Support Us!

Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

Subscribe or donate

Become a subscriber or donor. Even $50 will make a difference.
Advertise

We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.
Volunteer

We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.
Contribute

Got something to say? Submit an essay.

The National Forum

Subscribe!

On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML

Reason has its place, but the human heart yearns for awe

By Brian Rosner - posted Tuesday, 18 September 2012

In the end, can a materialistic worldview account for the human heart?

To what end is my sense of justice and my yearning for transcendence, and so on, in purely evolutionary terms?

A big challenge for the New Atheists is to engage not just our minds but also our hearts. If you like, our right brain as well as our left.

What seems to be missing from the atheist accounts of the human condition is an acknowledgement of our vulnerability and frailty, along with our sense of wonder and awe. As Dostoevsky's Underground Man insisted, there's more to life than two times two equals four.