Agnostic atheism
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Agnostic atheism is a philosophical position in which a person does not believe in the existence of god or gods, and also states that they do not possess certain knowledge about whether god exists or does not exist. It therefore combines two distinct elements: belief (the absence of belief) and knowledge (the claim to no certainty).
The conventional distinction rests on the definitions of the terms: 'atheist' refers to someone who lacks belief in god, while 'agnostic' refers to someone who claims that the question of god's existence is beyond the reach of human knowledge, or at least cannot currently be determined. These two positions are not mutually exclusive and can be held by the same person.
Belief and knowledge
In modern philosophy, belief is understood as acceptance of a statement as true, while knowledge typically requires belief, truth, and sufficient evidence or justification. When these are separated, it is possible for a person to say: 'I do not believe that god exists, but I do not claim to know with certainty that god does not exist.' This is the position of agnostic atheism.
Distinction from other positions
Gnostic or strong atheism claims certainty or sufficient evidence for denying the existence of god. Agnostic theism refers to someone who believes in god but does not claim certain knowledge. Agnostic alone, without belief, is often interpreted as neutrality: the person has not reached a conclusion.
Terminology dispute
The term 'agnostic' is conventionally attributed to Thomas Henry Huxley in the nineteenth century, who used it to describe a position of thought that rejected claims to knowledge lacking evidence. Some scholars argue that agnostic answers an epistemological question while atheism answers a question of belief; others view both as independent positions on equal standing. This debate continues.