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Philosophy Books » Beliefs

Most Recommended Books

Dialogues and Natural History of Religion by David Hume

“I think that the most important contributions, the best books, in the philosophy of religion are these two little books that David Hume writes”

Graham Oppy, Philosopher

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The globalisation of the economy and the modern world’s speed of communication haven’t been followed by a commensurate unification of the world’s belief.  Religious belief is enjoying something of a revival in some (but not all) parts of the world and belief in magic, the supernatural and the paranormal remain widespread. Here philosophers and intellectuals recommend books on beliefs, unbelief, God and other related questions.

Andrew Copson, the CEO of Humanists UK chooses his best books on “humanism” and explains that its modern usage carries more baggage than the label “atheism”.  A humanist, as well as not believing in God in any conventional sense, believes in empiricism, and that morality is (or should be) internally and culturally determined, rather that imposed by any external authority.

Philosopher Julian Baggini, author of Atheism: a very short introduction chooses his best books on atheism, as does the American author Susan Jacoby.  None of their choices overlap, but Jacoby chooses Confessions by Saint Augustine to illustrate how even the best attempt to make a coherent case for belief in a loving omnipotent God fails.

Historian of ideas, Anthony Gottlieb chooses his best books on God, although he comes from much the same angle as Baggini and Jacoby and, indeed, like Baggini chooses David Hume’s Dialogues and Natural History of Religion as a seminal text that demolishes the arguments for the existence of God.  Gottlieb describes it as “the masterpiece of English language philosophy”.

James Randi, magician and escape artists, chooses his best books on being sceptical and recounts the time he made Uri Geller cross by pointing out how he bends spoons – he does it with his hands.

    The best books on Humanism, recommended by Andrew Copson

  • Read
    The best books on Humanism - Two Cheers For Democracy by E M Forster

    1

    Two Cheers For Democracy
    by E M Forster

  • Read
    The best books on Humanism - Adam Bede by George Eliot

    2

    Adam Bede
    by George Eliot

  • Read
    The best books on Humanism - On Humanism by Richard Norman

    3

    On Humanism
    by Richard Norman

  • Read
    The best books on Humanism - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

    4

    His Dark Materials
    by Philip Pullman

  • Read
    The best books on Humanism - Mengzi: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries by Mengzi

    5

    Mengzi: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries
    by Mengzi

  • Humanist ideas are not a recent phenomenon, but have been around for millennia, says Andrew Copson, chief executive of Humanists UK. He explains why it's worth making a positive choice to be a humanist and recommends a great humanist reading list.

  • The best books on Humanism - Two Cheers For Democracy by E M Forster
  • The best books on Humanism - Adam Bede by George Eliot
  • The best books on Humanism - On Humanism by Richard Norman
  • The best books on Humanism - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
  • The best books on Humanism - Mengzi: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries by Mengzi

The best books on Humanism, recommended by Andrew Copson

Humanist ideas are not a recent phenomenon, but have been around for millennia, says Andrew Copson, chief executive of Humanists UK. He explains why it’s worth making a positive choice to be a humanist and recommends a great humanist reading list.

The best books on Humanism, recommended by Andrew Copson

    The best books on Atheism, recommended by Julian Baggini

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - Dialogues and Natural History of Religion by David Hume

    1

    Dialogues and Natural History of Religion
    by David Hume

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - Existentialism and Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre

    2

    Existentialism and Humanism
    by Jean-Paul Sartre

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - Western Atheism: A Short History by James A Thrower

    3

    Western Atheism: A Short History
    by James A Thrower

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel Dennett

    4

    Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
    by Daniel Dennett

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - Atheists: The Origin of the Species by Nick Spencer

    5

    Atheists: The Origin of the Species
    by Nick Spencer

  • Which are the best books on atheism? The British philosopher Julian Baggini, author of Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, chooses his top five.

  • The best books on Atheism - Dialogues and Natural History of Religion by David Hume
  • The best books on Atheism - Existentialism and Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre
  • The best books on Atheism - Western Atheism: A Short History by James A Thrower
  • The best books on Atheism - Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel Dennett
  • The best books on Atheism - Atheists: The Origin of the Species by Nick Spencer

The best books on Atheism, recommended by Julian Baggini

Which are the best books on atheism? The British philosopher Julian Baggini, author of Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, chooses his top five.

