Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion
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- Create Date：2021-05-15 10:54:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alain de Botton
- ISBN：0141046317
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Summary
"What if religions are neither all true nor all nonsense？ "Alain de Botton's bold and provocative book argues that we can benefit from the wisdom and power of religion--without having to believe in any of it。
He suggests that rather than mocking religion， agnostics and atheists should instead steal from it--because the world's religions are packed with good ideas on how we might live and arrange our societies。 De Botton looks to religion for insights into how to build a sense of community， make relationships last， overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy， inspire travel， get more out of art， and reconnect with the natural world。 For too long non-believers have faced a stark choice between swallowing lots of peculiar doctrines or doing away with a range of consoling and beautiful rituals and ideas。 "Religion for Atheists" offers a far more interesting and truly helpful alternative。
He suggests that rather than mocking religion， agnostics and atheists should instead steal from it--because the world's religions are packed with good ideas on how we might live and arrange our societies。 De Botton looks to religion for insights into how to build a sense of community， make relationships last， overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy， inspire travel， get more out of art， and reconnect with the natural world。 For too long non-believers have faced a stark choice between swallowing lots of peculiar doctrines or doing away with a range of consoling and beautiful rituals and ideas。 "Religion for Atheists" offers a far more interesting and truly helpful alternative。
Reviews
Kate
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HS list
Klaudine
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3。5/5
Michiel
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Goed leesbaar。 Goede uiteenzetting waarbij hij allerlei positieve zaken uit religie haalt， en vooral beschrijft hoe seculiere systemen dit overboord hebben gegooid。
George Little
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Alain de Botton the writer is much more convincing than Alain de Botton the voice of 'school of life'。 I particularly like his argument that nothing has come close to religion for generating a moral space - public spaces profess neutrality， but are supplied with advertisements that encourage us not to reflection and virtues （a charged term， yes） but to glut and desire。 A modern secular society has a great deal to learn from the community building aspects of religion - which I'm increasingly conv Alain de Botton the writer is much more convincing than Alain de Botton the voice of 'school of life'。 I particularly like his argument that nothing has come close to religion for generating a moral space - public spaces profess neutrality， but are supplied with advertisements that encourage us not to reflection and virtues （a charged term， yes） but to glut and desire。 A modern secular society has a great deal to learn from the community building aspects of religion - which I'm increasingly convinced is one of the most important kinds of knowledge you can have。 。。。more
Erika Siabatto
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I really enjoyed this book， is optimistic and practical but also illustrative of different points of view and beliefs systems。 A very pleasant read。
Neeraj Mashru
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Template for a new way of living。
C。 Scott
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The most exciting book I've read in a long time。 I hate to admit that I found the title a bit of a turnoff， and it kept me from cracking this book for a while。 I don't personally identify as an atheist， but was positively inspired by the author's insight into all of the positive， non-supernatural things that Christianity， Judiasm， and Buddhism do right。 I found this book eye-opening and brimming with important ideas about how secular society can meet the internal needs of humanity - things that The most exciting book I've read in a long time。 I hate to admit that I found the title a bit of a turnoff， and it kept me from cracking this book for a while。 I don't personally identify as an atheist， but was positively inspired by the author's insight into all of the positive， non-supernatural things that Christianity， Judiasm， and Buddhism do right。 I found this book eye-opening and brimming with important ideas about how secular society can meet the internal needs of humanity - things that modern， capitalist society is sorely lacking。 。。。more
Adrian Pliego
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Buena idea， mala ejecución。
Peter K
