num_pages: 395
description: A thoughtful perspective on humans' capacity for moral behavior.  Kirkus ReviewsA comprehensive introduction to religious skepticism.  Publishers WeeklyIn What It Means to Be Why Religion Is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life  Phil Zuckerman argues that morality does not come from God. Rather it comes from our brains our evolutionary past our ongoing cultural development our social experiences and our ability to reason reflect and be sensitive to the suffering of others.By deconstructing religious arguments for Godbased morality and guiding readers through the premises and promises of secular morality Zuckerman argues that the major challenges facing the world todayfrom global warming and growing inequality to religious support for unethical political policies to gun violence and terrorismare best approached from a nonreligious ethical framework. In short we need to look to our fellow humans and within ourselves for moral progress and ethical action.In this brilliant provocative and timely book Phil Zuckerman breaks down the myth that our morality comes from religioncompellingly making the case that when it comes to the biggest challenges we face today a secular approach is the only truly moral one. Ali A. Rizvi author of The Atheist Muslim
language: English
title: What It Means to Be Moral: Why Religion Is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life
publisher: Counterpoint