Antony Flew
A philosopher who famously championed atheism for decades before publicly reversing his position, arguing that science pointed to an intelligent creator.
1923–2010 (age 87)·English analytic and evidentialist philosopher·Birthday: February 11·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Antony Flew was one of the most prominent intellectual combatants in the 20th-century debate over religion, known for his razor-sharp logic and willingness to follow evidence wherever it led. For over fifty years, he was atheism's most formidable philosophical advocate, publishing influential papers and engaging in public debates where his principle of 'following the evidence' was his mantra. In a stunning intellectual volte-face announced in 2004, Flew stated he now believed in a deistic God, largely due to arguments about the complexity of DNA and the fine-tuning of the universe. While he rejected revealed religion, his shift, detailed in the book 'There Is a God', sent shockwaves through philosophical and theological circles, becoming a defining case of a thinker publicly renouncing a lifelong stance.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Antony was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Antony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Antony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2010Died at 87
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Authored the seminal essay 'Theology and Falsification', a central text in modern philosophy of religion debates.
- Publicly renounced his long-held atheism in 2004, citing scientific evidence for intelligent design.
- Held academic positions at prestigious universities including Oxford, Aberdeen, Keele, Reading, and York University (Toronto).
- Engaged in landmark public debates with prominent theologians and philosophers like William Lane Craig and Gary Habermas.
Did You Know?
His father was a Methodist minister, which Flew said initially spurred his interest in religious questions.
He served in the Royal Air Force intelligence unit during World War II.
He was a founding member of the Oxford University Socratic Club, a forum for debate between Christians and atheists.
His change of mind on God's existence was the subject of significant controversy, with some alleging he was influenced by his co-authors in his later years.
“We must follow the argument wherever it leads.”
