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| God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist | 
 enlarge | Author: Victor J. Stenger
Creator: Christopher Hitchens
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  145 reviews
Sales Rank: 7092
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 310
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 1591026520
Dewey Decimal Number: 211
EAN: 9781591026525
ASIN: 1591026520
Publication Date: April 8, 2008
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Product Description
This edition includes a new Foreword by CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling GOD IS NOT GREAT.
In the paperback's afterword, Victor Stenger addresses criticisms of his New York Times bestselling first edition.
Throughout history, arguments for and against the existence of God have been largely confined to philosophy and theology. In the meantime, science has sat on the sidelines and quietly watched this game of words march up and down the field. Despite the fact that science has revolutionized every aspect of human life and greatly clarified our understanding of the world, somehow the notion has arisen that it has nothing to say about the possibility of a supreme being, which much of humanity worships as the source of all reality.
Physicist Victor J. Stenger contends that, if God exists, some evidence for this existence should be detectable by scientific means, especially considering the central role that God is alleged to play in the operation of the universe and the lives of humans. Treating the traditional God concept, as conventionally presented in the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions, like any other scientific hypothesis, Stenger examines all of the claims made for God's existence.
He considers the latest Intelligent Design arguments as evidence of God's influence in biology. He looks at human behavior for evidence of immaterial souls and the possible effects of prayer. He discusses the findings of physics and astronomy in weighing the suggestions that the universe is the work of a creator and that humans are God's special creation.
After evaluating all the scientific evidence, Stenger concludes that beyond a reasonable doubt the universe and life appear exactly as we might expect if there were no God.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 140 more reviews...
 Atheists come out of the closet February 11, 2007
414 out of 520 found this review helpful
In a time when any human group is coming out of the closet, finally atheists are doing the same and are being outspoken. Articles and books by Dawkins, Harris, Dennet and Stenger are much needed in America, less so in old Europe where Sunday church attendance is low. I always wonder if there is a connection between a highly religious society and one with a high percentage of inmigrants o descendants of inmigrants.
Religion is one of the last taboos, "the opium of the people" as marxism declared. Books such as Stenger's probably will not convince believers, but will reaffirm non believers. Religion is more part of our emotions than of our rationality. Why some people in Spain support Real Madrid soccer team and others Barcelona? There is no rationale, only emotions.
Naturally, you can still debate in the light of science and philosophy whether such and such god is likely to exist or not. I read Stenger's book with interest in a couple of days and found some interesting things such as:
-Jesus was not the first to say that you must love your enemies. Taoism and buddhism had already expressed the same ideas much earlier.
-"Nothing" is unstable so it is bound to produce "something". This answers the central philosophical question: Why is there something rather than nothing?
-There is no archeological evidence that Moises spent 40 years in the desert with 600.000 people (what a logistic nightmare!).
-Simplicity begets complexity (that I already knew since reading "The Blind Watchmaker" and knowing about genetic algorithms).
Stenger gives so many (most simple) scientific arguments why the Judeo-Christian-Muslim God cannot exist that we should wonder why so many people still believe in it.
The answer may lie in Sartre's dictum: "Man's essence is its desire to be God". In other words: God is our projection. Man may be the first entity by means of which the Univers wonders about itself. What are we doing here? Man has a desire to be trascendent, however the harsh reality is that we are all mortal. Having said that, isn't mortality needed so the Mankind and the Univers can evolve? Where would we be if the inquisitors, Hitler, Stalin wouldn't be dead? In other words: we still do not deserve immortality.
But if we cannot be immortal (at least our soul), what is life's meaning? Stenger also provides some answers such as learn science, diminish the suffering, enjoy life and also quotes Aristotle's answers: contemplation, politics and the pursuit of pleasure which should equate approximately with the previous three.
For me it all boils down to love, being a good citizen and finding a worthwhile activity that you like. As Woody Allen expressed succintly: "I enjoy making films". That's all there is, at least, for the time being.
