The Hitch, a Magnificent Intellect, a Magnificent Gentleman.

Greetings. Christopher Hitchens (April 13th of 1949 - December 15th of 2011)

Christopher Eric Hitchens was a British and American author, critic, educator, journalist, and intellectual. During his long, storied, and accomplished career Hitchens wrote 18 books on faith, culture, politics and literature. Born and educated in Great Britain, Hitchens graduated in the 1970s from Oxford with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics. By the dawn of the 1980s Hitchens had emigrated to the United States and wrote extensively for The Nation and Vanity Fair, becoming known for his intelligent and thoughtful approach to various topics of importance. His epistemological razor, "What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence" is still held in high regard in the fields of law, science, and philosophy.

Mr. Hitchens steadfastly defended the rights of free speech and of open inquiry, regardless of the particular topic or individual point of view being taken into consideration. I can fondly recall watching Mr. Hitchens on C-SPAN, usually with host Brian Lamb, engaging in candid discussions about politics, literature, or any other subjects that happened to be newsworthy at the time. It was during the early 1980's that I initially became aware of Mr. Hitchens, when I happened to come across some of his writings in The Nation. I was inspired by his candor and intelligence, and although I did not always agree with his positions, I was always inspired by his informed and well-considered approach.

Despite not being in agreement with all of Mr. Hitchens' opinions, there are some that have been vitally important in influencing the direction of my personal and professional life. Firstly, Mr. Hitchens' thoughts on religion. I completely agree with his assessments of religion's abhorrent impact on society, from sexist and male-dominated scenarios, to genital mutilation, to the fact that religious belief structures are built on nonsensical foundations, completely void of proof or evidence to support them. In other words, it is all a load of excrement. Secondly, his steadfast support of free inquiry and freedom of speech. The effort to critically think about topics, to embrace and utilize the intellectual capabilities we all have as primates, and to not surrender such efforts, all in the name of fanciful and entirely ficticious beliefs and claims. I still watch Mr. Hitchens on YouTube, for inspiration, and to reminisce about what once was and is no more.

Just a few of my favorite quotes from Mr. Hitchens are as follows: 

"My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line, and kiss my ass."

"We owe a huge debt to Galileo for emancipating us all from the stupid belief in an Earth-centered or man-centered (let alone God-centered) system. He quite literally taught us our place and allowed us to go on to make extraordinary advances in knowledge."

"Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not a faith. We do not rely soley upon science and reason, because these are necessary rather than sufficient factors, but we distrust anything that contradicts science or outrages reason. We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free inquiry, openmindedness, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake."

"Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the 'transcendent' and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don't be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you."

"I am not even an atheist so much as an antitheist; I not only maintain that all religions are versions of the same untruth, but I hold that the influence of churches and the effect of religious belief, is positively harmful. Reviewing the false claims of religion I do not wish, as some sentimental materialists affect to wish, that they were true. I do not envy believers their faith. I am relieved to think that the whole story is a sinister fairy tale; life would be miserable if what the faithful affirmed was actually true.... There may be people who wish to live their lives under cradle-to-grave divine supervision, a permanent surveillance and monitoring. But I cannot imagine anything more horrible or grotesque."

Magnificent words all.

My personal collection of YouTube videos featuring Christopher Hitchens is available at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKFUlbtBZPdayuepD-TGXNXV65gH8PvLQ&si=bq0evzZr47JI758S

The Facebook group I created in honor of Mr. Hitchens, entitled "Hitchens' Razor: A Historical Perspective" is available at https://www.facebook.com/share/g/WYfQKjpwFH794chB/?mibextid=A7sQZp

Christopher Hitchens passed away on December 15th of 2011. The world has never been the same without him.

Thank you for your time and indulgence.