Atheism: The Philosophy of Unbelief

Abstract

As I researched and designed this course, I had various run-ins with people who were curious what I was working on, and what exactly, is this SIP that I speak of. After lengthy explanations of the senior project, it came down to my curious interviewer asking one question: "So, what exactly are you doing your project on?" I would respond, "Well, I am designing a class on Atheism," always unsure of how it would be received; at least at first I was unsure. This class represents the necessity of understanding that is found in all classes. A liberal arts education expects students to graduate with a diverse knowledge base. Therefore, concerning a student of religions, how can we understand theism without at least some base in Atheism? In every field, we have students who focus on specific areas. Comparative politics or U.S. government for the political science major. Entomology or animal physiology for the biology major. This class represents the opportunity for students to study a distinct and deep tradition. As it is necessary in any field to understand the differing points of view to gain a grasp on the whole, the study of unbelief is important as Atheism is a system of belief that represents the other to traditional theism. It is a philosophy that, due to the common ill-conceived perception of it, warrants our study as much or more than traditional religions and philosophies.