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As a long established atheist I approached this book with some caution。 Like a number of Alain de Botton's works though， what I took to be a slight and wispy premise for a book had developed by the end of the work into something I appreciated and got me thinking。The thread through the book is one of modern society having missed out by discarding much of the structure of religious operation if not the details of it。 Here the author makes a case for the benefits to us all of a variety of lessons w As a long established atheist I approached this book with some caution。 Like a number of Alain de Botton's works though， what I took to be a slight and wispy premise for a book had developed by the end of the work into something I appreciated and got me thinking。The thread through the book is one of modern society having missed out by discarding much of the structure of religious operation if not the details of it。 Here the author makes a case for the benefits to us all of a variety of lessons we could learn from how religions have worked over the centuries。The benefits of eating together for instance ， the manner in which education works and how better to design buildings （ and particularly interestingly - museums so as to better encourage thought， reflection and comfort。The chapter that reflected on how many of us are left to carry our sorrows and anxieties around without realising most others have similar experiences and the manner in which religion seeks to address that was also interesting。This was more thought provoking than I expected when I started， an enjoyable work 。。。more
Hannah Emery-wright
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This is an engaging and entertaining read which draws together a number of ideas relating to how society can benefit from the rituals and lessons of organised religion。 It was generally thought provoking， but very broad brush stroke with lots of generalisations on religious practice and not really groundbreaking for me。
Mirko Salaris
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The author offers a powerful perspective from which to view the current modern secular society and its relation with human needs and emotions。 He argues we forgot how weak we are and how much we neglect ourselves。Things that religions never overlooked。 The author argues beautifully and thoroughly that we should take the good "techniques" of religions and integrate them into our secular society。 The author offers a powerful perspective from which to view the current modern secular society and its relation with human needs and emotions。 He argues we forgot how weak we are and how much we neglect ourselves。Things that religions never overlooked。 The author argues beautifully and thoroughly that we should take the good "techniques" of religions and integrate them into our secular society。 。。。more
Susan Fiddes
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Extremely interesting and thought provoking
Sheryl
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Provocative book that encourages the reader to divorce “impossible supernatural” religious phenomena from its guidance and precepts for moral living。 A general idea book that I thought was fascinating。
Samshin
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Truly one of my favorite books
George Foster-Morison
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De Botton writes in a way thats perhaps the nicest and most comprehendable i've ever seen in a text on philosophy and societal observation， all the while avoiding being too patronising and simplistic。 the title doesn't quite encapsulate what the passages entail， but that might be cause of the many irritating overtones i have about atheism from a near decade of awareness of how annoying atheists can be。 its a pleasant and enchanting read。 De Botton writes in a way thats perhaps the nicest and most comprehendable i've ever seen in a text on philosophy and societal observation， all the while avoiding being too patronising and simplistic。 the title doesn't quite encapsulate what the passages entail， but that might be cause of the many irritating overtones i have about atheism from a near decade of awareness of how annoying atheists can be。 its a pleasant and enchanting read。 。。。more
Jenna
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I have a habit of reading his books in his voice。 It even annoys me at times。
Dima Manuel
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It is true that in today's modern secular society there is widespread lack of meaning for many people （especially the young）。 We are often told that one must find his/her own meaning in a meaningless world but how does one even begin going about this？ We live in a society plagued by consumerism and the rat race for material possession only to become dissatisfied with our objects of desire as we quickly move onto the next shiny thing that grabs our attention。Why does this happen？Alain de Botton s It is true that in today's modern secular society there is widespread lack of meaning for many people （especially the young）。 We are often told that one must find his/her own meaning in a meaningless world but how does one even begin going about this？ We live in a society plagued by consumerism and the rat race for material possession only to become dissatisfied with our objects of desire as we quickly move onto the next shiny thing that grabs our attention。Why does this happen？Alain de Botton seems to argue that a lack of meaning in a secular world has us pursuing the fulfillment of our most basics & primal needs such as love and acceptance through all the wrong means。 He makes a great parallel between the world's religions and modern society and explains how the reintroduction of certain religious ideas （devoid of their dogma） and practices could help cure many of our modern woes。To anybody who studies and practices self improvement his ideas will be nothing new or astonishing。 The importance of love， acceptance， tolerance， forgiveness， the pushing of one's limits， finding faith in order to heal etc。I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I appreciate Alain's effort to help people find hope and meaning in a "meaningless world"。 :）Thank you！ ♥️ 。。。more
