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Title: The "God" Part of the Brain by Matthew Alper ISBN: 0-9660367-0-0 Publisher: Rogue Pr Pub. Date: May, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.8 (60 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An Intellectual Awakening
Comment: I have just finished reading the "God" Part of the Brain, and I feel like I have experienced a spiritual awakening much like the ones described in the book. Only this awakening is like an intellectual awakening that I have never before experienced. As a psychology professor for the last twenty years with an intense interest in evolutionary psychology, I was amazed at the clarity and logic of the research presented on the topic of religiosity and spirituality. I hope the author will continue to do research in this area as well as on other topics as I believe he has much to offer the human race. I especially liked the final message which I feel can be used to create a more compassionate world.
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent personal story about a scientific journey
Comment: This book by Mr. Alper is a wonderful tale of a personal spiritual journey written by an intelligent, honest person. But, although I agree with the conclusion that no gods exist if we can only have knowledge of "things as we perceive them," I do not agree with Kantian metaphysics (i.e., subjectivism).
Alper argues that because human reason is not adequate to provide us with objective knowledge of reality, a god or gods probably does not exist (this is a summary, his writing is much more eloquent). Again, I agree that no gods exist, but not because humans are incapable of answering that question, but because we are (in other words, I adhere to Objectivist metaphysics and epistemology).
Alper's argument is well written, and is an important contirbution to religious and atheistic literature. But his conclusions are based on bad metaphysics. I also think his conclusion could be turned around: If objective knowledge is not possible for humans, yet we have a bend toward some kind of vague "spirituality," then doesn't that constitute 'prima facie' evidence that a spiritual realm exists?
Of course, Alper would be correct in saying that that means no religion is capable of "Truth," but on a "subjectivist" view, neither is Alper. This book is great as a description of a personal journey, that is why it got 4 stars. But for an argument for atheism, or even a discussion of the limits of human knowledge and religion, turn to "Atheism: the case against God," or "Objectivism: the philosophy of Ayn Rand."
Rating: 5
Summary: For the intellectually curious, this is as good as it gets!
Comment: I am a grad student in the evolutionary sciences and for years have been trudging along trying to find some comprehensible connection between the natural sciences and humankind's quest for spiritual certainty. After reading vast tomes of science as well as many of the world's religious texts, I was convinced that these two fields of study were utterly irreconciliable, that it until I read this book. Finally, I feel that I now have a tangible solution to the problem of spirit and God that makes perfect logical sense. And though I am sure that the author's [atheistic] conclusion will probably upset many readers (and based on some of the reviews I've read, this apparently seems to be the case), I think that anyone from skeptics to the religious can benefit from reading this book. I found it both challenging, logical, thought provoking and inspirational and recommend it whole heartedly to everyone with an open and curious mind.
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