Table of Contents (Abridged)

  • I. Introduction
    • 1. What This Is - 3
    • 2. How I Got Here - 9
  • II. How We Know
    • 1. Philosophy: What It Is and Why You Should Care - 23
    • 2. Understanding the Meaning in What We Think and Say - 27
    • 3. Method - 49
  • III. What There Is
    • 1. The Idea of a "Worldview" - 65
    • 2. A General Outline of Metaphysical Naturalism - 67
    • 3. The Nature and Origin of the Universe - 71
    • 4. The Fixed Universe and Freedom of the Will - 97
    • 5. What Everything is Made of - 119
    • 6. The Nature of Mind - 135
    • 7. The Meaning of Life - 161
    • 8. How Did We Get Here? - 165
    • 9. The Nature of Reason - 177
    • 10. The Nature of Emotion - 193
  • IV. What There Isn't
    • 1. Not Much Place for the Paranormal - 211
    • 1.1 Science and the Supernatural - 213
    • 1.2 Miracles and Historical Method - 227
    • 2. Atheism: Seven Reasons to be Godless - 253
  • V. Natural Morality
    • 1. Secular Humanism vs. Christian Theism - 293
    • 2. Morality in Metaphysical Naturalism - 313
    • 3. Moral Conclusions: Tying it All Together - 345
  • VI. Natural Beauty
    • 1. Beauty as Emotional Appraisal - 351
    • 2. Eight Rules of Beauty - 353
    • 3. Beauty in Human Life - 361
  • VII. Natural Politics
    • 1. Morality vs. Politics - 369
    • 2. The Rationality of the Moderate - 371
    • 3. Basic Political Theory - 375
    • 4. The Politics of Metaphysical Naturalism - 381
    • 5. My Politics - 389
    • 6. The Secular Humanist's Heaven - 405
  • VIII. Conclusion - 409
    • Index - 415