Sarah
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Review to come
Mona
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Great writing but needs to allude to other religions apart from Judeo-Christian。
Huyen
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I was a fan of Alain de Botton until I read this book。 Intolerable， boring， over-generalizing drivel。
Leonardo Longo
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Alain de Botton assumes that religious beliefs are a lot of nonsense， but that they remain indispensible to civilised existence。 Like Comte， the author believes in the need of beliefs and rituals to restore a sense of community in a fractured society， searching for moral order， social consensus and aesthetic pleasure， but he seeks all this without depending on religion。
Mackenzie Crumb
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Overall， I liked it。 De Botton does a good job at identifying an array of areas where religions succeed in giving meaning or fulfillment to the lives of believers， and offers ideas （albeit often not realistic， but thought experiments nonetheless） for how we could implement these values， rituals， and ideas without subscribing to a religion。I would recommend the book to anyone who isn't religious but feels drawn to religion or spirituality nonetheless。 He points out the valuable practices and idea Overall， I liked it。 De Botton does a good job at identifying an array of areas where religions succeed in giving meaning or fulfillment to the lives of believers， and offers ideas （albeit often not realistic， but thought experiments nonetheless） for how we could implement these values， rituals， and ideas without subscribing to a religion。I would recommend the book to anyone who isn't religious but feels drawn to religion or spirituality nonetheless。 He points out the valuable practices and ideas in religion， and explains the root of why they have been helpful throughout human history。 These values include community， kindness， education of how to live well， saints and role models， humility and understanding with our psychological needs， and an institution committed to the well-being of our 'soul。' Although De Botton is not always detailed or realistic （or， arguably， even right） about his ideas， the book might inspire some ideas in the reader of how to improve their life with a better understanding of these ideas and rituals。It could also be an interesting read for religious people who are interested in an analysis of the positive sides of Christianity （from which he pulls most of his examples）， Buddhism， and other religions。However:1。 Although I do enjoy De Botton's way of writing and his ability to articulate philosophical and psychological ideas in familiar language， I did find some of this book a little too general and some points lacked further explanation。 He claims more than a few times what "religion knows" or what "religion understands，" which is problematic both in its lack of specificity as well as its presumptuousness。 These claims immediately weakened the book for me。 He also does not include any citations， and so it is hard to know what to really take seriously。2。 I also have a problem with some of his psychoanalysis of humans （as I normally do with his School of Life videos） because they are put forth as certainly true and true for everyone。 The one that stood out to me the most in this book was in the first or second chapter regarding the idea behind the "Festival of Fools，" and how humans desire to let loose to an extreme extent regularly。 I have serious doubts that this， and some of his other claims about human nature， are really applicable to everyone， or that they would be good for society。 The fact that this idea was in the beginning of the book made for a weak start， in my opinion。 Once again， no citations for any of these claims。3。 There is something creepy and reminiscent of a dystopia in the ideas of using institutions and billboard advertisements to promote values。 Especially when it is not particularly clear whose values would be promoted and what the effect of that would be。 。。。more
Mika
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The start said things that I was thinking about my whole life。 It’s shallow， uncited， unserious， and not incredibly well structured， focuses too much on institutional shift than personal。 His solution is rendering humans more susceptible to the influence of values without thinking at all about who will be in charge and what values。
Koray
