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Atheistic spirituality is a way of finding meaning in life and connecting with the world without believing in God or following any religion. Followers of atheistic spirituality argue that they can enjoy well-being and peace of mind without religious practices or belief in a God. Spirituality without religion and God was much popularised through the writings of André Comte-Sponville in Europe and Sam Harris in the Americas, along with other supporters of Atheism. In this research, I intend to explore various meanings and usages of the term ‘Spirituality’ and how relevant it is to André Comte-Sponville and Sam Harris in their philosophical approaches towards atheistic spirituality. Atheistic spirituality challenges dogmatic religions and their religious spiritualities in the context of violence and terrorism due to religious fundamentalism and fanaticism across the globe. This research tries to analyse the tension between theist and atheist spiritualities and search for the possibility of a ‘secular soul’ which redefines the concept of spirituality as the humanistic, externalised projection of the self.

Research Objectives

• To explore the meanings of the word ‘spirituality’ throughout the ages.

• Rational and factual possibilities of a spirituality without religion and God.
• To analyse and compare André Comte-Sponville’s philosophical humanism and Sam Harris’s spiritual naturalism towards Atheist spirituality.
• To study the foundations of atheistic spirituality for its transcendental experiences and ethical imperatives from the writings of André Comte-Sponville and Sam Harris.

Research Questions

• How do André Comte-Sponville and Sam Harris conceptualise atheistic spirituality, and what are the similarities and differences between their approaches?
• What does the word ‘spirituality’ mean, and how has it been conceived throughout the ages?
• Can we have a spirituality rationally or factually independent of religion and God?
• What are the foundations of Atheistic spirituality? Can Atheist Spirituality co-exist with theist spiritualities?

Research Methodology

In this research, I adopt analytical, critical, and descriptive methods. Through a critical analysis of the texts, I can explore the most possible and reliable meanings of the word “spirituality.” I also conduct a comparative study to understand and discover the philosophical approaches of André Comte-Sponville and Sam Harris concerning atheistic spirituality.

Literature

Comte-Sponville, André. The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality. USA: Penguin Books, 2007.

Comte-Sponville, André. L'esprit De L'athéisme: Introduction À Une Spiritualité Sans Dieu. Paris: Le Grand livre du mois, DL 2006.

Harris, Sam. Waking up: Searching for Spirituality without Religion. London: Transworld Publishers, 2015.

Harris, Sam. An Atheist Manifesto. New York: Knopf Publishers, 2005.

Harris, Sam. The Moral Landscape: How Science can Determine Human Values. New York: Free Press, 2020.

Heehs Peter. Spirituality without God: A Global History of Thought and Practice. London: Bloomsbury, 2018.

Supervisor

Ao. Univ.- Prof. Mag. Dr.Dr. Winfried Löffler

Department of Christian Philosophy

Doctoral Candidate

Raju Niranjen Nellissery

raju.nellissery@student.uibk.ac.at