Professor Theodore Drange
“Nonbelief"
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Saturday, January 19th, 2008 -
Professor Theodore Drange
Nonbelief will be explained by Theodore Drange, Professor of Philosophy. With atheism, secularism, agnosticism, humanism, skepticism and more, there are almost as many variations of nonbelief as there are religious faiths. He argues that: - it is important for atheists to defend and advance their nonexistence of god arguments against agnostics, deists and religious humanists, as well as to those who declare belief in god; - atheism is as important a cause as separation of church and state, because it ultimately would achieve both goals together, against theocracy; - current widespread reliance on faith and authority in people's thought processes is bad for individuals and bad for society. Being exposed to atheistic arguments would benefit people with regard to their intellects.
This web page gives summaries and links to several of Ted Drange's writings. http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theodore_drange
Ted Drange was raised in Brooklyn, NY and was confirmed in the Lutheran church at age 14, in 1948, but became an atheist a year later. He graduated from Brooklyn College in 1955, then attended graduate school at Yale and Cornell Universities, earning a Ph.D in Philosophy in 1963 from Cornell. Through a long academic career, he taught full time at Brooklyn College, the University of Oregon, Idaho State University and West Virginia University, focusing on philosophy of language and theory of knowledge. Later, his interest shifted to the philosophy of religion; "Nonbelief and Evil" was his second book, published by Prometheus in 1998. Married to Annette since 1959, Ted Drange has two children and five grandchildren, all living in southern California. He retired from teaching in 2001 to live in Ventura, CA.
3pm in thePatio Room at Vista del Monte, 3775 Modoc Road, Santa Barbara. -