The psychology of atheism professor vitz argues that psychoanalysis actually provides a more satisfying explanation for atheism. The cult of selfworship, modern art and modern science, and sigmund freuds christian. The psychology of atheism di vitz, paul c spedizione gratuita per i clienti prime e per ordini a partire da 29 spediti da amazon. The psychology of atheism pdf book author, online pdf book editor faith of the fatherless. An introduction to atheism, secularity, and science. Vitz develops his proposal as an inverse to freuds projection theory of belief in god, which. The psychology of atheism by paul vitz is a relatively short 150 page but very interesting look at the psychological factors that may contribute to atheism. All of them had a broken relationship with their own father through death, neglect or abuse. Media paul c vitz a former professor of psychology at new york university was an atheist until his late 30s he earned his bachelors degree at. Paul c vitz starting with freuds projection theory of religionthat belief in god is merely a product of mans desire for securityprofessor vitz argues that psychoanalysis actually provides a more satisfying. Faith of the fatherless is yet more evidence that religious indoctrination hinders critical thinking skills.
He is presently working on the topics of male and female complementarity, and on a large catholic christian meta model of the person. A psychology of atheism, paul vitz turns this thesis on its head and suggests that many wellknown atheists reject god because of their own desire to reject their earthly fathers. The psychology of atheism, vitz argues that freuds oedipus complex, in which a son despises his father and seeks to overthrow him, provides insights into the. Turning freuds projection theory of religion on its head. May 23, 2011 so argues new york university psychologist paul vitz, who, in his book faith of the fatherless.
Psychology has often been used to consistently slash at religion and christianity in particular, but vitz demonstrates that there are two sides to that sword, and the return swing toward atheism is not to be dismissed by skeptics. The psychology of atheism starting with freuds projection theory of religionthat belief in god is merely a product of mans desire for securityprofessor vitz argues that psychoanalysis actually provides a more satisfying explanation for atheism. Searching scholarly databases for scientific studies on these topics would have yielded little more than disappointment at the turn of the millennium. Atheists are human, and are not psychologically neutral. While a commonly used term to identify a variety of nonbelievers, the term atheism does invoke a variety of reactions. Apr 24, 2014 ignatius has just published the second edition of vitzs cleverlytitled 1999 book faith of the fatherless. The psychology of atheism kindle edition by vitz, paul c download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Social and personal motives there seems to be a widespread assumption throughout much of the western intellectual community that belief in god is based on all kinds of irrational immature needs and wishes, but atheism or skepticism is derived from a rational, no nonsense appraisal of the way things really are. Books like faith of the fatherless the psychology of atheism, however, serve as an important counterweight to the many proatheist arguments preached by some evangelical secularists on campuses across the west. Here are some of the common, superficial reasons for atheism.
Mar 25, 2018 here ive put together five things ive written on the psychology of atheism, taken from nyu prof. May 11, 2005 alas, an intellectual arrogance surrounds militant atheists. Humanum, winter 2012, absent fathers faith of the fatherless paul vitz, faith of the fatherless. For as long as atheism has existed as a significant intellectual movement, there have been attempts by atheists to psychoanalyze religious.
Vitz proposes to test a defective father hypothesis, in which an atheists. In the first chapter, intense atheism, vitz explains the psychological issues that he thinks underlie intense atheism. The psychology of atheism, in which vitz turns the tables on the normal psychological charge of religious belief as a crutch to meet emotional needs. Of course there are numerous problems with this evidence. Vitz also examined the lives of prominent theists who were contemporaneous to their atheist counterparts. He earned his bachelors degree at the university of michigan and his ph. The second group refers to atheists whose fathers were either abusive or weak. The psychological source of their militant atheism, he shows, was the absence of a good father. The importance of these ideas to understand key concepts as.
It helps to explain why how some famous atheists adopted that faith. Dec 01, 1991 psychology has often been used to consistently slash at religion and christianity in particular, but vitz demonstrates that there are two sides to that sword, and the return swing toward atheism is not to be dismissed by skeptics. Christianity, are well known and will be discussed in some detail later. Download and read books online, epub pdf online audible kindle is an easy way to see, books for much.
Mar 12, 2015 the psychology of atheism 469 participants henrich et al. He studies such militant atheists as voltaire, hume. Paul vitz wrote a book entitled faith of the fatherless. See all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Read faith of the fatherless the psychology of atheism.
Oct 21, 2019 in faith of the fatherless, vitz introduces his hypothesis then marshals his evidence. Modern atheism originated in the irrational, psychological needs of a few prominent thinkers. Vitz argues that such a view is a doubleedged sword that can also be used to explain atheists unbelief. Vitz posits that intense atheists throughout history nietzsche, voltaire and madalyn murray o. The psychology of atheism, sets forth the case that abusive, absent, or weak fathers very often provide. Thomas coleman iii is a phd student at coventry university as a part of the brain, belief, and behaviour research group. In addition to the article cited below, see vitz, faith of the fatherless. While psychology is not destiny, disappointment in ones earthly father. God is merely a product of mans desire for security.
