Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism: Carrier, Richard: 9781420802931: Amazon.com: Books (original) (raw)

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Customers find this book stimulating and well-reasoned, with one review noting it's written at a senior high school reading level. They appreciate the author's grasp of logic and argumentation, with one review highlighting how it demolishes traditional theistic arguments. Customers find the concepts easily understandable, with one review specifically mentioning how technical points and mathematics are simplified. Customers disagree on the book's accuracy.

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52 customers mention content, 42 positive, 10 negative

Customers find the book very interesting and stimulating, with one customer noting it's a great reference work.

Brilliant and cogent! Read it carefully and with purpose.Read more

...While the book is well written and interesting, there is just too much going on. Mr. Carrier goes off on many tangents throughout the book....Read more

Anything by Richard Carrier is worth reading.Read more

...I was not NOT struggling at all when I read this great book, but it set me free!...Read more

27 customers mention informative, 24 positive, 3 negative

Customers find the book informative, with well-reasoned information and comprehensive content. One customer notes its usefulness for analyzing propositions, while another appreciates how it clearly explains the context.

...of philosophy and history make his perspective somewhat unique and informative....Read more

A great explanation of how to live life and make sense of the world if you reach the point of being disillusioned with all of the major faiths....Read more

...There are some interesting points in the book, but in general I would not attempt to find real 'Sense & Goodness' from this childish work.Read more

13 customers mention logic, 10 positive, 3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's logical structure, with one customer noting its clear presentation of ideas, while another mentions the absence of complex philosophical jargon.

...Other parts are just a great distillation of reason and logic that is readily applicable to making our lives better, and our hopes and dreams...Read more

I think Carrier is a first rate thinker. His knowledge of philosophy and history make his perspective somewhat unique and informative....Read more

...Carrier does very well; he is exceptionally well-read, has thought hard on these issues, and clearly explains both the context and his own position...Read more

...This is not philosophically astute. Carrier's background is in history....Read more

13 customers mention writing style, 12 positive, 1 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as thoroughly considered and well-argued, with one customer noting it is written at a senior high school reading level.

...Conclusion. Positives: 1. A well written, accessible book for the masses of the most important philosophical questions of the world....Read more

...He makes succinct and clear points utilizing scientific evidence and implores the reader to do the same....Read more

...The chapter on aesthetics is mostly well-argued and accurate, even as he takes shots at Picasso and abstract art that I think are unfounded, simply...Read more

...nature of reality with an unmatched simplicity and an approachable writing style for the intelligent layperson....Read more

10 customers mention arguments, 9 positive, 1 negative

Customers appreciate the arguments in the book, with one customer noting how it demolishes traditional theistic arguments, while another finds it provides closure to years of questions.

...Very thoroughly considered writing. Excellent arguments. Helping me to be a more determined atheist.Read more

...Luke was an exceptional historian,(Carrier calls him "above average" elsewhere!). He mentions the resurrection a few decades after the event....Read more

...The author's personal story is interesting, but should perhaps be a short epilogue. Instead, it takes front stage....Read more

...allowed us to reach fairly consistent, measurable, and objectively verifiable conclusions about reality is science. Science is certainly not perfect....Read more

8 customers mention complexity, 8 positive, 0 negative

Customers find the book's concepts easily understandable, with one customer noting that technical points and mathematics are simplified.

...method of inquiry that has allowed us to reach fairly consistent, measurable, and objectively verifiable conclusions about reality is science....Read more

...Nothing really new or super eye opening but it's a nice breakdown of a more or less complete secular philosophy of life.Read more

...And science is pretty basic and not impossible to do. It may be at times weird, but for the most part it's doable....Read more

...The author does a great job explaining his world view in language easy to understand--not too much complex philosophical jargon....Read more

6 customers mention accuracy, 3 positive, 3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the accuracy of the book, with some finding it convincing, while others describe it as misinformed.

