Negative atheism? Definitions (Introduction)

by dhw, Saturday, January 10, 2015, 20:09 (3395 days ago) @ romansh

Different discussions are going in different directions, so perhaps you could add a tag to the other discussion?-ROMANSH: So dhw ... do you disagree that the commonly used definition for weak atheism is more or less a lack of belief in a god or gods?
Regardless, if the definition of weak atheism is simply a lack of belief in a god are you a weak atheist by this definition?
This may be of interest.-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_and_positive_atheism-Sorry, but it's not. I accept that many of our problems are caused by the inadequacy of language, so we often need definitions, but these are a means to an end. Once it's clear what we're referring to, we can move on. The subject of most of our discussions is evidence for or against the existence of some super-power, the origin of life and the universe, the course of evolution etc. My personal interest therefore does not lie in trying to pigeonhole people by slick, sometimes contradictory terms which require an ever expanding catalogue of definitions. To be frank, I find the list almost a travesty of philosophy: strong atheism, weak atheism, positive atheism, negative atheism, explicit atheism, implicit atheism, positive explicit atheism, positive implicit atheism etc. I'd sooner spend the time discussing why people do/don't believe...(Incidentally, the heading of this thread refers to the claim that atheism is a negative way of thinking.)
 
However, out of respect for you, I'll answer your question. I would not under any circumstances call myself ANY kind of atheist or ANY kind of theist. Reread my definitions below, and it should be clear why. If weak atheism = someone who does not believe in god(s) but does not explicitly assert that there are none, you will need to ask him why he does not explicitly make the assertion. If he says he doesn't disbelieve in god(s) either, he's an agnostic. If he says he's too shy, then he's a shy atheist. If he tells you he doesn't want to upset his Catholic Mummy and Daddy, he's an atheist with domestic problems. Does that leave you any the wiser? 
 
I'll repeat my definitions, since you seem to have ignored them! Further details can be added if people wish to specify particular areas of their beliefs/disbeliefs. I see no need for further categories, which can only be confusing until those same details are explained.
 
“A theist is someone who believes there is a god or gods, an atheist is someone who believes there is/are no god or gods, and an agnostic is someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in the existence of a god or gods. Some people may tend to lean in one direction or the other, without actually committing themselves, and so you might be an agnostic tending towards theism or atheism.”