Phil Zuckerman is the author of several books, including The Nonreligious, Living the Secular Life, and Society without God. He is a professor of sociology at Pitzer College and the founding chair of the nation’s first secular studies program. He lives in Claremont, California, with his wife and three children.
Praise for What It Means to Be Moral
“A thoughtful perspective on humans' capacity for moral behavior.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Sociologist Zuckerman (Society Without God) presents a
prodigiously well–supported argument against religion . . . A
comprehensive introduction to religious skepticism.” —Publishers
Weekly
“Zuckerman draws on research to show why and how secular morality
works . . . [A] first–resort work on its subject.” —Booklist
“Most of us nonbelievers know morality when we see it, but that’s
no help when yet another devout friend or family member asks, 'How
can anyone know what’s good—let alone do it—without God?' Phil
Zuckerman’s surprisingly entertaining new book, on the other hand,
is a huge help. Zuckerman doesn’t just explain how and why secular
morality works; he makes a powerful case that it works better than
any and every religious code and is uniquely suited to help us
solve the world’s biggest problems. Here’s your chance to stand
tall and answer the naysayers, once and for all, literally for
goodness’ sake.” —Bart Campolo, coauthor of Why I Left, Why I
Stayed
“Clear, compassionate, and concise . . . Zuckerman’s book serves as
a valuable tool and source of inspiration and guidance in creating
a world based on humanist ethics, not religious dogma.” —Becky
Garrison, The Humanist
“You’re going to want to read this one. It’s a thoughtful and
thorough analysis of a subject that is usually dealt with in sound
bites.” —Hemant Mehta, Friendly Atheist
“As humanity moves forward, using science and reason to better
understand the universe, many people nevertheless reflexively
assume that ancient religions are needed for ethical living. Phil
Zuckerman dismantles those assumptions brilliantly in What It Means
to Be Moral, demonstrating that morality is perfectly consistent
with secularity, that hope for a better world need not be reliant
on outdated theology.” —David Niose, author of Nonbeliever Nation:
The Rise of Secular Americans
“In this brilliant, provocative, and timely book, Phil Zuckerman
breaks down the myth that our morality comes from
religion—compellingly 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
“Phil Zuckerman skewers the sacred cows of religious infallibility
and God–based morality with biting wit and alacrity. He provides
engaging historical, philosophical, social, and personal examples
to bolster his argument that relying upon theistic interpretations
of morality and ethics amounts to 'moral outsourcing.' Taking aim
at the highly subjective, crazy–quilt nature of religious moralism,
Zuckerman convincingly refutes the so–called universal truisms,
values, and codes imposed on mere mortals by omnipotent deities. In
so doing, he provides a solid case for humanistic morality as an
antidote to the blind dogma and bigotry fueling the United States’
increasingly polarizing political climate.” —Sikivu Hutchinson,
author of White Nights, Black Paradise
“In this book, Phil Zuckerman provides an important argument for
and examples of moral living without God. His depiction of secular
morality offers readers a view into the meaning and depth of human
encounter in and with the world. There is no anger or
dismissiveness in his narrative—simply insights, sharp and
compelling. I highly recommend this book.” —Anthony B. Pinn, author
of Humanism and the Challenge of Difference
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