The Psychology of Atheism - "Defective Father Hypothesis"

The Psychology of Atheism

Paul Vitz

Professor Emeritus of Psychology at New York University

"Defective Father Hypothesis"

1.  Abandoning father: rejects, abandons his family;
2.  Abusive father: critical, hostile, a tyrant at home;
3.  Dead father: dies, non-existent in the eyes of young children.

Evidence: Dr. Vitz looked at the childhood at many of the very famous atheists in history:

- "strong" or "intense" atheists; not looking at "mild" or "soft" atheists;

- Friedrich Nietzsche, David Hume, Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre, Sigmund Freud, Madalyn Murray O'Hare, Ludwig Feuerbach, etc. 

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