Dharma

this is a pretty good site for world "non-theistic philosophical" history.

http://www.hyperskepticism.com/secular/biblio.html
Atheists in India are referred to as "Nastiks" and are generally people who went against the Vedas. This includes Buddhists (couldn't care less about God), Jains (Agnostic) and Charvakas and Hindu Samkhya schools of thought is Atheistic , there is also the Atheistic Buddhist sect called the "Ajivikas"..Uddalaka and Makali Gosali were atheists around 600 bce.

However, one wonders whether the Vedas themselves are Atheistic since the daily 'prayer' of the Hindus includes the prayer, "I am 'the highest Oneness'"... :Cheeky:

of course by "atheistic" Hinduism, it means they did not agree with many priests to some "God" higher than themselves or other than themselves.

Answerer

Ok, before anyone get the wrong idea again............

Actually, the closest thing that ancient Chinese have to "God or absolute being" is Heaven, which can be easily seen from some of their important worshipping sites and traditions. Of course, words like "Son of Heaven" (Used to describe Ancient Chinese emperor), "Mandate of the Heaven" and "Heaven Will" would have already given you guys the hint.

If any of you study I Ching, the book of change, Heaven is already regarded as the "absolute and highest authority" representing divination number 100 followed by the emperor, the son of Heaven, with the divination number nine & five or 95 which is also the greatest divination number a normal human can hope to achieve in his lifetime. Everything, (Disasters or whatever) that occurred, are usually attributed to the hidden designs of "Shang Tian" or "Great Heaven".

However, there are some big differences between Chinese's Heaven and theist God. Heaven, although is believed to have the power to affect and change causes & events, has no control over humans' thoughts, actions, choices & emotions in life. (or in other words, will) And furthermore, Heaven, unlike God, is believed to have a karmic nature, it rewards kind & good people regardless of any races, beliefs or colours while punishes the wicked. And the extent of Heaven's benevolence (a concept often preached by confucius) covered all sentinel beings, not just humans.

Even though, Chinese have a custom of predicting the future or "Heaven Will", they knew that nothing is certain in the future as it is often subject to changes due to human's choices and actions. In contrast, most conservative followers of the Abrahamic religions had a strict belief of "inviolated" coming future prophecies which indirectly contradict their "free will" explanation.


I hope that is clear enough.........

Dharma

I think we must remember that for the most part people east of Iran (including India and China) and the Greeks never really thought of themselves as separate from divine...simply that kings were more divine since they fight and conquer, but the king was one of their own people, the best of them...and the concept of divine was simply one who was the purest and bravest...a good person. Thus the idea of God as an old guy separate from humans with a whip and chains, never really occurred...the "gods" were their own ancestors...great human beings who did great things. In that sense much of ancient eastern thought is atheistic in the sense that there is no super natural power, only great human beings. Man NEVER FELL. Indians and Chinese would ALL enter heaven and have fun with their ancestors as long as they were good.

West of Iran (beginning in Sumeria) we had the concept of humans being created as little clay dolls for some all powerful separate God to play with -- not only are humans clay dolls, they fall from heaven on top of it for learning...and so we have the very enslaving idea of humans who are created as slaves for some diety God.

And it is knowledge of this background and the differences that we must approach Eastern systems of thought, Greek systems of thought and Abrahamic theistic systems of thought.

Answerer

Oh, I forget to add as well, the ancient Persians don't believe in One God as well, they believe in "Two/Dual Gods".

Well, at least until Islam defeated them and you know....................

andrewcriddle

Epicurus did not IIUC disbelieve in the existence of the Gods.

He held that they do exist but are utterly irrelevant to human life.

Andrew Criddle

Therese

Thank you very much everyone! I have alot to read up on now.

When I asked my question, I was thinking about people who did not believe in any god or gods at all, however some of the above cultures and peoples mentioned which do believe in 'something' (just not specifically a god or gods) look very interesting also.

I was at one time sucked into the fear of a god - I was a Jehovah's Wittness by choice and before that, a Catholic by force - but since realising that the world just doesn't work like that I have become a far happier and well balanced person. It is nice to know that throughout history there have been others who have been clever enough to realise that theism is counterproductive!

Biff the unclean

Modern Atheists do not disbelieve either. Like the Epicureans they lack a belief in the gods

John A. Broussard

Socrates was brought to trial for being an atheist.

Toto

I have never heard Socrates accused of being an atheist.

The Trial of Socrates

andrewcriddle

My point is that IIUC Epicurus had a firm dogmatic belief in the existence of the Gods.

But he also had an equally firm belief in their irrelevance.

Andrew Criddle