Michael Shermer
Founder, Skeptic Magazine · b. 1954
Michael Shermer is the founder and publisher of Skeptic magazine (1992) and the Skeptics Society, and for many years wrote a monthly column for Scientific American. He is one of the most prolific writers on the intersection of science, belief, and morality in the secular tradition.
His background makes him an unusual voice in this space: he was an evangelical Christian before becoming an atheist through his own study of evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, and cognitive psychology. He approaches religious belief not as something strange or pathological but as something deeply human — and then asks what the evidence actually supports.
His most important contribution may be his framework for understanding why humans believe: the brain is fundamentally a pattern-recognition system that generates beliefs before reasons, and then works backward. Understanding this is useful for everyone, believers and skeptics alike.
The brain is a belief engine
Shermer's central thesis, developed in The Believing Brain, is that humans form beliefs first — through pattern recognition and emotional response — and then construct justifications afterward. This applies to religious belief as much as any other. Understanding this process is the beginning of more honest thinking.
Morality is empirical, not divine
His book The Moral Arc argues that moral progress is real, measurable, and has occurred primarily through the expansion of reason and science rather than through religion. He charts the abolition of slavery, the growth of rights, the reduction of violence — and traces each to secular, empirical forces.
Skepticism as a method, not an attitude
Through Skeptic magazine and the Skeptics Society, Shermer has consistently argued that skepticism is not cynicism or denial — it is a commitment to proportioning belief to evidence. This applies to fringe science, conspiracy theories, and supernatural claims equally.
Former believer turned investigator
Shermer was an evangelical Christian before becoming an atheist through his study of science and philosophy. His inside knowledge of how religious belief feels from the inside gives his critique unusual empathy — he is not dismissive of what believers experience, only of the supernatural explanations.
We can ask: why is there something rather than nothing? But if the answer is God, then we have only pushed the question back one step. Why is there a God rather than nothing?
Essential books
On why people believe
Michael Shermer — The pattern behind self-deception (TED)
Best quotes
“Humans are pattern-seeking, story-telling animals. We look for patterns in noise, meaning in randomness — and when we find a pattern that fits, we believe it, regardless of whether it's true.”
“Science is the only means we have of knowing what is real. Everything else is opinion.”
“The moral arc of the universe bends toward justice because humans have worked hard to bend it.”
“We can ask, Why is there something rather than nothing? — but if the answer is God, then we have only pushed the question back one step. Why is there a God rather than nothing?”
“Beliefs are not chosen. They come to us through a complex interaction of our nature and our experience. But we can choose to examine them.”
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Daniel Dennett
The philosopher who asked why religion exists — and what to do about it.
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A clear introduction to what atheism actually means.
The argument from religious experience
The argument from religious experience — why so many believe.