Antony Flew

Antony Flew, born on February 11, 1923, was a prominent English philosopher known for his contributions to the philosophy of religion. He was affiliated with the analytic and evidentialist schools of thought and held teaching positions at several esteemed universities, including Oxford, Aberdeen, Keele, and Reading in the United Kingdom, as well as York University in Toronto, Canada.

Throughout much of his career, Flew was a staunch advocate of atheism, positing that one should maintain an atheistic stance until empirical evidence for the existence of God is presented. He critically examined concepts such as life after death, the free will defense regarding the problem of evil, and the meaningfulness of the idea of God. In 2003, he was a signatory of the Humanist Manifesto III and contributed to philosophical discourse by developing the No true Scotsman fallacy and engaging in debates on retrocausality with Michael Dummett.

In a surprising turn of events in 2004, Flew publicly announced his belief in an intelligent designer of the universe, a shift that astonished many of his colleagues and fellow atheists. He identified with Deism, particularly the Aristotelian concept of God as a Divine Watchmaker, who, while not intervening in human affairs, is responsible for the universe's intricate workings. Flew consistently dismissed the notion of converting to Christianity, Islam, or any other religion, asserting that his commitment to follow the evidence had led him to this new belief.

In 2007, Flew co-authored a book titled 'There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind' with Roy Abraham Varghese, which detailed his reasons for this significant change in perspective. The book included a chapter discussing the resurrection of Jesus. Despite claims from some, including Mark Oppenheimer, that Flew's cognitive abilities had declined due to senility and that Varghese was the primary author, Flew maintained that the book accurately represented his views, acknowledging that Varghese had assisted with the writing due to his advanced age.