The Necessity of Atheism is a treatise on atheism by Percy Bysshe Shelley, published anonymously in 1811 while he was a student at University College, Oxford. A copy was sent as a pamphlet to all heads of Oxford colleges at the University and he was sent down (expelled) for not admitting authorship, together with his friend and fellow "Univ" student, Thomas Jefferson Hogg. Atheism, in its broadest sense, is characterized by an absence of belief in the existence of gods, thus contrasting with theism. ... Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley (August 4, 1792 – July 8, 1822) was one of the major English romantic poets and is esteemed by some scholars the finest lyric poet in the English language. ... 1811 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... University College (in full, the College of the Great Hall of the University, commonly known as University College in the University of Oxford, usually known by its derivative, Univ), is a contender for the claim to be the oldest of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the... ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Thomas Jefferson Hogg (1792 - 1862) was a British biographer. ...
A revised and expanded version was printed in 1813. 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...
References
Albery, John, et al., Shelley and Univ. 1810–1811, University College, Oxford, 20 June 1992. (Papers delivered by the Master and three Fellows of University College at a seminar to commemorate the bicentenary of Shelley's birth.)
Shelley, Percy Bysshe, The Necessity of Atheism and Other Essays. Prometheus Books (The Freethought Library), 1993. ISBN 0879757744.
Wyndham John Albery was Professor of Physical Chemistry at Imperial College London (ICL) and master of University College at the University of Oxford. ...
Atheism is the state either of being without theistic beliefs, or of actively disbelieving in the existence of deities.
Under the broader definition of atheism (that is, the "condition of being without theistic beliefs"), which is characteristic of "weak atheism", nonbelief, disbelief or doubt of the existence of deities are forms of atheism.
Thus, the concept of atheism re-emerged initially as a reaction to the intellectual and religious turmoil of the Age of Enlightenment and the Reformation — as a charge used by those who saw the denial of god and godlessness in the controversial positions being put forward by others.
Atheism as conscious rejection of theism=== The most common dictionary definition and understanding of atheism is that atheism is the conscious, purposeful rejection of theism.
Implicit atheism is defined by Smith as "the absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it." Explicit atheism is defined as "the absence of theistic belief due to a conscious rejection of it".
Merging "atheism as lack of belief" into "weak atheism" would also be a horrific idea; "weak atheism" and "strong atheism" are terms that have barely been popular for a decade, whereas "atheism as lack of belief" has been a definition for over 5,000 years.
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