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“…Dinler içimizi saran yalnızlık hissiyle ilgili çok fazla şey biliyor gibiler…” / “。。。Hıristiyanlık， bedenlerimiz acıya ve çürümeye karşı dayanıklı olsaydı hepimizin birer canavara dönüşeceğini kulağımıza fısıldar。。。” / “。。。Yalnızca dinler， ruhun gereksinimlerini yüksek miktarda paraya çevirmeyi başarmışlardır。。。” / Yıkıcı güçlerimiz yaşlandıkça artar; Çoğumuz merhametli bir sürüye ve iyi çobanlara gereksinimi olan koyunlarız aslında。。。" Dinin seküler dünya için ne ifade ettiğini ve önemini ço “…Dinler içimizi saran yalnızlık hissiyle ilgili çok fazla şey biliyor gibiler…” / “。。。Hıristiyanlık， bedenlerimiz acıya ve çürümeye karşı dayanıklı olsaydı hepimizin birer canavara dönüşeceğini kulağımıza fısıldar。。。” / “。。。Yalnızca dinler， ruhun gereksinimlerini yüksek miktarda paraya çevirmeyi başarmışlardır。。。” / Yıkıcı güçlerimiz yaşlandıkça artar; Çoğumuz merhametli bir sürüye ve iyi çobanlara gereksinimi olan koyunlarız aslında。。。" Dinin seküler dünya için ne ifade ettiğini ve önemini çok iyi ele almış Alain de Botton。 Ben de bir Panteist olmama rağmen， dinin， insanın hangi pratik ihtiyaçlarına cevap verdiğini zaman zaman düşünürüm。 Bu kadar tapınak niye var， bu kadar insan neden illa bir dine inanmayı tercih ediyor diye。 Bu kitapta tüm bu soruların cevapları gayet açık ve güzel bir şekilde açıklanmış。 Dini eleştirmek yerine， onun yöntemlerini ve amacını anlamaya çalışmalıyız。 İnanan veya inanmayan herkesin okuması gereken bir kitap olduğu konusuna en ufak bir kuşkum yok。 Kitaptan aldığım notları， buraya sığmadığı için， seçerek ekliyorum buraya: “…。Hem inançlı， hem de inançsız grupIardan oIuşan köktenciIerin işgaIine uğramış bir dünyada， dini inancın tamamen yok sayılarak reddedilmesini， kimi dini ritüelIere ve kavramlara saygı duyarak dengeIemek mümkün olmalı…。” “…。Tanrı öImüş olabilir; ancak onu yaratmamızı zorunIu kıIan çok önemIi konular hâlâ varlıklarım koruyorlar ve bizden çözüm bekliyorlar， üstelik de yedi ekmek ve balık hikâyesindeki kimi bilimsel tutarsızlıkları fark etmeye davet edildiğimizde de yok olmuyorlar…” “…Ancak çok sayıda inanç sistemi， tam da bu yüzden， inananların servis edilen tabaktaki her şeyi yemeleri konusundaki anlamsız ısrarları sonucu çökmüştür…。” “…Bu kitap bazı dinlere haklarını teslim etmeyi amaçlamıyor， o dinlerin kendi savunucuları var。 Temel amacı， dini hayatin seküler toplumun sorunlarını çözmede verimli bir biçimde kullanılabilecek kavramları içeren kimi yönlerini incelemek。 Sorunlu bir gezegen üzerinde， sona ereceği kesin olan bir varoluşun yol açtığı kriz ve alanlarla karşı karşıya kalan çağdaş zihinleri avutmayı başarabilecek birkaç yönü damıtmak için dinlerdeki tüm dogmatik yönleri ateşe vermeyi amaçlıyor。 Çok uzun bir zamandır gerçekliğini yitirmiş olanlar içinden， güzel， dokunaklı ve bilge olan birkaç şeyi kurtarmayı ümit ediyor…” “…Topluluk ruhunu， dini temellere oturtmadan yeniden yaratmak mümkün müdür？。。。” “。。。İnsanların birlikte huzur içinde iyi bir hayat sürmelerini sağlayacak düzenle ilgili her türlü soruyu yanıtlayacak， kesinliği kuşku götürmeyen， iyi davranış kurallarını hiçbir zaman belirleyemeyeceğiz。。。” “。。İnsan öldürmenin ve para çalmanın yanlış olduğunu söylemek kolaydır; ancak birine aşağılayıcı laflar etmenin ya da cinsel açıdan onunla hiç ilgilenmemenin sonuçlarıyla ilgili ahlaki uyanda bulunmak için zengin ve zeki bir hayal dünyası gerekir。。。” “。。。Dinlerin ahlak yaklaşımında， bir çocuk gibi davranılmaya hararetle karşı çıkan kişi， henüz olgunluğa erişmediğini gösterir。 Liberter düşünce， özgürlük saplantısı yüzünden çocukluğumuzda sınırlara ve rehberliğe duyduğumuz gereksinimin hâlâ içimizde var olduğunu ve paternalist stratejilerle çok fazla şey öğrenebildiğimizi görmezden gelir。 Fazlasıyla büyümüş olduğumuz için bizi canımızın istediğini yapabileceğimiz düşüncesiyle baş başa bırakmak， ne çok kibar， ne de çok özgürleştirici bir harekettir。。。” （Her bilgi bizi değiştirir ve geliştirir。 Hatta bazıları kişiliklerimizde iz bırakır。） “。。。Karolenjler kimdir？ Fenomenoloji nasıl oluşmuştur？ Emerson ne istiyordu？ Bu tür bilgilerin biz farkına varmadan kişiliklerimizin duygusal açıdan gelişmesine katkıda bulunduğu bir gerçektir， en azından özel hayahmıza yansımaları olur bu bilgilerin， ailemizle birlikteyken ya da tek başımıza doğada yürüyüş yaparken onların etkisiyle değiştiğimizi hissederiz。。。”“。。。Hıristiyanlık ise daha en başta içimizdeki karmaşıklığa odaklanır， hiçbirimizin nasıl yaşayacağımızı bilmeden bu dünyaya geldiğimizi söyler。。” （EGONUN YAPISI ve NEFES ALMA EGZERSİZİ） “。。。Ego， bedenin varlığının， onu duyusal tatmin projelerinde kullandığı zamanlar dışında， pek de farkında değildir; çünkü karşısına çıkan her şeyi kendi amaçları için bir araç olarak görüp kötüye kullanma alışkanlığına sahiptir。 Ego， bedenin kırılganlığına karşı gizli bir öfke besler aslında， bu kırılganlık onun midesini bulandırır。 Bedenden tek istediği， ona verdiği görevleri yerine getirmesi， sırt kasları itaat ve endişeli bekleyişle gerilmiş bir halde masasına eğilerek öylece durmasıdır。 Ancak şimdi egodan denetim gücünü， doğumumuzdan beri arka planda sürüp gittiği halde çok ender fark edilip takdir gören o nefes alıp nefes verme eylemine devretmesi， böylesine sıradan ve doğal bir eyleme boyun eğmesi istenir。 Şaşkınlığa kapılan ego， öylesine bir karmaşanın içine düşer ki beklenmedik olaylar sonucunda sefil bir handaki sert bir şiltenin üzerinde yatmak zorunda kalan bir kraldan farkı kalmaz。 Egonun istekleri yerine nefes almaya odaklandığımızda， ego da bilincimize türlü görevler yüklemeyi bırakır ve böylece normalde farkına varmamıza izin vermediği kimi unsurlar bilincimize sızmayı başarır。 Her zamanki ilgi alanlarımızla hiçbir ilişkisi olmayan， hem iç dünyamızdaki hem de dışarıdaki şeyleri fark ederiz。 Nefes almaya odaklandıktan sonra uzuvlarımızın， bedenimizi destekleyen iskeletimizin ve içimizde sürekli dolaşan kanın farkına varırız。 Yanaklarımızın ne kadar hassas olduğunu anlarız birden， odadaki hava akımlarını hissederiz， giysilerimizin kumaşının cildimizdeki yumuşak dokunuşlarıyla ürpeririz。。。。” （DİNLERİN YÖNTEMLERİNDEN YARARLANMALIYIZ） “。。。Bilişsel olduğu kadar duyusal açlık da çeken varlıklar olduğumuzu gören dinler， zihinlerimizi etkilemek için her türlü yöntemi ve kaynağı kullanmışlardır。 