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A Rough History of Disbelief

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were "inconceivable without religion". Miller goes on to describe how he is conducting the series to explore the history of atheism, but he says he is rather "reluctant" to call himself an atheist because "it hardly seems worthwhile having a name for something which scarcely enters my thoughts at
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In order to explore the philosophy of what it is people are talking about when they discuss beliefs, Miller talks to Colin McGinn, who notes that the word belief covers things as diverse as "I believe there is a table in front of me" to "I believe in democracy", and also argues that beliefs are
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dispositional or implicit rather than occurrent. McGinn goes on to explain that the question of beliefs only comes up when one is faced with a question which is debatable, and gives religion and politics as examples. Miller then states that politics differs from religion in being about what
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Broadcast of the series in the United States was delayed until 2007. PBS's usual corporate sponsors were not enthusiastic about the series. After a title change (including removal of the word "atheism"), the series was finally underwritten by the
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in the West with asides to the author's personal experience. Miller notes, as is implicit in the title, how only recently atheism was publicly acknowledged in the modern West, with none willing to state flat rejection of religious beliefs until
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The first episode, "Shadows of Doubt", starts with Miller in the Reading Room at the British Museum describing the purpose of the series, and gives a brief montage of the interviewees. Miller starts his journey in
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A series of six supplementary programmes was made from material that did not fit into the program; this was dubbed
43: 481:. Miller then describes his Jewish upbringing sitting in the pews of the New London Synagogue in St John's Wood. 587: 631: 496:
Miller then asks whether it is possible to bring about belief voluntarily (an issue philosophers refer to as
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all". There follows a brief montage of people explaining their atheism: Sir
448:(1723–1789). He examines why d'Holbach is not better known or celebrated. 354: 290: 620: 645: 440: 396:. The series also includes many quotations from the works of atheists, 358: 341:, is a 2004 television documentary series written and presented by 401: 614: 362: 346: 275: 150: 26: 439:
The bulk of the presentation is a historical review of
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It was first shown in the U.S. on 55:adding citations to reliable sources 131:2004 British TV series or programme 25: 726: 714: 702: 690: 678: 335:, known in the United States as 31: 588:"PBS to air "Disbelief" series" 42:needs additional citations for 657:Part II: "Noughts and Crosses" 523:Institute for Humanist Studies 228: 217: 66:"A Rough History of Disbelief" 1: 749:Atheism in the United Kingdom 519:American Humanist Association 641:A Rough History of Disbelief 633:A Rough History of Disbelief 622:A Brief History of Disbelief 610:A Brief History of Disbelief 458:attacks of 11 September 2001 332:A Rough History of Disbelief 138:A Rough History of Disbelief 635:– complete 3 episodes 795: 662:Part III: "The Final Hour" 652:Part I: "Shadows of Doubt" 551:Shadow Behind the Iron Sun 319: 300:11 October 2004 143: 353:. It was first shown on 153:(United States) version: 592:The Dallas Morning News 537:The program features a 515:American Ethical Union 418:"Noughts and Crosses" 754:Atheism publications 527:Harold K. Hochschild 498:doxastic voluntarism 456:and states that the 357:and was repeated on 191:Theme music composer 51:improve this article 563:History of atheism 511:Center for Inquiry 504:American broadcast 415:"Shadows of Doubt" 351:history of atheism 272:Production company 267:(3 × 60 mins each) 613:– official 428:The Atheism Tapes 328: 327: 322:The Atheism Tapes 209:Original language 201:Country of origin 127: 126: 119: 101: 16:(Redirected from 786: 731: 730: 729: 719: 718: 707: 706: 705: 695: 694: 693: 683: 682: 674: 596: 595: 594:. 