ATHEISM, a word of modern formation, from Gr. atheos, "without God," signifies the doctrine of those who deny the existence of a God. The term atheist conveys such terrible associations to almost all minds, that there is perhaps no reproach from which men shrink more; and yet it has been freely applied by the zealous of all ages to those whose notions of the invisible powers differed from their own. The imputation is the most damaging that can be made, and it requires only a little ingenuity to make out a case of ronstructree A. from any set of opinions at all differing from the common. Thus, the ancient Greeks accused some of their philosophers of A. though they did not deny the existence of a divinity, but only rejected the common notions of a plurality of gods. And in the Christian church, after the doctrine of the Trinity had been fixed and defined, those that denied the divinity of Christ were not unusually branded as atheists.
The horror inspired by this name is strikingly shown in the way it is repudiated by the adherents of pantheism (q.v.), who reject a personal god, and substitute the idealized principle of order that pervades the universe. It is hardly to be denied, however, that the idea associated with the word God has hitherto involved personality as its very essence; and, except for thb Purpose of avoiding odium, there could be little propriety in retaining the word when the notion is so completely altered.
The view of those who, like Rant, believe it impossible to demonstrate satisfactorily the existence of God, though it must be held on other grounds, is called speculative A., in opposition to the dogmatic A. of those who attempt to disprove that existence.