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CATHOLICENCYCLOPEDIA:Atheism

Atheism
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(aprivative,andtheos,God,i.e.withoutGod).
Atheismisthatsystemofthoughtwhichisformallyopposedtotheism.Sinceitsfirst
comingintousethetermatheismhasbeenveryvaguelyemployed,generallyasanepithet
ofaccusationagainstanysystemthatcalledinquestionthepopulargodsoftheday.Thus
whileSocrateswasaccusedofatheism(Plato,Apol.,26,c.)andDiagorascalledanatheist
byCicero(Nat.Deor.,I,23),DemocritusandEpicuruswerestyledinthesamesense
impious(withoutrespectforthegods)onaccountoftheirtrendoftheirnewatomistic
philosophy.Inthissensetoo,theearlyChristianswereknowntothepagansasatheists,
becausetheydeniedtheheathengodswhile,fromtimetotime,variousreligiousand
philosophicalsystemshave,forsimilarreasons,beendeemedatheistic.
Thoughatheism,historicallyconsidered,hasmeantnomoreinthepastthanacriticalor
scepticaldenialofthetheologyofthosewhohaveemployedthetermasoneofreproach,
andhasconsquentlynoonestrictphilosophicalmeaningandthoughthereisnoone
consistentsystemintheexpositionofwhichithasadefiniteplaceyet,ifweconsideritin
itsbroadmeaningasmerelytheoppositeoftheism,wewillbeabletoframesuch
divisionsaswillmakepossibleagroupingofdefinitesystemsunderthishead.Andinso
doingsoweshallatoncebeadoptingboththehistoricalandthephilosophicalview.For
thecommonbasisofallsystemsoftheismaswellasthecardinaltenetofallpopular
religionatthepresentdayisindubitablyabeliefintheexistenceofapersonalGod,andto
denythistenetistoinvitethepopularreproachofatheism.Theneedofsomesuch
definitionasthiswasfeltbyMr.Gladstonewhenhewrote(ContemporaryReview,June
1876):
BytheAtheistIunderstandthemanwhonotonlyholdsoff,likethesceptic,
fromtheaffirmative,butwhodriveshimself,orisdriven,tothenegative
assertioninregardtothewholeunseen,ortotheexistenceofGod.
Moreover,thebreadthofcomprehensioninsuchauseofthetermadmitsofdivisionsand
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crossdivisionsbeingframedunderitandatthesametimelimitsthenumberofsystems
ofthoughttowhich,withanypropriety,itmightotherwisebeextended.Also,iftheterm
isthustaken,instrictcontradistinctiontotheism,andaplanofitspossiblemodesof
acceptancemade,thesesystemsofthoughtwillnaturallyappearinclearerproportionand
relationship.
Thus,definedasadoctrine,ortheory,orphilosophyformallyopposedtotheism,atheism
canonlysignifytheteachingofthoseschools,whethercosmologicalormoral,whichdo
notincludeGodeitherasaprincipleorasaconclusionoftheirreasoning.
Themosttrenchantformwhichatheismcouldtakewouldbethepositiveanddogmatic
denialexistenceofanyspiritualandextramundaneFirstCause.Thisissometimesknown
asdogmatic,orpositivetheoretic,atheismthoughitmaybedoubtedwhethersucha
systemhaseverbeen,orcouldeverpossiblybeseriouslymaintained.CertainlyBaconand
Dr.Arnoldvoicethecommonjudgmentofthinkingmenwhentheyexpressadoubtasto
theexistenceofanatheistbelongingtosuchaschool.Still,therearecertainadvanced
phasesofmaterialisticphilosophythat,perhaps,shouldrightlybeincludedunderthis
head.Materialism,whichprofessestofindinmatteritsowncauseandexplanation,may
gofarther,andpositivelyexcludetheexistenceofanyspiritualcause.Thatsucha
dogmaticassertionisbothunreasonableandillogicalneedsnodemonstration,foritisan
inferencenotwarrantedbythefactsnorjustifiedbythelawsofthought.Butthefactthat
certainindividualshaveleftthesphereofexactscientificobservationforspeculation,and
havethusdogmatizednegatively,callsfortheirinclusioninthisspecifictype.Materialism
istheonedogmaticexplanationoftheuniversewhichcouldinanysensejustifyan
atheisticposition.Butevenmaterialism,howeveritsadvocatedmightdogmatize,coulddo
nomorethanprovideaninadequatetheoreticbasisforanegativeformofatheism.
