Agnosticism

Charles Darwin seated crop

ThomasHenryHuxley

Russell1907-2

RobertGIngersoll

Countries by percentage of Unaffiliated–Pew Research 2010

Agnosticism is a term that encompasses a range of views about the existence of God and the possibility of knowledge about the divine or supernatural. The concept is often contrasted with theism, the belief in the existence of one or more deities, and atheism, the absence of belief in the existence of any deities. Agnosticism is not a statement about belief or disbelief in God; rather, it is about the limits of human knowledge and the ability to know anything about the existence or non-existence of a deity.

Definition

The term "agnosticism" was coined by the English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869 to describe his philosophical position regarding the existence of the divine. Huxley defined agnosticism not as a creed but rather as a method of skeptical, evidence-based inquiry. Agnostics maintain that it is impossible for human beings to know anything about the creation of the universe or whether divine beings exist. The agnostic position can be summarized as the view that the truth values of certain claims—especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether God, the divine, or the supernatural exist—are unknown and perhaps unknowable.

Types of Agnosticism

Agnosticism can be divided into several subtypes:

• Strong Agnosticism (or Hard Agnosticism) argues that it is impossible for humans to know anything about the existence or non-existence of God or gods.
• Weak Agnosticism (or Soft Agnosticism) holds that the existence or non-existence of any deities is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknowable.
• Empirical Agnosticism asserts that personal experience and empirical evidence are the only basis for knowledge about the world and that since God or the divine cannot be observed or measured, knowledge about them is inherently inaccessible.
• Apathetic Agnosticism (or Pragmatic Agnosticism) claims that since the existence of deities has no apparent impact on personal human experience, the question of their existence is irrelevant and unimportant.

Agnosticism vs. Atheism and Theism

Agnosticism is often seen as a middle ground between atheism and theism, but this is a simplification. While atheism and theism deal with belief, agnosticism deals with knowledge or the lack thereof. An individual can be an agnostic atheist, not believing in any gods but also believing that the existence or non-existence of gods is unknowable. Similarly, one can be an agnostic theist, believing in the existence of a god or gods but acknowledging that this belief is not based on knowledge.

Philosophical and Religious Implications

Agnosticism has significant implications for religious and philosophical discourse. It challenges the certainty with which many religious claims are made and calls for a more skeptical and empirical approach to questions of existence and knowledge. In the realm of philosophy, agnosticism raises important questions about the nature and limits of human understanding and the epistemological criteria for knowledge.

Criticism

Agnosticism has been criticized from both theistic and atheistic perspectives. Some theists argue that agnosticism is a cop-out or an indecisive position, while some atheists contend that agnosticism is unnecessary because the lack of evidence for deities is sufficient to justify disbelief. Despite these criticisms, agnosticism remains a significant and influential perspective in discussions about the existence of the divine and the limits of human knowledge.