Onfray, Michel

Michel Onfray (1959-) is a French philosopher and prominent advocate of hedonistic atheism and philosophical materialism. A prolific author, Onfray has written over 50 books challenging religious orthodoxy and promoting secular ethics. His atheist manifesto "In Defense of Atheism: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam" (2007) presents a systematic critique of the Abrahamic traditions, arguing that monotheism has fostered violence, intolerance, and opposition to human flourishing. Onfray advocates for a post-Christian atheist philosophy rooted in Epicurean and Cyrenaic hedonism, emphasizing pleasure, the body, and earthly existence over transcendent concerns. He founded the Université Populaire de Caen in 2002 to democratize philosophical education outside traditional academic institutions. His work represents a distinctly French tradition of militant atheism, combining Nietzschean critique of religion with libertarian political philosophy and ethical hedonism.