Syllabus Entry 06

Atheism: The Case Against God

First published in 1974, Atheism: The Case Against God remains one of the most influential philosophical defenses of atheism ever written. George H. Smith carefully distinguishes atheism from other forms of belief, examines the major arguments for God's existence, and argues that belief should always be proportioned to the available evidence. Rather than relying on rhetoric or ridicule, Smith builds his case through rigorous logic, clear definitions, and careful analysis of concepts such as faith, revelation, miracles, and the burden of proof. Many of the arguments that later became staples of contemporary atheist literature were articulated here decades earlier. For its intellectual precision, philosophical depth, and enduring influence on secular thought, Atheism: The Case Against God deserves its place as the number six atheist book.