Hutchinson’s paper addresses the question of how to engage arguments put forward by the New Atheists by offering a critique of scientism, the assumption that scientific knowledge is all the real knowledge there is.
Editor’s Note: After some discussion surrounding the use of the world “militant” in the last video from Ian Hutchinson, we’ve asked him to clarify his use of the word in the paper. He responds in this video:
What do I mean by Militant? Nothing different from what the dictionary says. ‘Vigorously active and aggressive, especially in support of a cause’ (Free Online Dictionary). The Pocket Oxford Dictionary says ‘engaged in warfare (Church militant, Christians on earth), combative,’ So this ephithet has not historically been considered an insult and is not intended by me as one. Militant atheists is a factual description of those who are active and aggressive in support of their atheist cause. If they wish to return the compliment by referring to militant Christians, they will have some historical precedent and I shall not complain, but I am personally less aggressive, even if perhaps not less vigorous, than the likes of those who are often called New Atheists!
For more, see Ian Hutchinson’s full paper Engaging Today’s Militant Atheist Arguments