Difficult Atheism

Christopher Watkin is Senior Lecturer in French Studies at Monash University. His previous publications include Phenomenology or Deconstruction?, Difficult Atheism, and French Philosophy Today.

• Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Editor’s Preface; Introduction: Atheisms Today; 1. The God of Metaphysics; 2. The God of the Poets; 3. Difficult Atheism; 4. Beyond A/theism? Quentin Meillassoux; 5. The Politics of the Post-Theological I: Justifying the Political; 6. The Politics of the Post-Theological II: Justice; General Conclusion: How to Follow an ‘Atheism’ That Never Was; Bibliography; Index.

Watkin takes readers on a fascinating journey into contemporary post-theological philosophy. He shows with admirable clarity how each writer articulates a new position beyond the innate problems of parasitism and asceticism. He sharpens focus on post-theological integration, whether in the form of Badiou’s axiomatic atheism, Nancy’s deconstructive antheology, or Meillassoux’s argument that philosophy believes in God because God does not exist. As Watkin proves quite brilliantly, atheism is not as easy as it seems. Summing up: Recommended.