 Devastating critique of the God Hypothesis January 27, 2007
306 out of 371 found this review helpful
Stenger's book is a devastating critique of the historical and current attempts to justify the existence of the traditional Judeo-Christian-Islamic God. In this book the arguments of intelligent design theories are easily demonstrated to be without merit. Stenger also invades the arena of the various rationalist arguments for the existence of God, handily disposing of these arguments with clear and penetrating logic. Next the premise that the Universe is especially congenial for life is analyzed which reveals that any God should have done a much better job making the Universe a more comfortable home for his special creatures. Finally, Stenger demonstrates the logical incompatibility of an all knowing, all powerful and all good God and the Universe we actually live in. This book is a treasure for anyone seeking a resource to refute theistic assertions and provides nourishing food for thought for undecided seekers of truth.
A Clear Exposition of why the God Hypothesis Fails March 15, 2007
166 out of 205 found this review helpful
No, this book doesn't prove that there is no god, nor does it claim to. What it does clearly demonstrate is that the arguments and "evidence" that have been offered to buttress the assertion of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God fail, and in many cases actually weaken what they are presented in support of.
Dr. Stenger explains why it is unnecessary to posit a god to explain the existence of the universe or the existence of life. As knowledge of the way the universe works has increased, there have been fewer and fewer phenomena that seemed to need a god to explain them. That is why Michael D. Goulder, a leading New Testament scholar, resigned the priesthood and became an atheist, saying that he couldn't worship an unemployed God.
This book offers no refutation of the god of Pantheism; the Pantheist god is defined as everything that exists, and it would be difficult to refute the claim that what exists exists. However, that definition of god is not what most people mean by the word. Stenger offers a list of 8 definitional attributes that he suggests (I think correctly, for the most part) fit what most people mean by "God." (this list is abbreviated)
1. Creator of the universe.
2. Author of the laws of nature.
3. Occasionally violates his own laws by performing miracles.
4. Creator of life, especially human life.
5. Provider of immotal souls for humans.
6. Source of morality.
7. Revealer of Truth via Scripture and directly to certain persons.
8. Does not deliberately hide from humans who seek him.
(Read the complete text of each item on pp. 41-42.)
It is these 8, plus 2 of the 3 O's (Omnipotent and omnibenevolent) which Stenger refutes. He does not discuss omniscience, perhaps because Kurt Goedel and Werner Heisenberg have demonstrated that an omniscient entity cannot exist.
NOTE: Mr. Wesley Janssen (in the comments) has demonstrated that I was in error in the previous sentence; Goedel and Heisenberg did not prove quite what I thought they did. Thank you, Mr. Janssen; I stand corrected.
I have only one small complaint: Like too many books these days, it fails to put the footnotes where they belong, on the pages that reference them.
watziznaym@gmail.com
 A good book, but falters badly at the end February 7, 2007
98 out of 138 found this review helpful
As I was reading "God: The Failed Hypothesis," I kept thinking of the blunt comment by physicist Steven Weinberg: "Those who seek extra-scientific messages in what they think they understand about modern physics are digging dry wells."
Is the question of the existence of God an "extra-scientific message?" And if so, can science in its totality do any better than modern physics in addressing the question? Physicist-philosopher, Dr. Stenger clearly believes the answer is yes. In the bulk of the book, he marshals an impressive array of arguments against every notion calling for God's existence with the ruthlessness of Sherman's army marching through Georgia.
Written in a clear, breezy style that unfortunately seems at times to be preaching to the converted, overall I found the book persuasive. Of course, any atheist would and that may be one of the problems. Being an atheist myself, though in the spirit of the late, great Oriana Fallaci, a Christian one, I suffered from these questions for years. I know how difficult it is to think about God questions coherently, let alone write about them. The possibility of writing rubbish is ever present.