Pantheism,whichmustnotbeconfusedwithmaterialism,insomeofitsformscanbe
placedalsointhisdivision,ascategoricallydenyingtheexistenceofaspiritualFirst
Causeaboveoroutsidetheworld.
Asecondforminwhichatheismmaybeheldandtaught,asindeedithasbeen,isbased
eitheruponthelackofphysicaldatafortheismoruponthelimitednatureofthe
intelligenceofman.Thissecondformmaybedescribedasanegativetheoreticatheism
andmaybefurtherviewedascosmologicalorpsychological,accordingasitismotived,
ontheonehand,byaconsiderationofthepaucityofactualdataavailableforthe
argumentsprovingtheexistenceofasupersensibleandspiritualGod,or,whatamounts
tothesamething,theattributingofallcosmicchangeanddevelopmenttotheself
containedpotentialitiesofaneternalmatteror,ontheotherhand,byanempiricor
theoreticestimateofthepowersofreasonworkinguponthedatafurnishedbysense
perception.Fromwhichevercausethisnegativeformofatheismproceeds,itissuesin
agnosticismormaterialismalthoughtheagnosticis,perhaps,betterclassedunderthis
headthanthematerialist.Fortheformer,professingastateofnescience,moreproperly
belongstoacategoryunderwhichthoseareplacedwhoneglect,ratherthanexplain,
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naturewithoutaGod.Moreover,theagnosticmaybeatheist,ifheadmitstheexistenceof
abeingbehindandbeyondnature,evenwhileheassertsthatsuchabeingisboth
unprovableandunknowable.Thematerialistbelongstothistypesolongashemerely
neglects,anddoesnotexcludefromhissystem,theexistenceofGod.So,too,doesthe
positivist,regardingtheologicalandmetaphysicalspeculationasmerepassingstagesof
thoughtthroughwhichthehumanmindhasbeenjourneyingtowardspositive,orrelated
empirical,knowledge.Indeed,anysystemofthoughtorschoolofphilosophythatsimply
omitstheexistenceofGodfromthesumtotalofnaturalknowledge,whetherthe
individualasamatteroffactbelievesinHimornot,canbeclassedinthisdivisionof
atheism,inwhich,strictlyspeaking,nopositiveassertionordenialismadeastothe
ultimatefactofHisbeing.
Therearetwosystemsofpracticalormoralatheismwhichcallforattention.Theyare
baseduponthetheoreticsystemsjustexpounded.Onesystemofpositivemoralatheism,
inwhichhumanactionswouldneitherberightnorwrong,goodnorevil,withreferenceto
God,wouldnaturallyfollowfromtheprofessionofpositivetheoreticatheismanditis
significantofthosetowhomsuchaformoftheoreticatheismissometimesattributed,that
forthesanctionsofmoralactionstheyintroducesuchabstractideasasthoseofduty,the
socialinstinct,orhumanity.Thereseemstobenoparticularreasonwhytheyshouldhave
recoursetosuchsanctions,sincethemoralityofanactioncanhardlybederivedfromits
performanceasaduty,whichinturncanbecalledandknownasa"duty"onlybecauseit
referstoanactionthatismorallygood.Indeedananalysisoftheideaofdutyleadstoa
refutationoftheprincipleinwhosesupportitisinvoked,andpointstothenecessityofa
theisticinterpretationofnatureforitsownjustification.
Thesecondsystemofnegativepracticalormoralatheismmaybereferredtothesecond
typeoftheoreticatheism.Itislikethefirstinnotrelatinghumanactionstoanextra
mundane,spiritual,andpersonallawgiverbutthat,notbecausesuchalawgiverdoesnot
exist,butbecausethehumanintelligenceisincapableofsorelatingthem.Itmustnotbe
forgotten,however,thateithernegativetheoreticatheismornegativepracticalatheismis,
asasystem,strictlyspeakingcompatiblewithbeliefinaGodandmuchconfusionis
oftencausedbytheinaccurateuseoftheterms,belief,knowledge,opinion,etc.
Lastly,athirdtypeisgenerally,thoughperhapswrongly,includedinmoralatheism.
