Self-deception and religious beliefs

Abstract

Criticism against religions and religious beliefs has taken many forms [1]. Some of the criticism is in a broad sense pragmatic, while other objections are epistemic or metaphysical. Famous critics such as Richard Dawkins and D.C. Dennett have presented a whole range of arguments against religious convictions. A special form of criticism is the idea that religious beliefs or “avowals” are actually results of self-deception [2]. Since self-deception is a form of irrationality, having religious beliefs is irrational, at least in the epistemic sense. This claim has been defended, among others, by Georges Rey and Adèle Mercier.