17 April 2007. 584: 421:"The Final Hour" 349:and tracing the 307: 305: 282:Original release 257:Richard Fretwell 230: 219: 148: 134: 122: 115: 111: 108: 102: 100: 59: 35: 27: 21: 794: 793: 789: 788: 787: 785: 784: 783: 739: 738: 737: 727: 725: 713: 703: 701: 691: 689: 677: 669: 605: 600: 599: 586: 585: 581: 576: 559: 535: 506: 475:Steven Weinberg 446:Baron d'Holbach 437: 378:Steven Weinberg 374:Richard Dawkins 343:Jonathan Miller 310:4 May 2007 (US) 309: 303: 301: 266: 186:Jonathan Miller 167:Jonathan Miller 158: 154: 132: 123: 112: 106: 103: 60: 58: 48: 36: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 792: 790: 782: 781: 776: 771: 766: 761: 756: 751: 741: 740: 736: 735: 733:United Kingdom 723: 711: 699: 687: 667: 666: 665: 664: 659: 654: 637: 629: 618: 604: 603:External links 601: 598: 597: 578: 577: 575: 572: 571: 570: 565: 558: 555: 543:Evelyn Glennie 534: 531: 505: 502: 463:Geoffrey Lloyd 436: 433: 423: 422: 419: 416: 404:, all read by 394:Daniel Dennett 326: 325: 317: 316: 312: 311: 298: 294: 293: 288: 284: 283: 279: 278: 273: 269: 268: 263: 259: 258: 255: 251: 250: 248:Richard Denton 245: 241: 240: 236: 235: 232: 225: 224: 221: 214: 213: 210: 206: 205: 204:United Kingdom 202: 198: 197: 195:Evelyn Glennie 192: 188: 187: 184: 180: 179: 177:Richard Denton 174: 170: 169: 164: 160: 159: 149: 141: 140: 130: 125: 124: 39: 37: 30: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 791: 780: 777: 775: 772: 770: 767: 765: 762: 760: 757: 755: 752: 750: 747: 746: 744: 734: 724: 722: 717: 712: 710: 700: 698: 688: 686: 681: 676: 672: 663: 660: 658: 655: 653: 650: 649: 647: 643: 642: 638: 636: 634: 630: 628: 624: 623: 619: 616: 612: 611: 607: 606: 602: 593: 589: 583: 580: 573: 569: 566: 564: 561: 560: 556: 554: 552: 548: 544: 540: 532: 530: 528: 524: 520: 516: 512: 503: 501: 499: 494: 492: 488: 482: 480: 476: 472: 468: 467:Polly Toynbee 464: 459: 455: 454:New York City 449: 447: 442: 434: 432: 430: 429: 420: 417: 414: 413: 412: 409: 407: 403: 399: 395: 391: 387: 383: 379: 375: 371: 370:Arthur Miller 366: 364: 360: 356: 352: 348: 344: 340: 339: 334: 333: 324: 323: 318: 313: 299: 295: 292: 289: 285: 280: 277: 274: 270: 264: 260: 256: 252: 249: 246: 242: 237: 233: 226: 222: 215: 211: 207: 203: 199: 196: 193: 189: 185: 181: 178: 175: 171: 168: 165: 161: 157: 152: 147: 142: 139: 135: 129: 121: 118: 110: 107:February 2016 99: 96: 92: 89: 85: 82: 78: 75: 71: 68: –  67: 63: 62:Find sources: 56: 52: 46: 45: 40:This article 38: 34: 29: 28: 19: 640: 632: 621: 609: 591: 582: 550: 546: 536: 529:Foundation. 507: 495: 490: 486: 483: 479:Colin McGinn 450: 438: 426: 424: 410: 406:Bernard Hill 390:Pascal Boyer 386:Denys Turner 382:Colin McGinn 367: 337: 336: 331: 330: 329: 320: 262:Running time 183:Presented by 155: 137: 128: 113: 104: 94: 87: 80: 73: 61: 49:Please help 44:verification 41: 568:New Atheism 547:Rhythm Song 231:of episodes 173:Directed by 743:Categories 721:Television 615:PBS series 574:References 539:percussion 533:Soundtrack 525:, and the 493:the case. 471:Gore Vidal 304:2004-10-11 239:Production 163:Written by 77:newspapers 553:, 1999). 541:score by 398:agnostics 365:in 2007. 220:of series 685:Religion 557:See also 355:BBC Four 345:for the 291:BBC Four 265:180 mins 244:Producer 709:History 671:Portals 646:YouTube 441:atheism 435:Content 359:BBC Two 315:Related 302: ( 297:Release 287:Network 212:English 91:scholar 521:, the 517:, the 513:, the 402:deists 254:Editor 93:  86:  79:  72:  64:  487:ought 98:JSTOR 84:books 627:IMDb 617:site 477:and 400:and 392:and 308:(UK) 70:news 697:BBC 644:on 625:at 500:). 363:PBS 347:BBC 276:PBS 229:No. 218:No. 151:PBS 53:by 745:: 648:: 590:. 491:is 473:, 469:, 465:, 431:. 408:. 388:, 384:, 380:, 376:, 372:, 673:: 306:) 234:3 223:1 120:) 114:( 109:) 105:( 95:· 88:· 81:· 74:· 47:. 20:)

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Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief

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