Çağdaş eğitim yaklaşımlarına ters düşseler de benimsedikleri yöntemlerin çoğundan， elek gibi olmuş zihnimize teolojik ya da seküler düşünceleri aktarmayı amaçlayan bir plan hazırlarken kesinlikle yararlanılmalı。 Bu teknikler， incelenmeyi ve uygulanmayı fazlasıyla hak ediyorlar; bunu yaparsak hayatımızın kalan kısmında bir önceki kuşakların bir ya da iki hata daha az yapma şansını yakalayabiliriz。。。” （Ateizmin büyük hatası） “。。。Zayıflıkları nedeniyle doğaüstü güçlere sarılan inananlara saldırmanın şehvetine kapılan ateistler， hepimizin hayatının bir parçası olan zayıflıkları görmezden gelme tehlikesiyle karşı karşıyalar。 İnsani olarak nitelenip onurlandırılması gereken kimi gereksinimleri çocuksu gereksinimler olarak sınıflandırabilirler; ancak çocuksu olan duygu ve düşüncelerle gerçek bir hesaplaşma yaşamadan insan olgunlaşamaz ve her yetişkin de arada sırada bir çocuk gibi teselli edilmeyi ister。。。” （Ateizmin diğer hatası， bunalım anlarında kendimize nazik olmamız gerektiğini söyleyen dini görmezden gelmektir。） “。。。Hayatımızı yoluna sokabilecek sevecen bir anne ya da ilgili bir babanın dünyada bir yerlerde olmadığını bilmek， onların bir biçimde var olmasını deli gibi istediğimizi görmezden gelmemizi gerektirmez。 Din bize bu tür bunalım anlarında kendimize karşı nazik olmamızı öğütler。 Böyle durumlarda， ümitsizliğe ve korkuya kapılıp şaşkın bir halde birinden yardım isteyerek ağlarız -görünürde hiçbir şeye inanmıyor olsak da， annemiz uzun zaman önce ölmüş olsa da， babamız bize vakit ayırmayan， zalim biri olsa da， artık dünya üzerinde sorumlu bir yetişkin olarak yaşıyor olsak da。。。” （SPİNOZA FELSEFESİ） “。。。Yaşadığı çağdaki teknolojik ilerlemeden -özellikle de teleskoplardan ve onların başka gezegenlerle ilgili verdikleri bilgilerden-büyülenen Spinoza， kendi dışımıza çıkmak için hayal gücümüzü kullanmamızı ve amaçlarımıza ne kadar ters düşse de düşünce gücümüzü evrenin yasalarına teslim etmemizi söyler。 İşte tam da bu noktada Spinoza'nın önerisinin Tanrı'nın Eyüp'e verdiği öğütten o kadar da uzak olmadığı anlaşılır: Yaşadığımız acıları önemli bir varlık olduğumuza dair kapıldığımız yanılsamadan güç alarak canlı tutmak yerine temeldeki hiçliğimizi görüp kavramalıyız。 Tanrı kavramını reddeden bir toplumda yaşamanın en belirgin tehlikelerinden biri şudur: Bu tür bir toplum， bireylerine olağan sınırların ötesinin de var olduğunu sık sık anımsatmaz ve bu eksiklik yüzünden bireyler hayal kırıklığı yaşayıp kendilerini mahvettikleri dönemlerde ne yapacaklarını bilemezler。 Tanrı öldüğünde insanlar -kendilerine çok fazla zarar vererek- psikoloji sahnesinin merkezini işgal ederler。 Kaderlerini kendilerinin belirlediğini düşünürler， doğa kurallarına karşı gelirler， toprağın ritmini unuturlar， ölümü yadsırlar， erişip denetim altına alamadıkları şeylere önem vermez， onların değerlerini anlamaya çalışmazlar; bütün bu yanlış davranış biçimlerini gerçekliğin sivri köşelerine sertçe çarpana kadar sürdürürler。 Seküler dünyamız， bizi kendi yerimizde kibarca tutmayı başaran türdeki ritüellerden yoksundur。 Zihnimize şu düşünceyi bize hiç fark ettirmeden yerleştirir: İçinde bulunduğumuz şu an tarihin en önemli anıdır ve hayattaki her şeyin ölçüsü insanların elde ettiği başarılardır -sonunda da doğal olarak kendimizi dipsiz bir endişe ve kıskançlık girdabında buluruz。。。” （SANAT MÜZELERİ = YENİ KİLİSELERİMİZ） “。。。Sanat müzeleri bizim yeni kiliselerimiz olmuştur。 Bu benzetmeye dayanan savın， insanı büyüleyip kendini kabul ettirme olasılığı çok yüksektir。 Ne de olsa müzeler ile kiliseler arasında dikkat çekici sayıda benzerlik vardır。 Müzeler， tıpkı kiliseler gibi benzersiz bir statüye sahiptir。。。" DÜŞÜNME TAPINAĞI “。。。Düşünme Tapınağı: Utangaç ve uçucu düşüncelerin doldurmasını beklemek için inşa edilmiş bir yer。 rahatsız edici olsa da， kesinlikle belli aralıklarla yalnız kalmalarını telkin eder。 Modern Düşünme Tapınağı da bu felsefenin izinden gidecektir: Düşüncelere dalmamız için ideal ortamı yaratacak， hayatımızı başarıyla sürdürmek için gerekli olan， ancak her an bir konuyla meşgul olan zihnimizde arada bir， insanlardan kaçan ürkek geyikler gibi sessizce belirip yok olan derinlerdeki sorunlarımızı çözmemize aracılık edecektir。。。” （Seyahat sadece bir rahatlama aracı değil， aynı zamanda varoluşsal bir iyileşme aracıdır。） “。。。Bu tür bir kutsal mekan， bir başkentin enerjisine adanmış olabilir， bir başkası da ıssız bir çölün sakinleştirici sükunetine， bir üçüncüsü de tropik güneşin gücüne adanabilir。 Bu tapınaklar， onlar olmadan bir türlü tam kavrayamayacağımız o yerlerin ruhlarına ev sahipliği yaparlar ve bir araya gelerek seyahatin yalnızca bir eğlence ya da rahatlama aracı değil， aynı zamanda varoluşsal bir iyileşme aracı olduğunu anlamamıza yardımcı olurlar。。。” （Ruhlarımızı eğitmek için seküler tapınaklara ihtiyacımız var。） “。。。İnsanların ne kadar farklı gereksinimi varsa， bu dünyada o kadar farklı temada tapınağa yer vardır。 Asıl önemli olan nokta， dini mimarinin temelindeki amaçlan canlandırmak， onları hayata geçirmek için çabalamak zorunda olmamızdır。 Bu amaçları， insan biçimindeki tanrısal varlıklara adanmış kutsal mekânlar aracılığıyla değil， önemli duyguları ve soyut düşünceleri vurgulamak için tasarlanmış seküler tapınaklar aracılığıyla yerine getirebiliriz。 Bu tapınaklar， tıpkı Ortaçağ Hıristiyan kasabalarında gökyüzüne yükselen kiliselerin sivri kuleleri gibi， umutlarımızı anımsatma işlevini yüklenecektir。 Mimari üslup， boyut ve biçim açısından farklılık gösterecektir -tapınaklar， küçük kulübelerden hangarlara kadar uzanan farklı biçimlerde olabilir， geri dönüştürülmüş lastik parçalarından ya da altın tozlu tuğlalardan yapılabilirler， ofislerle dolu binaların yanında yükselebilir ya da caddelerin altındaki ışıklandırılmış mağaralarda gizlenebilirler-ancak hepsi kutsal mimarinin en eski amacıyla bağlantılı olacaktır: ruhlarımızı eğitmek ve onların bozulan dengelerini düzeltmek için， akıllıca tasarlanmış， üç boyutlu bir mekâna girmemizi sağlamak。。。” （COMTE） “。。。Comte'un her şeye rağmen bırakmayı başardığı miras şuydu: Seküler toplumun kendine özgü kurumlara gereksinimi vardır; bu kurumlar， insanların siyaset， aile， kültür ve çalışma ortamının karşılamadığı gereksinimlerine seslenerek dinin yerini alacaklardır。。。” 。。。more
