Agnosticism

Agnosticism is the view that God’s existence cannot be known. The term comes from a which means “no” and gnosis which means “knowledge.” Thus, agnosticism literally means “no knowledge.” In the realm of metaphysics it is the view that there is “no knowledge” concerning God. Agnosticism can take two forms. The first is that knowledge of God is not possible. Immanuel Kant took this view when he argued that the noumenal realm, i.e., the realm of metaphysics and areas like God and the soul, was unknowable to reason. Kant himself believed in God, but he did not believe that reason could lead to any true knowledge of God. The second form of agnosticism asserts that God’s existence is simply not known. A person espousing this second form of agnosticism would say, “I just don’t know if there is a God or not.” Agnosticism should not be confused with atheism—the view that God does not exist. The word “agnostic” was first used by T. H. Huxley in 1869.