An Atheist's Values

AN ATHEIST'S VALUES

BY
RICHARD ROBINSON
Fellow of Oriel College
Oxford

OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1964

Oxford Universty Press, Amen House, London E.C.4

GLASGOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE WELLINGTON
BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS KARACHI LAHORE DACCA
CAPE TOWN SALISBURY NAIROBI IBADAN ACCRA
KUALA LUMPUR HONG KONG

© Oxford University Press 1964

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD
BY VIVIAN RIDLER
PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This book arose as a course of lectures;
and no attempt has been made
to remove the lecturing style

Text was placed on the Internet by Cliff Walker in 2000.

1. THE NATURE OF THE QUESTION 9

1.1. Introduction 9
1.2. The Search For The Good 14
1.3. The Search For The Property Goodness 18
1.4. The Choice of Goods 24
1.5. Means And Ends 29
1.6. Wise And Foolish Choice 35
1.7. Judgement 41
1.8. Objections to The Enterprise 43

2. PERSONAL GOODS 48

2.1. Principles of Choice 48
2.2. Life 54
2.3. Beauty 57

2.4. Truth 65

2.41. The ideal of Truth 65
2.42. Truth is a great good 67

2.5. Reason 70

2.6. Love 105
2.7. Conscientiousness 108
2.8. Religion 113

2.81. Religion and reason 113
2.82. Faith 118
2.83. There is no god or after-life 123
2.84. Religion and reasons for morality 130
2.85. Religion and causes of morality 133
2.86. The ethics of the synoptic gospels 140
2.87. Criticism of the synoptic gospels 150
2.88. The human situation 155

3. POLITICAL GOODS 158

3.1. The State 158

3.2. Equality 173

3.3. Freedom 187

3.31. Freedom is a good 187
3.32. Muddles about freedom 194

3-4. Tolerance 198

3.5. Peace and Justice 219

3.6. Democracy 228

3.61. The word 'democracy' 228
3.62. Democracy is a great good 235
3.63. Plato's argument against democracy 243
3.64. The maintenance of democracy 248

INDEX 254

CONTENTS