Zbigniew Zdziarski
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I read this book after noting that Alain de Botton is a very interesting person。 He made this apparent to me in his book entitled "The Architecture of Happiness"。 When I saw "Religion for Atheists" on the shelf， I just had to see what a person like Alain had to say about religion from an atheist's perspective。 I was not disappointed。 My first reaction was one of relief。 Finally somone has sat down and said: "Religion merits our attention。。。 for changing the world in a way that few secular instit I read this book after noting that Alain de Botton is a very interesting person。 He made this apparent to me in his book entitled "The Architecture of Happiness"。 When I saw "Religion for Atheists" on the shelf， I just had to see what a person like Alain had to say about religion from an atheist's perspective。 I was not disappointed。 My first reaction was one of relief。 Finally somone has sat down and said: "Religion merits our attention。。。 for changing the world in a way that few secular institutions ever have"。 This entire book discusses the benefits of religion， "what is beautiful， touching and wise" in them。 It was a breath of fresh air to see religion praised so openly from an atheistic perspective。 Basically， what Alain is trying to say is that when discarding faith， one should not throw the baby out with the bathwater: "Religions are intermittently too useful， effective and intelligent to be abandoned to the religious alone"。 The take of religion on community， educating towards wisdom and not just knowledge， promoting kindness， promoting psychological health， promoting a realistic outlook on the inevitable hardships of life， and of course promoting a life of virtue is something that our current secular society is crying out for。 In place of religion the great machine of capitalism and consumerism （and what naturally follows: hedonism） has awoken and is slowly destroying humanity and the fabric of societies （not to mention Mother Nature）。 Something needs to be done。 Having said this， I have to disagree with Alain's optimism of taking out what is good from religion and incorporating into society。 The secular world can't agree on simple things let alone on what is good， bad， and what should be promoted。 Yes， we can all agree that love is good， that kindness is good， that stealing is wrong。 But there will always be a grey area where disagreements will occur。 Always。 If you do not see this， then you are either naive， immature or both。 Without authority， without some central point of reference （e。g。 the Church） you will not be able to build anything lasting。 Just take a look at how contemporary thinkers/philosophers can't even agree on whether reality exists or not。 And it is these thinkers/philosophers that Alain wants to elevate in society to a more prominent place because it is these that apparently can reflect on the more abstract （but not less practical） aspects of life - much like Plato's philosopher kings。 Secular attempts at a "Religion of Humanity" will always fail。 You don't need to make an attempt of one to see this。 You just need to note how， like I've said， the secular world can't come to agree on simple things together let alone a grand attempt at a religious-like institution。 If you take God out of the picture， you're not left with much but yourself。 Neitzsche saw this。 He took the secular/atheistic thought to its logical conclusion。 But his world of selfishness and lack of compassion is terrifying （those that don't think so， haven't properly understood what Nietzsche was trying to say）。 It's God or it's nothing。 Which leads me to my final thought。 If secular institutions are unable to agree on the more profound things perhaps there's more to religion than Alain thinks。 Is it possible that an institution like the Catholic Church could have survived this long and have stood firm in its teachings all this time and have withstood all the attacks on it and have survived with inhererntly flawed human beings at its helm for so long without there being some supernatural element to it？ Could it be that the beauty and wisdom that Alain sees （to a small degree） in the Church has a supernatural source？ There is so much of it， after all， as he admits。 Perhaps if one were to dig a little further into this， one would see that there is even more beauty， wisdom， and love in the Church than Alain has put to paper here。 And then， finally， after having an even broader perspective on the topic， one might then come to this conclusion that there just has to be a supreme， single， summit to which all this beauty points to and converges。 。。。more
Alexandra Zhukovskaya
