Brook Ziporyn's "Zhuangzi: The Complete Writings" is a translation of foundational Daoist texts. The book presents Zhuangzi's ideas, which Ziporyn later connects to a critique of theism in "Experiments in Mystical Atheism." In this related work, Ziporyn argues for a "mystical atheism" as an alternative to the divide between theism and scientism. He proposes a positive, "religious" rejection of God that finds meaning not in a creator or dependent creatures, but in "godless epiphanies" drawn from traditions like Daoism, Buddhism, Spinoza, Nietzsche, and Bataille.
This approach seeks to renew philosophy by moving beyond the limitations of both religious devotion and secular reductionism. By engaging with Zhuangzi and other thinkers, Ziporyn suggests a path toward a sensibility that is both deeply atheist and richly religious, offering a new perspective on meaning and spiritual experience in contemporary thought.
Key concepts
- Mystical Atheism — An affirmative atheism that rejects God without needing a creator for meaning or finite creatures in need of it.
- Godless Epiphanies — Moments of profound insight found within atheistic traditions, offering a path to spiritual renewal.
- Theism-Scientism Divide — The perceived conflict in Western philosophy between religious belief and scientific rationalism.
- Daoism — A philosophical tradition from which Ziporyn draws to develop his concept of mystical atheism.