Anti-heroes are a riff on noble enemies – they are more complicated, often darker than the straightforward noble enemies. They make people uncomfortable, but also satisfy the human desire for elusive goodness. They include characters like Dirty Harry, Sam Spade, Raskolnikov, Dr. Gregory House, and Huckleberry Finn.

The problem with contemporary non-belief is that it is so uninteresting, and intellectually sterile. The influencers of today, however, largely non-believers, have been more skillful in operating the machinery of public opinion.