At the end of a century whose catastrophic violence has irreparably damaged the human capacity for hope, our knowledge of the origins of life has so deepened that we can create life artificially. In this book the author seeks to articulate our experience of the present condition. He asks: What is it that sustains our modern confidence in being alive? Subjects discussed range from modern cosmology to Philip Larkin. He concludes by asking: Can there, will there be major philosophy. literature, music and art of an atheist provenance?