The best books on Atheism, recommended by Julian Baggini

    The best books on God, recommended by Anthony Gottlieb

  • Read
    The best books on God - Tractatus Theologico-Politicus by Baruch Spinoza & Samuel Shirley (translator)

    1

    Tractatus Theologico-Politicus
    by Baruch Spinoza & Samuel Shirley (translator)

  • Read
    The best books on God - Dialogues and Natural History of Religion by David Hume

    2

    Dialogues and Natural History of Religion
    by David Hume

  • Read
    The best books on God - Society without God by Phil Zuckerman

    3

    Society without God
    by Phil Zuckerman

  • Read
    The best books on God - Sacred and Secular by Pippa Norris, Ronald Inglehart

    4

    Sacred and Secular
    by Pippa Norris, Ronald Inglehart

  • Read
    The best books on God - God Is Back by Adrian Wooldridge & John Micklethwait

    5

    God Is Back
    by Adrian Wooldridge & John Micklethwait

  • The philosopher and former executive editor of The Economist, Anthony Gottlieb, discusses religion and suggests that belief in God only truly declines in a society when economic development brings existential security.

  • The best books on God - Tractatus Theologico-Politicus by Baruch Spinoza & Samuel Shirley (translator)
  • The best books on God - Dialogues and Natural History of Religion by David Hume
  • The best books on God - Society without God by Phil Zuckerman
  • The best books on God - Sacred and Secular by Pippa Norris, Ronald Inglehart
  • The best books on God - God Is Back by Adrian Wooldridge & John Micklethwait

The best books on God, recommended by Anthony Gottlieb

The philosopher and former executive editor of The Economist, Anthony Gottlieb, discusses religion and suggests that belief in God only truly declines in a society when economic development brings existential security.

The best books on God, recommended by Anthony Gottlieb

    The best books on Atheism, recommended by Susan Jacoby

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - The Confessions by Augustine (translated by Maria Boulding)

    1

    The Confessions
    by Augustine (translated by Maria Boulding)

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine

    2

    The Age of Reason
    by Thomas Paine

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

    3

    The God Delusion
    by Richard Dawkins

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - 36 Arguments for the Existence of God by Rebecca Goldstein

    4

    36 Arguments for the Existence of God
    by Rebecca Goldstein

  • Read
    The best books on Atheism - Mortality by Christopher Hitchens

    5

    Mortality
    by Christopher Hitchens

  • The main reason for the survival of religion is not a desire to live a better life, but our fear of death, says atheist author and independent scholar Susan Jacoby. Here she recommends five books she considers essential to "understanding the merits of atheism."

  • The best books on Atheism - The Confessions by Augustine (translated by Maria Boulding)
  • The best books on Atheism - The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
  • The best books on Atheism - The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
  • The best books on Atheism - 36 Arguments for the Existence of God by Rebecca Goldstein
  • The best books on Atheism - Mortality by Christopher Hitchens

The best books on Atheism, recommended by Susan Jacoby

The main reason for the survival of religion is not a desire to live a better life, but our fear of death, says atheist author and independent scholar Susan Jacoby. Here she recommends five books she considers essential to “understanding the merits of atheism.”

The best books on Atheism, recommended by Susan Jacoby

    The best books on Being Sceptical, recommended by James Randi

  • Read
    The best books on Being Sceptical - The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

    1

    The Demon-Haunted World
    by Carl Sagan

  • Read
    The best books on Being Sceptical - The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins

    2

    The Blind Watchmaker
    by Richard Dawkins

  • Read
    The best books on Being Sceptical - In Darwin’s Shadow by Michael Shermer

    3

    In Darwin’s Shadow
    by Michael Shermer

  • Read
    The best books on Being Sceptical - In Joy Still Felt by Isaac Asimov

    4

    In Joy Still Felt
    by Isaac Asimov

  • Read
    The best books on Being Sceptical - The Coming of the Fairies by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    5

    The Coming of the Fairies
    by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

  • Former magician and internationally renowned debunker of paranormal claims James Randi sharpens his knives against proponents of flim-flam, pseudoscience and the so-called paranormal – and tells us where the creator of Sherlock Holmes went badly wrong. He selects the best books on scepticism for Five Books.

  • The best books on Being Sceptical - The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
  • The best books on Being Sceptical - The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins
  • The best books on Being Sceptical - In Darwin’s Shadow by Michael Shermer
  • The best books on Being Sceptical - In Joy Still Felt by Isaac Asimov
  • The best books on Being Sceptical - The Coming of the Fairies by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The best books on Being Sceptical, recommended by James Randi

Former magician and internationally renowned debunker of paranormal claims James Randi sharpens his knives against proponents of flim-flam, pseudoscience and the so-called paranormal – and tells us where the creator of Sherlock Holmes went badly wrong. He selects the best books on scepticism for Five Books.

The best books on Being Sceptical, recommended by James Randi

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