Finally, Stenger is to be commended for his interest and respect for philosophy (rare among physicists). His five "Conditions for Considering Extraordinary Claims" (pp. 24 - 25) are worth the price of the book (see also Karl Popper's succinct summary statement, that "the wrong view of science betrays itself in the craving to be right.")
(Note: Readers may wish to apply Stinger's five conditions to the issue of climate change/global warming. They might find the results interesting.)
Nevertheless, at the end when the book grapples with the problem of evil, it goes off the rails and thereby is a disappointment. I recommend it, but with reservations. Part of the problem is that while strongly linked, religion and belief in God are emphatically not the same thing, yet Stenger either ignores the differences or conflates them. A religion can dispense with God, and God-believing people can dispense with religion.
Repeat: There are both secular and non-secular forms of religion.
The question he asks is: if belief in God were to go away, would there be a corresponding reduction in evil in the world? Unfortunately, our only data points are from history and it is here I believe Stenger loses his way.
Clearly Christians get on his nerves (despite his efforts to mute the dislike, it eventually comes across strongly). Yes, many Christians did work with the National Socialists (a point he labors), but the atheist communists (International Socialists -- big difference) were able to murder tens of millions without their help [...] and were only too happy to assist their National Socialist blood brothers when they saw an opportunity.
This is not a trivial objection. For people interested in reducing the degree of evil in the world, it cannot be ignored. The atheist-communist super states were established by experts in socialism, who were relentless, and their successors merciless, in their determination to achieve paradise on earth. In all aspects except God, communism was a true religion. Unless we choose to ignore the bone yard they bequeathed us, we cannot ignore the nightmarish context this gives to the problem. And context is crucial. As a Christian ex-friend once told me: "a text without a context is a pretext."
Once we include these datapoints, other questions rush forward. Is socialism inherently evil, worse than even Christianity? A strong case can be made that it is.
Or, was it the de-humanizing influence of science itself that made the socialist states go so very wrong? I recall one mathematical writer who all but blamed formalism for leading to the Holocaust. Stenger would strongly object to the implication of an evil influence by science, but there is nothing in the book to indicate on what his objections would be founded. The view, often expressed by atheists that the elimination of God/religion would lead to a world of peace has no evidence and no basis.
In a world without God, Stenger assures us our "nature [as] a social animal" will lead us to "seek pleasure in the society of others and . . . empathize with others suffering." "Meaning" will be provided by working "to reduce the suffering of others." I wish it were true (though I have to confess as a utopia, his vision sounds rather dull). I hope life is better in the future, but the historical record Stenger ignores provides no reason to believe it.
Is Stenger being fair in his argument -- actually a hope more than anything else -- or is he hoisting a pretext upon us? That is a call I leave to the reader.
What I think the historical records shows is that belief systems in general, whatever form we choose, are a crucial part of our being. If one fails, and they all do eventually, we will inevitably find/invent a new one and unless we are careful we will simply replace one hell with another. King Canute of the garbled legend, in his grim efforts to whip the waves into submission, was possessed of more sense than those who dream of gossamer utopias lacking all human substance. Far better to understand transcendent beliefs, work with them, cautiously nudge them along a more humane path, and above all accept them as part of the nature of the human condition. The shock of the failure of the monster collectivist states (National Socialism far more closely resembled Communism than it did Christianity) has yet to be absorbed.
A sense of proportion and priority are badly needed here. In a world where atheism and secular religions have triumphed, there is every reason to expect wars and evil to continue, and none to expect spectacular improvement. Something is wrong in humanity. Expunging transcendent belief, even if such were possible, would not solve the problem. That is a vital point intellectual atheists need to ponder at length, lest they too find themselves digging dry wells.
Scholarly, Original, and Devastating Critique of Traditional Theism February 28, 2007
71 out of 83 found this review helpful
A scholarly, original, and devastating critique of traditional theism from a scientific perspective.
Physicist Victor Stenger is well known for his previous books and articles dealing with the interface between science and religion. In this startling and timely new book, Stenger carries out an incisive investigation into the question of God's existence from the perspective of a seasoned scientist.
