An Exploratory Middle Ground Position Between Atheism And...

David Eagleman, during an interview with National Public Radio in February of 2009, coined the term â€Å"Possibilianism†. An exploratory middle ground position between atheism and theism. In this essay I argue that possibilianism as a new standpoint in the debate on the existence of God is irrelevant, as it holds the same ideological stance as agnosticism. In an article written by Eagleman titled â€Å"Beyond God and atheism: Why I am a possibilian† he says that â€Å"we know too little to commit to strict atheism, and too much to commit to any religion† (Eagleman, 2), this is the driving force behind his possibilianists standpoint. From my understanding, possibilianism is a philosophy that rejects the certainties held by both atheists who would argue in the complete non-existence of God and similarly theists who would vouch for His definite existence. In this situation we take God to refer to the monotheistic and orthodox depiction, as seen in the Christian, Judaism and Islamic faiths. Possibilianists are open to the ideas that we currently have no way of testing the existence of God, however we should hold off a definite judgement until further evidence can be provided through scientific research and exploration. Possibilianists emphasize the active exploration of new, unconsidered notions whereby anything goes at first (Eagleman, 3), but science is then added into the equation to rule out the impossible, and often to provide insights into new parts and possibilities. The overall