Amanda Figueroa '11
American Nonbelief: Roots of Atheism in the History, Philosophy, and Literature of the Modern Period
In the years leading up to World War I,
American religious attitudes were shifting away from strict
devotion towards a more secular society. However, years
later, at the close of
World War II,
religiosity in the
United States was at
a new high.
Examining history,
philosophy, and
literature throughout
the modern era
provides insight into
the shifting purpose
and fervor of religion in America, as affected by the two
World Wars, developing technology, European philosophy,
and other influences. Although the roots of nonbelief in
America were present throughout this time frame, this
work finds that rather than follow European counterparts
towards a less religious society, United States culture
adapted religious fundamentalism for use as a defining
characteristic of what it meant to be American in the last
half of the twentieth century.
