Abiogenesis, the origin of life from inanimate chemicals, is believed to have occurred on earth in deep oceans, near thermal vents, and well away from atmospheric variables. The energy source was from the earth's core, where radionuclide decay, and the heat of formation, provided a long term source of heat for production of chemicals essential to kick-start life. This internal heat also kept the aqueous milieu at the appropriate temperature over extended periods, in order for life to arise.
So in its earliest phase, life could have arisen on earth without any atmosphere (dusty or not), and indeed even without the sun. The atmosphere and the sun would have been critical for the continuation of life long term, and its further evolution, providing both cover from high intensity sunlight, yet allowing in some light for photosynthesis to evolve. It is not likely that photosynthesis evolved from the get-go. The molecular mechanisms for trapping sunlight (aka the photosynthetic reaction center) to convert into chemical energy are likely too complex for the simplest life forms to develop. After some period, when life forms grew more complex and had more avenues to evolve into, such complex mechanisms could then arise.
On the other hand, surface life on a dusty planet seems more likely to arise than one exposed to direct, intense light. So perhaps the optical density of an atmosphere would play a vital role in the later course of evolution on a habitable planet, one that had first undergone sub-surface abiogenesis. Clearly (no pun), the atmosphere at some point likely clarifies, like it did on earth, in order for the most advanced life forms to arise. But they won't become very advanced if they could not see into the cosmos and attempt to determine what those many lights in the sky are all about...........