...He also gives a quick lesson on what makes reliable and accurate history and methods for establishing the historicity of any historians from the...Read more

...When I know the issue well, though, I find Carrier often sloppy, misinformed, or illogical. (As, indeed, I found Dawkins.)...Read more

...His arguments about the existence of God were absolutely convincing. He puts human life in the proper perspective within the universe....Read more

...These are not unreasonable assertions or inferences, but they are not proven, are not factual, and are beliefs....Read more

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Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2016
It's often frustrating for some of the more truth-focused atheists -- who wish to share their enlightenment with others -- that the only atheists many have heard of are those like Dawkins, Hitchens or Harris. Not because these atheists have no merit but because of their popularity, they're thought by many to be the best atheism has to offer in response to the intellectual and emotional arguments of various religions. My first real introduction to any argument, whether emotional or intellectual, for atheism was Christopher Hitchens, as is the case for many. As time has gone on, I consider Hitchens to be one of the better emotional opponents to the Christian and Islamic faiths, though he does offer at least some stimulating intellectual arguments at times as well. Dawkins offers, in my opinion, generally weak arguments outside his field of evolutionary biology, which he I think quite objectively skilled in. Harris has, in my opinion, the strongest intellectual arguments of the three and some interesting emotional arguments as well, though I think overall he's far from atheism's best proponent on either front.
I've spent the last five years or so seeking out the ideal opponent to Christianity, since this is the religion I was raised with and have since come to reject on mostly intellectual but some emotional grounds as well.
I've come to believe that Christianity's #1 intellectual opponent is none other than: Richard Carrier.
If anyone has seen a debate with Carrier or read one of his books, one thing becomes perfectly clear immediately regardless of whether or not you agree with him: he's a nerd. Carrier's mind is practically an encyclopedia of well-researched and well-reasoned information. Carrier has a notable respect for what it means to be a "scholar" or "expert" in any given field and holds himself to this same standard of scholarship. What's also notable about Carrier is that he isn't afraid to take unpopular opinions if he thinks they're true. And if he thinks something is true, one thing you can be guaranteed from him is a well-researched and compelling case for it, regardless of whether or not you'll agree with it.
In Sense and Goodness Without God, Carrier provides something essential to every atheist: a positive worldview. Many atheists hope to make the religious give up their faith, not taking into account that it's an incredibly difficult thing to do to give up one's faith in general, but it's especially difficult when you're provided with nothing to really replace it with besides nihilism. In this book, Carrier kills two birds with one stone: he addresses a great many of the most common arguments for the existence of God in cosmology, history and especially philosophy, points out where they fail and explains why Metaphysical Naturalism (MN), as a worldview, provides a better explanation for the fundamental nature of reality with an unmatched simplicity and an approachable writing style for the intelligent layperson.
As previously noted, though the philosophical issues discussed in this book are very vast and often complicated, Carrier does a tremendous job of breaking them down to very simple and easily understandable concepts for those of us who aren't academically trained philosophers. He divides the book into chapters and then further divides each chapter into sub-chapters, making everything even more digestible and organized for the reader.
I've seen some complains that the book starts too slow. I don't think this criticism is false but I also don't think Carrier should have done anything differently. Carrier wanted to leave his audience making as little in the way of assumptions as possible. He wanted to give them as complete of a worldview as he could muster and sometimes this means you need to sit down and really explain things like what the meaning of words are and how we should generally approach truth and knowledge. This isn't over-thinking things, it's all about providing a basis for the rest of the book. Though I struggled through these chapters myself at times, I couldn't have been more thankful that they were there because it gave me something to fall back on when questions of semantics or epistemology within MN arose.
My favorite chapters were the ones on cosmology and how the what we know about the universe makes the most sense under MN, as well as (and especially) Carrier's chapters on morality. So much in the way of pop-apologetics is utterly dismantled in these chapters, in regards to why we should be moral agents, what basis we have to be moral and why being moral makes a difference in our lives and in our society. I found these chapters extremely helpful and practical in my own life as a moral being and reading these chapters made me realize the benefits of morality. I've even already started to apply these principles to my life and have already seen a difference in my personal happiness as a result.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It's one of the most comprehensive and devastating cases against Christianity and religion in general that I've ever read and will likely read it several times over the next few years because there's so much excellent information to be absorbed in this book. It's especially essential reading for atheists. My only regret is not reading it sooner.
Highly, highly recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2007
Sense and Goodness Without God is an interesting read to a worldview which he describes as his own (Introduction) out of many different versions of Metaphysical Naturalism that could exist. He does a great job overall of presenting his views and reasons why he believes what he believes. He is mainly a philosopher/ historian who is very reasonable and somewhat spiritual and describes himself as a man of faith from experience. He clearly proclaims his passion for philosophy and his firm belief that philosophy is the key to all of human successes and problem solving techniques, which I agree with.