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Прекрасная книга， мне очень понравилась。 Перекликается со многими моими мыслями по поводу силы и важности религии и ритуалов без непосредственно религиозной подоплеки （веры в божество）。 С интересом проглядела негативные отзывы， которых к книге довольно много， соглашусь с очевидным - оригинальные идеи Огюста Конта， на которые ссылается Боттом， я не читала， так что вероятно большая часть книги вторична。 Для российских реалий все перечисленное на мой взгляд очень актуально， возможно европейцы и аме Прекрасная книга， мне очень понравилась。 Перекликается со многими моими мыслями по поводу силы и важности религии и ритуалов без непосредственно религиозной подоплеки （веры в божество）。 С интересом проглядела негативные отзывы， которых к книге довольно много， соглашусь с очевидным - оригинальные идеи Огюста Конта， на которые ссылается Боттом， я не читала， так что вероятно большая часть книги вторична。 Для российских реалий все перечисленное на мой взгляд очень актуально， возможно европейцы и американцы уже решили для себя часть поднятых вопросов более эффективно。 。。。more
Ann Humphreys
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I adore Alain de Botton because he makes philosophy accessible to members of the untutored hordes such as myself。
Amanda Williamson
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What I liked about this book is that it took the time to recognize and put in words the valuable role that religion plays in society and in the lives of people。 “Differ though we might with Christianity’s view of what precisely our souls need， it is hard to discredit the provocative underlying thesis， which seems no less relevant in the secular realm than in the religious one – that we have within us a precious childlike， vulnerable core which we should nourish and nurture on its turbulent journ What I liked about this book is that it took the time to recognize and put in words the valuable role that religion plays in society and in the lives of people。 “Differ though we might with Christianity’s view of what precisely our souls need， it is hard to discredit the provocative underlying thesis， which seems no less relevant in the secular realm than in the religious one – that we have within us a precious childlike， vulnerable core which we should nourish and nurture on its turbulent journey through life。” P。115The arguments around needing prettiness around us （final chapter） and suggestions of building secular temples were entirely lost on me。 Nonetheless， the book gave me a great deal to ponder and was like nothing I have read before， for which I am thankful。 It was also incredibly pleasing to read。 The way that de Bottom writes is beautiful。 He captures the human condition so well， and does so with an astounding array of adjectives。 It is art。 “No single event has brought him to this point， just a run of minor humiliations that have cumulatively contributed to an overwhelming sense of mediocrity， superfluousness， and self-hatred。” P。 166Other excerpts that I loved are as follows:“In 1445， the Paris Faculty of Fools was a necessary event in the Christian calendar， ‘in order that foolishness， which is our second nature and is inherent in man， can freely spend itself at least once a year。 Wine barrels burst if from time to time we do not open them and let in some air。 All of us men are barrels poorly put together， and this is why we permit folly on certain days: so that we may， in the end， return with greater zeal to the service of God’。” P。 65“However sinister the idea of such surveillance may at first seem， it can in truth be reassuring to live as though someone else were continually watching and hoping for the best from us。 It is gratifying to feel that our conduct is not simply our own business; it makes the momentous effort of acting nicely seem a little easier” p。 78“We no longer have to be brought into line by the threat of hell or the promise of paradise; we merely have to be reminded that it is we ourselves – that is， the most mature and reasonable parts of us （seldom present in the midst of our crises and obsessions） – who want to lead the sort of life which we once imagined supernatural beings demanded of us。” P。 80 “Even in societies theoretically dedicated to leaving us free to make our own choices， our minds are continuously manipulated in directions we hardly consciously recognize。。。 a libertarian state truly worthy of the name would try to redress the balance of messages that reach its citizens away from the merely commercial and towards the holistic conception of flourishing” p。87-88“A well-functioning secular society would think with similar care about its role models。 It would not only provide us with film stars and singers。。。 We can still profit from moments when we hive internal space to the voices of people who are more balanced， brave and generous-spirited than we are – Lincoln or Whitman， Churchill or Stendhal， Warren Buffet of Paul Smith – and through whom we may reconnect with our most dignified and serious possibilities。” P。 95“So opposed have many theists been to the content of religious belief that they have omitted to appreciate its inspiring and still valid overall object: to provide us with well-structured advice on how to lead our lives” p。 111 “Its theologians have known that our sou suffers from what ancient Greek philosophers termed akrasia， a perplexing tendency to know what we should do combined with a persistent reluctance actually to do it， whether through weakness or will or absent-mindedness。 