In line with recent books critical of theism, such as Dawkins', The God Delusion, and Sam Harris', Letter to a Christian Nation, Professor Stenger argues that the existence of a supreme being who created the universe with humans in mind is a legitimate scientific hypothesis like any other. Religions do make substantive claims about the nature of reality. These claims have observable consequences that in principle are amenable to scientific investigation.
A world created by a supernatural God is expected to look very different from a world created by natural, impersonal processes. Any doubts one might have concerning the legitimacy of considering God as an empirically testable hypothesis are undercut by the fact that a number of books have been written by theists which claim that scientific evidence supports the existence of the traditional J-C-I God (the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). One classic example is William Paley's treatise on Natural Theology, which represents one of the most influential pre-Darwinian expositions on the evidence for intelligent design. Thus, if it is legitimate to consider empirical evidence as supporting God's existence, then it is equally legitimate to consider evidence that counts against the existence of God. Either way, the key point is that empirical evidence does indeed have implications for the question of God's existence.
Stenger argues that the God of the traditional monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) possesses attributes that imply certain predictions about the way the world should appear and the nature of our best supported scientific models of reality. We can therefore test the God hypothesis by observing the world and seeing if the predictions are borne out by our observations: if our observations of the world conform to these predictions, then the existence of the traditional God is at least compatible with the evidence. However, if what we observe in the world is inconsistent with these predictions, then these observations count as evidence against the existence of the hypothesized God.
Stenger's approach to examining the God hypothesis thus exemplifies the standard hypothetico-deductive methodology routinely used in the sciences (and in daily life) to test hypotheses. The book's main line of argument is structured according to this hypothetico-deductive scheme: the attributes of the hypothesized god are explicitly considered, and the implications of those attributes are compared against our observations of the world and our currently viable scientific models.
Stenger writes:
"In this book I will show that a number of proposed supernatural or nonmaterial processes are empirically testable using standard scientific methods. Furthermore, such research is being carried out by reputable scientists associated with reputable institutions and published in reputable scientific journals. So the public statements by some scientists and their national organizations that science has nothing to do with the supernatural are belied by the facts...We now have considerable empirical data and highly successful scientific models that bear on the question of God's existence. The time has come to examine what those data and models tell us about the validity of the God hypothesis."
Thus, the main thesis of the book is that God's existence is testable, verifiable, and falsifiable by the established methods of science. As Stenger notes, the founders and leaders of major religions have always claimed that God can be seen in the world around us. In Romans 1:20, St. Paul says: "Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely his eternal power and deity, have been clearly perceived in the things that have been made." Stenger's modus operandi: "We will look for evidence of God in the things that have been made."
We can imagine all sorts of phenomena (such as the effects of distant intercessory prayer) that, if observed, would strongly suggest a supernatural dimension to reality. However, Stenger persuasively demonstrates that the available evidence is at odds with what we would expect to observe if supernaturalism is true, and instead points to a godless, naturalistic universe. Thus, on the basis of the currently available scientific evidence, Stenger concludes, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the traditional God of monotheistic religions does not exist.
The book's chapters deal with a variety of traditional and contemporary issues relevant to the God question, including the argument from design, the problem of evil, the origins of morality and values, the alleged fine-tuning of the laws of physics, the immortality of the soul, ESP and other paranormal phenomena, and the efficacy of intercessory prayer.
In the final chapter of the book, Living in the Godless Universe, Stenger maintains that abandoning belief in God and the adoption of a naturalistic worldview need not lead to a sense of meaninglessness or nihilism, as some theists claim, but is compatible with a life filled with meaning and joy and fueled by an urgency to live life to its fullest given the recognition of its fragility and transience.
A must read for skeptics who wish to hone their critiques of supernaturalism on the anvil of contemporary science and for courageous believers who wish to see what remains of their religious convictions after they subject them to the fires of reason and evidence.
Yonatan Fishman, PhD
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