He has a tendency of arguing quite a bit with J.P. Moreland on metaethics that does get quite annoying at times because he wastes some space on trying to hit J. P. Moreland instead of further developing his Metaphysical Naturalism defenses, especially his reasons for why we should not accept any of the theistic defenses such as free will as a coherent solution to the supposed problem of evil and the problem of good. He could have elaborated a little more on this. His Goal Theory is a basic idea that I definitely agree with and encourage but can only expect its failure since very few are committed to informing themselves of the facts and processing accordingly to make scrutinized, linear, pure, clear thinking. He also gives a quick lesson on what makes reliable and accurate history and methods for establishing the historicity of any historians from the past.
Perhaps it was due to the limited space he had to write, but in terms of his defense of science and the origins of the universe by multiverse theory, he does not do a good job in convincing why there would be many universes coming from black holes and why there actually would be infinite universes. His footnotes for the multiverse are helpful though. His defense of the scientific method is the same usual stuff that is found in some theistic and some atheistic literature. The only problem I see with this defense is that on p. 214-216 he makes it seem like all scientists do experiments and research in a fixed skeptic manner where all scientists begin with skepticism when in reality it usually is with a curious and neutral manner that is neither pessimistic or optimistic though it sometimes is optimistic. Sometimes science is treated as somehow special, in that it feels like only a few can reach the status of scientist, which is absurd. The scientific method has its origin in philosophy. So it is philosophy that is the basis of science and also of life in general too. Carrier, however, argues in this book about philosophy and science as separate and not about the latter arising from the former.
I am actually studying to be a Chemical Engineer and for the most part science is just thinking about relationships between stuff in nature. Anyone can be a scientist. In fact, everyone is by definition a scientist (knowledgist) in the same way that everyone is a politician (person of the city) by both by etymological definition. It's just that very few make it a career to live off of. And science is pretty basic and not impossible to do. It may be at times weird, but for the most part it's doable. It really is natural to be a scientist, as if we were made for that. If you can cook anything, then you would be guilty of doing a procedure for an organic chemical reaction(s). Science is really more relaxed and not so strict since we still have a lot to learn and new methods that may be easier to work with may yet be discovered. Also usually people who aren't a part of a field of science treat science as more out there than it really needs to be treated. Luckily Carrier mentions that sciences like zoology, psychology and anything that involves intelligent creatures or is organic is not as clear cut and concrete as the inorganic fields of general chemistry or physics. An example of scientific fluctuations come from medical journals that have a lot of explaining to do for unusual patients and unusual behavior.
Carrier does an ok job of linking the mind or soul with the brain as inseparable, but does not mention that the mind has its control over the brain too. He argues that the mind works by chemical reactions in the brain with other stuff too. But in cases of depression, even with medication, the mind seems to override the chemical reactions and so someone can be under medication but still have a depressed mind set.
I would agree that the mind and brain work together most of the time, but also the mind seems to be immune to chemical reactions in the brain. You can look at a Scientific American article on the mind-brain relationship through depression at
[Please look at comment #1 of this review]
If what Carrier says is true, then the depression that is caused by the mind would be eliminated in nearly all cases since if you prevent some reactions from occurring in your brain, that cause a depression sensation, then you would not be depressed or have sad thoughts since those thoughts would be chemically repressed. This does not occur as much as we want. So the mind does look like it is somehow separate from the brain and yet linked as well . This also explains what Carrier argues in p. 328-329 of people in coma are dormant persons not annihilated persons.
Also as of yet neuroscientists have not been able to find the part or parts of the brain that constitute our Will to do anything. I have not heard of any findings yet thus I must deny a whole mind-brain link as not true unless evidence proves otherwise. Great attempt though.
Here is a simplified Breakdown of the whole book (These are not chapter titles just stuff he discusses... Well some are Chapter titles) :
I. Introduction
Philosophy Awareness
His Autobiography
II. How We Know
Importance of philosophy
Logic and Meaning
Methods of Science, History, Reason, Experience
III. What There is
Worldview
Outline of Metaphysical Naturalism
Nature and Origin of Universe
Determinism vs. Freewill (Libertarian)
What Everything is Made of
Mind / Brain : Origins, Evolution, Functions
Meaning of Life
How We Got Here
Nature of Reason, Emotion
IV. What There Isn't
Paranormal
7 Reasons To Be An Atheist
V. Natural Morality
Secular Humanism vs. Christian Theism
Metaphysical Naturalistic Morality
VI. Beauty
How We Percieve Beauty in Art and Human Life
VII. Natural Politics
An Educated Man's Politics
Richard Carrier's Politics
Secular Humanist Heaven
VIII. Conclusion
Bravo for Richard Carrier. Good introduction to those who are new to one of the religions of atheism or are interested in seeing what other options exist or for those who wish to be informed of the diversity of human thought in terms of belief systems and worldviews. I personally thought it was better than David Mill's "Atheist Universe" which is more amateurish.
Despite its flaws, it a decent book on Atheology.
**Since Carrier talks a little on science and atheism, for a good summary of when modern atheism spawned (17th century, not before), and the relationship it had with science up to this century one can see Oxford and Cambridge's review from the "Investigating Atheism" project under the "Atheism & Science" section online for free.
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Top reviews from other countries