We all possess wisdom that we lack the strength properly to enact in our lives。。。” p。 124“It follows the Freek sophists in insisting that all lessons should appeal to both reason （logos） and emotion （pathos）， as well as endorsing Cicero’s advice that public speakers should have threefold ability to prove （probare）， delight （delectare） and persuade （flectere）。 There is no justification for delivering world-shaking ideas in a mumble。” P。124。“The modern university has thus placed no premium on a talent for oratory， priding itself on its interest in the truth rather than in techniques to ensure its successful and enduring conveyance” p。125“This double insight – that we should train our minds just as we train our bodies。 And that we should do so partly through those bodies – has led to the founding， by all the major faiths， of religious retreats where adherents may for a limited time abscond from their ordinary lives and find inner restoration through spiritual exercise。 [。。。] If the predominant share of our distress is caused by the state of our psyches， it seems perverse that the modern leisure industry should seek always to bring comfort to our bodies without attempting simultaneously to console and tame what the Buddhists so presciently term our ‘monkey minds’ p。145， p158“Here， remarkably， the defenders of education， who would ridicule the notion that a class of freshly enrolled physics students ought to be left to work out the theory of electromagnetic radiation on their own， will declaim that wisdom is not something that one person can ever teach another” p。 159。 “In the broadest sense， the cult of Mary speaks of the extent to which， despite our adult powers of reasoning， our responsibilities and our status， the needs of childhood endure within us” p。168“But at least our ancestors had the advantage of living in a religious era which never made the mistake of promising its population that happiness could ever make a permanent home for itself on this earth。。。 The secular are at this moment in history a great deal more optimistic than the religious – something of an irony， given the frequency with which the latter have been derided by the former for their apparent naivety and credulousness。” p。 183。“Christianity and Judaism present marriage not as a union inspired and governed by subjective enthusiasm but rather， and more modestly， as a mechanism by which individuals can assume an adult position in society and thence， with the help of a close friend， undertake to nurture and educate the next generation under divine guidance。 These limited expectations tend to forestall the suspicion， so familiar to secular partners， that there might have been more intense， angelic， or less fraught alternatives available elsewhere。” P。 186“The signal danger of life in a godless society is that it lacks reminders of the transcendent and therefore leaves us unprepared for disappointment and eventual annihilation。 When God is dead， human beings – much to their detriment – are at risk of taking psychological centre stage。 They imagine themselves to be commanders of their own destinies， they trample upon nature， forget the rhythms of the earth， deny death and shy away from valuing and honoring all that slips through their grasp， until at last， they must collide catastrophically with the sharp edges of reality。” P。 200。 “Nightly [。。。] we might observe a moment of silence in order to contemplate the 200 to 400 billion stars in our galaxy， the 100 billion galaxies， and the 3 septillion stars in the universe。 Whatever their value may be to science， the stars are in the end no less valuable to mankind as solutions to our megalomania， self-pity， and anxiety。”p。202 。。。more
Cari Lynn
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I bought this book from my favorite used book store for $7。99， mostly out of morbid curiosity。 I'm not an atheist myself， but after reading so much of the Buddhism/etc。 section， I felt it was only natural to explore other religions and faiths。 While this book raises some valid points， making an argument for how secular people can adapt certain aspects and views from different religions in order to enrich their lives and give them some kind of moral compass。 It echoes more like cherry-picking to I bought this book from my favorite used book store for $7。99， mostly out of morbid curiosity。 I'm not an atheist myself， but after reading so much of the Buddhism/etc。 section， I felt it was only natural to explore other religions and faiths。 While this book raises some valid points， making an argument for how secular people can adapt certain aspects and views from different religions in order to enrich their lives and give them some kind of moral compass。 It echoes more like cherry-picking to me。The book is a very dry read， almost like it should be a textbook instead of a casual read。 I wish I'd known when I bought the book， but there were a few salient points along the way I managed to gleam， so I suppose it wasn't a complete wash。 I feel like this book was geared more towards academics with the heavy and cumbersome language utilized by its author。 If the book had been written from warmer， more down-to-earth perspective， it's possible I could've enjoyed it more， but it hasn't scared me off Comparative Religion as a whole。 It's just a first entry in what will be a continued effort on my part。 。。。more
Rosie Kirk
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