2008-07-28 On the rise of fundamentalist atheism

Chris Hedges offers an erudite, eloquent and expansive riposte to the banal offerings of the New Atheists. Parsing through the culture talk that much of the New Atheist critique of religion, in particular Islam, comprises of, Hedges situates the actions in their historical and political contexts, and through ample illustrations challenges the notion of moral progress. In striking contrast to the anti-intellectual platitudes of the New Atheists, Hedges crafts his arguments with admirable intellectual rigour and philosophical depth. This book is a much needed antidote to the apologia for imperialism and the extremism and bigotry that has been peddled by the likes of Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris disguised as a defence of science and reason. As Hedges points out, what they champion is not science, but the cult of science.