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The Politics of New Atheism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2013

Marcus Schulzke
Marcus Schulzke*
Affiliation:
State University of New York at Albany
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Marcus Schulzke, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222. E-mail: mschulzke@albany.edu
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Abstract

This article discusses the political implications of the new atheism movement that has been popularized by writers such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris. New atheism is largely defined by its political goals, yet it has received relatively little attention from political theorists. To the extent that scholars have commented on new atheists' political thought, they have generally misinterpreted it and presented it as being intolerant. This article will argue that new atheists' attack on religion is largely motivated by their desire to defend a liberal view of politics and liberal values.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , December 2013 , pp. 778 - 799
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2013 

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