Unverdiente Privilegien? Zur Kritik atheistischer Überlegenheitsansprüche und deren Legitimierung durch den Evidentialismus

In the first part of this article, some strategies are analyzed with the help of which atheists attempt to claim unearned cognitive privileges for their position. In particular, the connection between evidentialism and the 'presumption of atheism' (Anthony Flew) is scrutinized. In addition, Paul Cliteur's strategy to discredit agnosticism as a viable third option between theism and atheism in order to privilege atheism is investigated. In the second part of this article, evidentialism is reconstructed as being a context-dependent doctrine and the issue of (a) theism is treated under action-theoretical rather than epistemological parameters. As a result, the suggestion that the theist alone has the duty to legitimate her position while the atheist does not have any comparable duty is rejected and the issue of (a)theism is reconstructed without unearned cognitive privileges.