because too many people assume atheism is a philosophy on how to approach life when it is not. That is what Humanism is for. I assume the title is simply a marketing technique.
Can you herd cats with dogma? Sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Try using catma instead?
[hands AndyD a Pope Card and runs of cackling maniacally and jingling little silver bells]
Here's the first chapterhttp://www.theatheistsway.com/read_aw.html
I'm in no position to comment on the contents of the book, but the title seems to imply that there is a single Athiest Way. Surely there are many athiest ways, because the concept of atheism only deals with a single aspect of a person's life.
I'm inclined to wonder whether the title might be an attempt to promote sales by creating controversy. In any case, it seems incredibly arrogant of the author to appropriate the term "athiest" to refer only to his own philosophies, and I'm not sure that a person who would do so merely at the behest of their publisher is the kind of person I'd turn to for philosophical guidance.
As for herding cats, I think that in the end, it is just embarrassing for the herder, since the cats either savage him, bat playfully at his 'catherd's' crook, or simply stare at him disdainfully until he goes away.
Hmm… I'm rambling worse than usual. I think what I'm getting at is that it sounds like a huge pile of wank.
Rambling no.
Haven't heard back from Dr Maisel yet either – me and my internet trained impatience
You have inspired this:
http://taoist.blogdrive.com/archive/196.html
Interesting Hans. I seem to be inspiring people today
cats with DOGma was that a pun Andy?
Guilty.
Dr Maisel on his first book and a test of new intense debate features
[youtube YL07PFP3eTo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL07PFP3eTo youtube]
I prefer the subtitle, too. There should never be an attempt to pass off any philosophy as belonging to atheism.
Living well without gods, however, is a good subject. I believe that was a primary motivation for Nietzsche's works, establishing values in the vacuum left from the absence of religion. He both predicted it's eventual end and how most people would be lost without it. The thing that I love about Nietzsche's response was not to offer replacement values, but instead he attempted to inspire everyone to be their own architects, to engage in their own 'revaluation of all values'.
In terms of marketing I would have thought the subtitle was more broadly applicable. I guess though if you are new to atheism the "Atheist Way" is going to jump out at you.
I read a little bit of Nietzche a long time ago, when I was about 15 or 16 any recommendations on where to start – more likely to get a copy of something Nietzche has written at the Library
1st, only go with a Kaufman translation.
Also Spracht Zarathustra is a good one because its straight prose and contains virtually every major point of his thinking (ie – eternal recurrence, revaluation of all values, overman/lastman, etc).
I would really recommend just picking up Kaufman's Portable Nietzsche. It's been in paperback for a long time now (Val Kilmer is reading from it in The Doors movie in Jim's student film scene) so it's modestly priced and contains Zarathustra, The Antichrist, Twilight of the Idols, loads of his short aphorisms and extensive notes from Kaufman, especially for Zarathustra.
Found some cheap ones on Amazon – cheers
Still haven't heard back fro Dr Maisel on his offer of a virtual book tour held at this blog
I HAVE read the book, and I think it is a very good read. He acknowledges from the get-go that there is no one way that is right for all atheists, or even all people in general. The book is essentially a list of suggestions and examples on how to put together your own meaningful life based on reason and integrity.
Thanks for dropping in Mark. I did manage to get a copy of the first chapter where he does acknowledge as you say, that there is no one way – which is at odds with the title which I suspect was chosen at the behest of the publisher.
I have ordered it so that I may at some future date give a comprehensive review.:D
neglect regarding it here is one thing intriguing
Can you generate income out of this blog? just curious
Exceptional send, retain it up