"Practicalatheismisnotakindofthoughtoropinion,butamodeoflife"(R.Flint,Anti
theisitcTheories,Lect.I).Thisismorecorrectlycalled,asitisdescribed,godlessnessin
conduct,quiteirrespectiveofanytheoryofphilosophy,ormorals,orofreligiousfaith.It
willbenoticedthat,althoughwehaveincludedagnosticism,materialism,andpantheism,
amongthetypesofatheism,strictlyspeakingthislatterdoesnotnecessarilyincludeany
oneoftheformer.Amanmaybeanagnosticsimply,oranagnosticwhoisalsoanatheist.
Hemaybeascientificmaterialistandnomore,orhemaycombineatheismwithhis
materialism.Itdoesnotnecessarilyfollow,becausethenaturalcognoscibilityofa
personalFirstCauseisdenied,thatHisexistenceiscalledinquestion:nor,whenmatteris
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calledupontoexplainitself,thatGodiscriticallydenied.Ontheotherhand,pantheism,
whiledestroyingtheextramundanecharacterofGod,doesnotnecessarilydenythe
existenceofasupremeentity,butratheraffirmssuchasthesumofallexistenceandthe
causeofallphenomenawhetherofthoughtorofmatter.Consequently,whileitwouldbe
unjusttoclassagnostics,materialists,orpantheistsasnecessarilyalsoatheists,itcannot
bedeniedthatatheismisclearlyperceivedtobeimpliedincertainphasesofallthese
systems.Therearesomanyshadesandgradationsofthoughtbywhichoneformofa
philosophymergesintoanother,somuchthatisopinionativeandpersonalwovenintothe
variousindividualexpositionsofsystems,that,tobeimpartiallyfair,eachindividualmust
beclassedbyhimselfasatheistortheist.Indeed,moreuponhisownassertionordirect
teachingthanbyreasonofanysupposedimplicationinthesystemheadvocatedmustthis
classificationbemade.Andifitiscorrecttoconsiderthesubjectfromthispointofview,
itissurprisingtofindtowhatanexceedinglysmallnumberthesupposedatheisticranks
dwindle.IncompanywithSocrates,nearlyallthereputedGreekatheistsstrenuously
repudiatedthechargeofteachingthattherewerenogods.EvenBion,who,accordingto
DiogenesLaertius(LifeofAristippus,XIII,Bohn'str.),adoptedthescandalousmoral
teachingoftheatheistTheodorus,turnedagaintothegodswhomhehadinsulted,and
whenhecametodiedemonstratedinpracticewhathehaddeniedintheory.AsLaertius
saysinhis"LifeofBion",he"whoneveroncesaid,'Ihavesinnedbutspareme
Thendidthisatheistshrinkandgivehisneck
Toanoldwomantohangcharmsupon
Andboundhisarmswithmagicamulets
Withlaurelbranchesblockedhisdoorsandwindows,
Readytodoandventureanything
Ratherthandie."
Epicurus,thefounderofthatschoolofphysicswhichlimitedallcausestopurelynatural
onesandconsequentlyimplied,ifhedidnotactuallyassert,atheism,isspokenofasa
manwhose"pietytowardsthegodsand(whose)affectionforhiscountrywasquite
unspeakable"(ib.,LifeofEpicurus,V).AndthoughLucretiusCarusspeaksofthe
downfallofpopularreligionwhichhewishedtobringabout(DeRerumnatura,I,7980),
yet,inhisownlettertoHenaeceus(Laert.,LifeofEpicurus,XXVII),hestatesplainlya
truetheisticposition:"Fortherearegods:forourknowledgeofthemisindistinct.But
theyarenotofthecharacterwhichpeopleingeneralattributetothem."Indeed,thisone
citationperfectlyillustratesthefundamentalhistoricmeaningoftheterm,atheism.
