• Challenges the conception of agnosticism, arguing that it is a respectable position to take
• Argues that agnosticism is not confined to the religious sphere, but something we encounter in science and ethics
• Considers agnosticism as a historical and social phenomenon, introducing both the ideas and the people involved
• Examines some of the fundamental questions surrounding the subject

  
What is agnosticism? Is it just the 'don't know' position on God, or is there more to it than this? Is it a belief, or merely the absence of belief? Who were the first to call themselves 'agnostics'? 
 
These are just some of the questions that Robin Le Poidevin considers in this Very Short Introduction. He sets the philosophical case for agnosticism and explores it as a historical and cultural phenomenon. What emerges is a much more sophisticated, and much more interesting, attitude than a simple failure to either commit to, or reject, religious belief. Le Poidevin challenges some preconceptions and assumptions among both believers and non-atheists, and invites the reader to rethink their own position on the issues.