26 Books

It’s a commonplace that reason is on the retreat. The evidence is all around us: crystal healing, homeopathic remedies, Scientology, the rise of the ‘theocons’ in America, conspiracy theories, faith schools, the list goes on. A C Grayling is the latest defender of common sense, following in the able footsteps of Francis Wheen (How Mumbo-jumbo Conquered the World), Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and others.

Grayling argues that we are actually seeing religion in its death-throes, and much as I’d like to believe that, he doesn’t really convince. This is a very short book indeed (64 pages) but it does pack a solid punch. It’s almost like a very condensed version of The God Delusion. Grayling argues that the terms ‘humanist’, ‘atheist’ and ’secularist’ have been misused, very often deliberately, and tries to reassert their true meanings. He encourages reasonable people (i.e. those who do not believe in any supernatural entities such as gods) to stop using the term ‘atheist’ because it gives to too much ground to the idea of god in the first place.

Against all gods is a refreshing read because it shows that there are still people of sense and intellectual integrity at the centre of our public life. He shows, as Dawkins did, how ethics have nothing whatever to do with religion.

It’s frustrating that such books need to be written at all, and I have my doubts about how effective they are on people whose world view is based entirely, or even in part, on superstitions and tradition in the face of evidence and logic. One must hope that in years to come we do indeed look on this as the last age of unreason. Grayling is far more optimistic about that than me.

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