Reviewed in Canada on September 1, 2016
Carrier's message is hard to be glean as it is hidden behind a patina of arogance and narcissism. Very hard to take him seriously after touting how smart he is for not being force fed religion and turning out to be an atheist.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2014
It will take me a while to digest and consider for myself everything that Richard Carrier has to say in this book. It is a comprehensive, coherent, thoughtful, informed and interesting worldview of the universe and philosophy of life. It is deliberately constructed in opposition to supernatural philosophies like theism, in the attempt to show that a naturalistic, atheistic philosophy is not only intellectually valid but valuable as a living creed. A powerful rebuttal to the millennia of prejudice of religions against the life lived without faith in the supernatural.

Reviewed in Australia on June 23, 2024
Wow! What a ride reading this was! In a world where people ponder life's big questions, Richard Carrier’s book Sense and Goodness Without God explores the philosophy of metaphysical naturalism. At first glance, it might appear academic, but Carrier, a scholar and "freethinker," contends that a universe without gods can have just as much, if not more, meaning as one under the control of a higher power.
The book’s main idea is that everything in existence—from tiny particles to the vast cosmos—can be explained through natural laws. Carrier believes there's no need for divine intervention to understand the universe or shape our morals. He looks at topics like free will, objective morality, and beauty from a scientific and rational viewpoint. This method provides an alternative to other philosophical works that might be too technical or filled with specialised terms.
Carrier's writing is clear and engaging, with humour and thought-provoking examples that make concepts easier to grasp. Each chapter focuses on a specific philosophical idea, making it easy for readers to find topics of interest. Some might find the wide range of subjects—from the multiverse theory to political philosophy—a bit overwhelming. It was like travelling on a high-speed train, standing on the roof, with wind rushing through my hair.
Carrier supports his arguments with plenty of research, citing philosophers, scientists, and theologians to create a well-rounded discussion. While some readers might see his dismissal of religious arguments as blunt, his scholarly approach is undeniably thorough. Though it doesn't introduce completely new ideas, Sense and Goodness Without God stands out for making complex ideas accessible and engaging. This quality makes it a valuable resource for atheists and those curious about life’s big questions without relying on religion.
However, the book has what might be considered flaws. The sheer amount of information may overwhelm some readers, and Carrier’s political views might catch some off guard. People with strong religious beliefs may find his arguments challengingly provocative. But that’s what good philosophy is intended to do.
Sense and Goodness Without God offers an engaging look into metaphysical naturalism. If you’re not religious or are curious about life without religious beliefs, this book is a great choice. It delves into philosophy, science, and the essence of existence, with some humour to keep things light—well, lighter than they might have been. Highly recommended as long as you don’t mind a long read and don’t feel the need to agree with everything to value a book. I’ll be revisiting and rethinking this one for a long time to come.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2007
This book was great. It was extemely comprehensive and covered just about every aspect of Carrier's worldview from creation, morals, even art and goes about showing how everything within "Metaphysical Naturalism" is supported by scientific evidence. My only negavtive cririsism was it took a while to get going and some of the work on cosmology was a bit beyond the basic and required some effort to get through (which is why it lost a star).
Everything else though was spot on, and while it is not possible to disprove the exstence of god directly he proved that this worldview which rejects and has no need of a god, to be entirely correct and rational. I might agree with elements of his politics but still, read it you may be enlightened.