ThenaturalisticpantheismoftheItalianGiordanoBruno(15481600)comesnearto,ifit
isnotactuallyaprofessionof,atheismwhileTomasoCampanella(15681639),onthe
contrary,inhisnaturephilosophyfindsinatheismtheoneimpossibilityofthought,
Spinoza(163277),whiledefendingthedoctrinethatGodcertainlyexists,soidentifies
Himwithfiniteexistencethatitisdifficulttoseehowhecanbedefendedagainstthe
chargeofatheismevenofthefirsttype.Intheeighteenthcentury,andespeciallyin
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France,thedoctrinesofmaterialismwerespreadbroadcastbytheEncyclopedists.La
Mettrie,Holbach,Fererbach,andFleurensareusuallyclassedamongtheforemost
materialisticatheistsoftheperiod.Voltaire,onthecontrary,whileundoubtedlyhelping
onthecauseofpracticalatheism,distinctlyhelditstheoreticcontrary.He,aswellas
Rousseau,wasadeist.Comte,itwillberemembered,refusedtobecalledanatheist.In
thelastcenturyThomasHuxley,CharlesDarwin,andHerbertSpencer,withothersofthe
evolutionisticschoolofphilosophy,were,quiteerroneously,chargedwithpositive
atheism.Itisachargewhichcaninnowaybesubstantiatedandtheinventionandonism
ofErnstHackel,goesfartowardsforminganatheisticsystemofphilosophy.Buteventhe
lastnamedadmitsthattheremaybeaGod,thoughsolimitedandsoforeigntothedeity
oftheiststhathisadmissioncanhardlyremovethesystemfromthefirstcategoryof
theoreticatheism.
Amongtheunscientificandunphilosophicaltherehavefromtimetotimebeenfound
dogmaticatheistsofthefirsttype.Hereagain,however,manyofthosepopularlystyled
atheistsaremorecorrectlydescribedbysomeothertitle.Thereisasomewhatraretract,
"AtheismRefutedinaDiscoursetoprovetheExistenceofGodbyT.P."British
MuseumCatalogue,"TomPaine",whowasatonetimepopularlycalledanatheist.And
perhaps,ofthefewwhohaveupheldanindubitableformofpositivetheoreticatheism,
nonehasbeentakenseriouslyenoughtohaveexertedanyinfluenceuponthetrendof
philosophicorscientificthought.RobertIngersollmightbeinstanced,butthoughpopular
speakersandwritersofthistypemaycreateacertainamountofunlearneddisturbance,
theyarenottreatedseriouslybythinkingmen,anditisextremelydoubtfulwhetherthey
deserveaplaceinanyhistoricalorphilosophicalexpositionofatheism.

Sources
REIMMAN,Historiaatheismietatheorum...(Hildesheim,1725)TOUSSAINTinDict.
dethologie,s.v.(agoodbibliography)JANETANDSEAILLES,Historyofthe
ProblemsofPhilosophy(tr.,London,1902),IIHETTINGER,NaturalReligion(tr.,New
York,1890)FLINT,AntitheisticTheories(NewYork,1894)LILLY,TheGreat
Enigma(NewYork,1892)DAURELLE,LAtheismedevantlaraisonhumaine(Paris,
1883)WARD,NaturalismandAgnosticism(NewYork,1899)LADD,Philosophyof
Religion(NewYork,1905)IIBOEDDER,NaturalTheologh(NewYork,1891)
BLACKIE,NaturalHistoryofAtheism(NewYork,1878)TheCatholicWorld,XXVII,
471:BARRY,TheEndofAtheismintheCatholicWorld,LX,333SHEA,Stepsto
AtheisminTheAm,Cath.Quart.Rev.,1879,305POHLE,lehrbuckd.Dogmatik
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(Paderborn,1907)IBAURinKirchlichesHandlexikon(Munich,1907),s.v.Seealso
bibliographyunderAGNOSTICISM,MATERIALISM,PANTHEISM,andTHEISM.For
therefuationofATHEISMseethearticleGOD.)

Aboutthispage
APAcitation.Aveling,F.(1907).Atheism.InTheCatholicEncyclopedia.NewYork:
RobertAppletonCompany.RetrievedJune6,2015fromNewAdvent:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02040a.htm
MLAcitation.Aveling,Francis."Atheism."TheCatholicEncyclopedia.Vol.2.New
York:RobertAppletonCompany,1907.6Jun.2015
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02040a.htm>.
Transcription.ThisarticlewastranscribedforNewAdventbyBethSteMarie.
Ecclesiasticalapprobation.NihilObstat.1907.RemyLafort,S.T.D.,Censor.
Imprimatur.+JohnM.Farley,ArchbishopofNewYork.
Contactinformation.TheeditorofNewAdventisKevinKnight.Myemailaddressis
webmasteratnewadvent.org.Regrettably,Ican'treplytoeveryletter,butIgreatly
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