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Atheistic modal realism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2022

Eric Steinhart Open the ORCID record for Eric Steinhart [Opens in a new window]
Eric Steinhart*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA
*
Email: steinharte@wpunj.edu
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Abstract

Atheistic modal realism asserts roughly that there are many concrete possible worlds and that the actual world is entirely godless. Here I will refine this position using the modal realism of David Lewis. For Lewis, all gods (including the Christian God) are contingent superhuman persons, who inhabit non-actual worlds. Although gods are concrete world-bound particulars, atheistic modal realism has room for impersonal absolutes and ultimates (which are not gods). Since no gods are actual, atheism is true. Yet there are infinitely many non-actual gods. Non-actual gods and worlds provide resources for analysing religious beliefs and practices. Lewisian theology provides a powerful new way for atheists to understand religion.

Keywords

atheismpolytheismmodal realismDavid Lewispractices
Type
Original Article
Information
Religious Studies , Volume 59 , Issue 4 , December 2023 , pp. 700 - 713
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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