{"product_id":"the-four-horsemen-isbn-9780525511953","title":"The Four Horsemen","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn 2007, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett filmed a landmark discussion about modern atheism. The video went viral. Now in print for the first time, the transcript of their conversation is illuminated by new essays from three of the original participants and an introduction by Stephen Fry.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At the dawn of the new atheist movement, the thinkers who became known as “the four horsemen,” the heralds of religion's unraveling—Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett—sat down together over cocktails. What followed was a rigorous, pathbreaking, and enthralling exchange, which has been viewed millions of times since it was first posted on YouTube. This is intellectual inquiry at its best: exhilarating, funny, and unpredictable, sincere and probing, reminding us just how varied and colorful the threads of modern atheism are.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Here is the transcript of that conversation, in print for the first time, augmented by material from the living participants: Dawkins, Harris, and Dennett. These new essays, introduced by Stephen Fry, mark the evolution of their thinking and highlight particularly resonant aspects of this epic exchange. Each man contends with the most fundamental questions of human existence while challenging the others to articulate their own stance on God and religion, cultural criticism, spirituality, debate with people of faith, and the components of a truly ethical life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe Four Horsemen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “This bracing exchange of ideas crackles with energy. It’s fascinating to watch four first-class minds explore a rugged intellectual terrain. . . . The text affords a different, more reflective way of processing the truly vital exchange of ideas. . . . I commend the book to those seeking an honest reckoning with their religion—and those curious about how the world looks from a rigorously naturalistic and atheistic point of view.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “The full, electrifying transcript of the one and only conversation between the quartet of luminaries dubbed the ‘four horsemen’ of the New Atheism, which took place in Washington, D.C., in 2007. Among the vast range of ideas and questions they discuss: Is it ever possible to win a war of ideas? Is spirituality the preserve of the religious? And, are there any truths you would rather not know?”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Bookseller\u003c\/i\u003e (UK) (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“If thinking were a sport, these four would be national superstars—and reading \u003ci\u003eThe Four Horsemen\u003c\/i\u003e feels like having a front-row seat at the all-star game. This is more than a book about atheism and religion—it’s a lesson in how to use our intellect to cut through the haze of delusion and misconception inherent in any human society.”\u003cb\u003e—Tim Urban, writer of Wait But Why?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “For people inclined to disbelieve supernatural explanations—in America, we few, we happy few, we band of brothers and sisters—\u003ci\u003eThe Four Horsemen\u003c\/i\u003e is a smart, fun, funny, seriously provocative primer.”\u003cb\u003e—Kurt Andersen, host of Studio 360 and author of \u003ci\u003eFantasyland\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“We are slowly losing the hard-won right, gained by brave heroes of the enlightenment such as Voltaire and Hume, to be free to criticize religion without persecution and prosecution; the crime of blasphemy is creeping back. The words of Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, and Dennett are needed more than ever. These are the heirs to Voltaire.”\u003cb\u003e—Matt Ridley, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Evolution of Everything\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“These four are the kinds of thinkers we don’t get enough of anymore: unapologetic, uncompromising, and deeply generous with one another as well as with anyone who happens to be listening in. You needn’t be an atheist or a horseman to relish every word of this delightful book. You just need to be hungry for genuine intellectual inquiry and open debate. And, let’s face it, you’re probably starving.”\u003cb\u003e—Meghan Daum, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Unspeakable\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This conversation is as good a place as any to mark the start of the Atheist revolution.”\u003cb\u003e—Penn Jillette, author of \u003ci\u003eGod, No!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Blasphemous, erudite, devastatingly truthful, slyly hilarious . . . Reading this book is like getting to spend a profound afternoon with some of our greatest intellectuals.”\u003cb\u003e—Julia Sweeney, actress, comedian, author\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I was gripped. Throughout this erudite conversation the humility and openness of science shines against religion’s arrogance, hypocrisy, and sheer gall in just ‘making stuff up.’ How refreshing it is.”\u003cb\u003e—Susan Blackmore, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Meme Machine \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eChristopher Hitchens\u003c\/b\u003e (1949–2011) was an English-born American author, journalist, and literary critic. He was a contributor to magazines including \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair, The Atlantic, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e World Affairs \u003c\/i\u003eand the author of \u003ci\u003eGod Is Not Great\u003c\/i\u003e and many other books.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eRichard Dawkins\u003c\/b\u003e is a fellow of the Royal Society and was the inaugural holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair of Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. He is the acclaimed author of many books, including \u003ci\u003eThe Selfish Gene \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e The God Delusion.