Richard Dawkins' Spectrum of God Probability

The Range of Theism, Agnosticism, and Atheism

Nov 2, 2009

In his book ,The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins determines a scale for mankind's belief in the probability of the existence of god.

For thousands of years, philosophers have speculated about the divine. Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, Einstein, Sartre – these great thinkers and millions of others have considered the likelihood of a personal God or creator. To measure individuals' belief in such a god, Richard Dawkins in his book, The God Delusion, plots a seven point scale of conviction.

The Probability of God

In an era of free religion and thriving multiculturalism, a broad range of spiritual perspectives has emerged. As diverse as the religions of the world are, so too is there a diversity in the levels of individuals' personal belief in God.

Religious Westerners tend to embrace theistic religions, ones which believe in a creator God. The conviction of their belief, however, varies. At the polar opposite end of the spectrum are atheists, those certain of a universe devoid of divinity. And in the middle there are the agnostics, avoiding what they call a futile and unknowable argument.

Dawkins' Seven Point Scale

Measuring the range of belief in a creator God, Richard Dawkins devises this point scale:

This spectrum of conviction encompasses the beliefs of billions of individuals from many cultures, and while it may not directly apply to spiritual movements such as Buddhism or Confucianism, it does shed light on theists, polytheists, agnostics, and atheists.

More importantly, the scale, rather than immediately designating individuals to a percentage, forces readers to search within themselves and ask, if they have not already, to what degree do they actually believe in God? Do you know God exists? Are you uncertain? Or are you certain in the absence of God?

Theists, Atheists, and Agnostics

Basically, Dawkins maps the poles from devout theism to complete atheism. He charts the foggy regions of the mind and soul so that people might better know where they stand. Struggling for science, Dawkins echoes the biblical words, "Know thyself."

The degree to which an individual does believe in the existence of God surely has profound effects on his or her daily behavior. After considering Dawkins' spectrum, individuals might reevaluate the spiritual stances. If nothing else, Dawkins' proposal makes a call for introspective self-analysis. Ultimately, he encourages others to think independently about their individual beliefs and the world around them.

The copyright of the article Richard Dawkins' Spectrum of God Probability in Philosophy is owned by William Padgett. Permission to republish Richard Dawkins' Spectrum of God Probability in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.