Vitz, a former professor of psychology at new york university, was an atheist until his late 30s. Man suppresses the truth about god and seeks to live in unbounded freedom. Although atheists disagree with the pillar of many religions, namely the existence of a god, it may not necessarily be the case that they are angry individuals. The simple but compelling thesis of his new book is that the major barriers to belief in god are not rational but can be called, in a general sense, psychological 5. Paul vitz subjects the apostles of atheism to the same psychological analysis with which they attempted to debunk religious belief. Professor vitz does not argue that atheism is psychologically determined. Paul vitz, senior scholar at the institute for the psychological sciences and author of faith of the fatherless. The psychology of atheism, has identified 20 famous atheists from the modern period who had negative experiences with their fathers. Joseph langston is an independent academic researcher who studies the origins of both atheism and religion. The latter culminated in a fatherbased booklength critique of the psychological factors leading to atheism, faith of the fatherless. Ignatius has just published the second edition of vitzs cleverlytitled 1999 book faith of the fatherless. The psychology of atheism 9781586176877 faith of the fatherless. One reason that accounts for psychologys inattention to atheism may be that the psychological sciencesnarrowly, branches of applied psychology have a complicated history with issues of religiosity, spirituality, and atheism e. The psychology of atheism by catholic psychologist paul c.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading faith of the fatherless. The same professor of psychology then looked at several highly influential. The psychology of atheism, psychologist paul vitz proposes another likely effect of the loss of the father on children. Vitz has republished one of the most profound books in the emperical psychology of religion, faith of the fatherless, now with additional data. The first group is comprised of atheists whose fathers either died or abandoned the family while the atheist was a child. Freuds atheism, materialism and criticism of religion. A person with many impediments to faith may move in the direction of god, perhaps over a period of many years, without ever actually arriving at the point of belief. Professor vitz argues that psychoanalysis actually provides a more satisfying explanation for atheism than for belief.
In his book vitz surveys a number of famous atheists such as freidrich neitzsche, david hume, bertrand russell, jeanpaul sartre. As for sigmund freud, his critiques of religion, in particular. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Sproul turns the tables, showing atheisms vested interest in rejecting god. Here he skillfully demonstrates objective analogies between the family experiences of articulate atheists and their pronouncements concerning the family of god. The psychology of atheism in which he points out that after studying the lives of more than a dozen leading atheists he found that a large majority of them had a father who was present but weak, present but abusive, or absent. The psychology of atheism written by a professor of psychology in which he examined several major thinkers who denied a personal god. An introduction to atheism, secularity, and science r esearch on atheism and secularity has become an attractive topic over the past decade.
By studying the lives of numerous famous atheists, from the old atheists nietzsche, sartre, and freud to the new atheists hitchens, dawkins, and dennet, vitz discovers a startling common pattern. Atheists say that religion is constructed to meet deep psychological needs. The premise of the book is not to explore the existence of god or to show that belief or unbelief is true or false. Subjecting the apostles of atheism to the same psychological analysis with which they attempted to debunk religious belief, vitz reveals the source of a psychological predisposition to atheism the absence of a good father. Professor vitz is the author of psychology as religion. Perhaps if nothing else this book will encourage the reader to study the works of the freethinkers mentioned, such as voltaires philosophicaldictionary, david humes aninquiry concerning human understanding, or bertrand russells. The psychology of atheism professor vitz argues that psychoanalysis actually provides a more. Faith of the fatherless the psychology of atheism kindle ebook feb 18, 2020 free reading by. If one adds to this sampling bias the particularly negative image of atheists in that. Senior scholar at the institute for the psychological sciences and author of faith of the fatherless. The psychology of atheism 2nd edition by vitz, paul c.
Yet the cavalier attribution of religious faith to irrational, psychological needs is so prevalent that an exposition of the psychological factors predisposing one to atheism is necessary. Atheists have sometimes challenged theists by claiming that religion is only an invention of those who have psychological needs. In what concerns atheism, the case is particularly severe because there is a paucity of research and most of the existing studies are from the us. Faith of the fatherless paul vitz, faith of the fatherless. Instead, the author is investigating notable psychological patterns in those who espouse strong. It also says a lot about why so many fatherless men are in prison. It should be red by pastors and christian counselors. Jul 21, 2017 faith of the fatherless, by paul vitz the psychologist paul vitz argues yes one of the central concepts in freuds work is the socalled oedipus complex. Vitz institute for the psychological sciences new york university emeritus will address primarily the deep personal psychology of the greaterat least the passionate and influentialatheists, with a focus on freud. Friedrich nietzsche, for example, resented his father, ludwig.
In this updated, expanded edition, starting with freuds projection theory of religion that belief in god is merely a product of mans desire for security professor. Faith of the fatherless, by paul vitz the psychologist paul vitz argues yes one of the central concepts in freuds work is the socalled oedipus complex. The psychology of atheism find, read and cite all the research you. On the other hand, a person with no impediments may nevertheless choose to reject god. Atheism, and by proxy agnosticism, is an emerging research focus within psychology of religion literature. In psychoanalytic theory, the oedipus complex is a group of largely unconscious dynamically repressed ideas and feelings which center around the desire to possess the parent of the opposite sex and eliminate the parent of the same sex. Paul c vitz despite its pretensions to coolheaded rationality, modern atheism originated in the irrational, often neurotic, psychological needs of a few powerfully influential thinkers. The author was an atheist at one period of his life. Journal of personality and social psychology, 100, 129. Atheists are often portrayed in the media and elsewhere as angry individuals. I would recommend faith of the fatherless to anyone with an evangelical outlook since we must understand the very real barriers that some people must overcome before they can embrace a relationship with a god who is their loving father. The psychology of atheism 469 participants henrich et al.
Despite its pretensions to coolheaded rationality, modern atheism originated in the irrational, psychological needs of a few prominent thinkers. Social and personal motives there seems to be a widespread assumption throughout much of the western intellectual community that belief in god is based on all kinds of irrational immature needs and wishes, but atheism or skepticism is derived from a rational, nononsense appraisal of the way things really are. Each man, whatever his experiences, ultimately chooses to accept god or reject him. Vitz offers a radical new thesis about the psychological origins of atheism. He explains that the issue is not intellectual but moral. Chapter 10 freud and the psychology of atheism1 paul c. Sproul turns the tables, showing atheism s vested interest in rejecting god.