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eSam Harris\u003c\/b\u003e is a neuroscientist, philosopher, writer, podcaster, and the author of the bestselling books \u003ci\u003eThe End of Faith, \u003c\/i\u003ewinner of the PEN\/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction; \u003ci\u003eLetter to a Christian Nation;\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWaking Up\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eDaniel Dennett\u003c\/b\u003e is the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy and co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. He is the author of many books, including \u003ci\u003eConsciousness Explained, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, Breaking the Spell, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e From Bacteria to Bach and Back\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eStephen Fry\u003c\/b\u003e is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter, and film director.In Good Company \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sam Harris     \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEver since the phrase ‘the New Atheists’ appeared in print, I have found myself celebrated or abused in the same breath with Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens. Needless to say, I’ve been greatly honoured by the association. It has, however, conveyed a false sense that we often schemed together in person. Although two or three of us would occasionally meet at conferences or other events, the book you are about to read provides a transcript of the only conversation the four of us ever had. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Christopher died in 2011, which gives this record a special poignancy. There is no question that his absence has been keenly felt in recent years. More times than I can count, strangers have come forward to say, ‘I miss Hitch.’ Their words are always uttered in protest over some fresh crime against reason or good taste. They are spoken after a bully passes by, smirking and unchallenged, whether on the left or on the right. They have become a mantra of sorts, intoned without any hope of effect, in the face of dangerous banalities or lies. Often, I hear in them a note of reproach. Sometimes it’s intended. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI, too, miss Hitch. But I will resist the temptation to offer further eulogy here. After all, the time will come when the rest of us have also left the stage. However, it seems that a record of our conversation will remain. We filmed it almost as an afterthought. I’m very glad we did. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Treating Richard, Dan, Christopher and me as a four- headed atheist has always elided significant differences of emphasis and opinion, but it was fair enough on the important points: Is there a distinction between believing things for good reasons and believing them for bad ones? Do science and religion differ in the degree to which they observe this distinction? Put this way, the debate is over before it even begins. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e However disparate our interests, each of us was acutely aware that religious dogmatism hinders the growth of honest knowledge and divides humanity to no necessary purpose. The latter is a dangerous irony, of course, because one of religion’s most vaunted powers is that it unites people. It does that too, but generally by amplifying tribalism and spawning moralistic fears that would not otherwise exist. The fact that sane men and women can often be found doing good for God’s sake is no rejoinder here, because faith gives them bad reasons for doing good when good reasons are available. These are points that each of the four of us has made again and again, whether to applause or to stony silence. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn truth, not much need be said to close the door on belief in an omniscient, omnipotent and benevolent deity of the sort imagined by Christians, Muslims and Jews. Open any newspaper, and what do you find? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Today, a set of identical twin girls born with microcephaly in Brazil. How does something like this happen? Their mother was bitten by a mosquito carrying the Zika virus – which God, in his abundance, also made. Among the many unhappy effects of this virus is to produce tiny heads, tiny brains, and commensurately tiny lives for the offspring of any woman unlucky enough to be infected. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Imagine the woman herself a few months ago, doing everything within her power to prepare a happy life for her unborn daughters. Where does she work? A factory. How often does she pray? Daily, no doubt. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But at the crucial moment she sleeps. Perhaps she’s dreaming of a world better than the one we live in. Pic- ture a lone mosquito finding her open window. Picture it alighting upon her exposed arm. Will an omnipotent, omniscient and wholly benevolent God muster the slightest defence? Not even a breeze. The mosquito’s proboscis pierces her skin immediately. What are the faithful to believe at this point? One suspects they know that their God isn’t nearly as attentive as he would be if he actually existed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo there was nothing to stop this tiny monster – descended from a long line of monsters that have been spreading disease for some 200 million years – from drinking this woman’s innocent blood and, in return for a meal, destroying the lives of her unborn girls. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The facts of a single case dismantle whole libraries of theological hairsplitting and casuistry. And yet the hor- ror compounds. Picture the woman noticing the welt on her arm the next morning – just a minor annoyance in a life soon to be filled with tragedy. Perhaps she’s heard reports of Zika and knows how the virus is spread. Her prayers now acquire a special fervour. To what end? Can the consolations of a faith so utterly misplaced outweigh the irony of worshipping a deity this impotent or evil – or, indeed, imaginary? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In the absence of God, we find true sources of hope and consolation. Art, literature, sport, philosophy – along with other forms of creativity and contemplation – do not require ignorance or lies to be enjoyed. And then there is science – which, apart from its intrinsic rewards, will be the true source of mercy in the present case. When a vac- cine or a cure for Zika is finally found, preventing untold misery and death, will the faithful thank God for it? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e No doubt they will. And so these conversations must continue . . .Foreword by Stephen Fry","brand":"Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303732007141,"sku":"NP9780525511953","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780525511953.jpg?v=1767739409","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-four-horsemen-isbn-9780525511953","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}