Dr. H. Narasimhaiah + video clip
2009-09-23 12:07:00 Dr. H. Narasimhaiah (1920-2005) was a physicist, eminent educator, Gandhian freedom fighter and rationalist from Bangalore, popularly known as HN. He taught from 1946 till 1957 when he proceeded to Columbus, Ohio to get his PhD degree in nuclear physics from Ohio State University (1960). During 1961-72 he led National College, Basavanagudi, Bangalore, as its ...
Minding the Animals: Ethology and the Obsolescence of Left Humanism
2009-05-16 01:10:00 By STEVEN BEST[Also published in The International Journal of INCLUSIVE DEMOCRACY, Vol. 5, No. 2 Spring 2009]"We do not regard the animals as moral beings. But do you suppose the animals regard us as moral beings? ? An animal which could speak said: 'Humanity is a prejudice of which we animals at least are free.'? --Friedrich Nietzsche What does it mean to be ?human?? The question, though it has occupied some of the greatest Western minds of philosophy, science, history, and political theory, could not have been answered with any plausibility until recently, for we have only begin to acquire the scientific knowledge necessary to provide an informed response. At the same time, recent scientific and technological developments have produced radical and vertiginous change. The possibilities of artificial intelligence, robotics, cloning, pharmacology, stem cell research, and genetic modification pose entirely new challenges for attempts to define ?human? in fixed and essentialist rathe...
The Humanity of it: A Brief History of Humanism in less than Thousand Words
2009-02-27 05:01:00 It may have been the Sophists of ancient Greece who have first put humanity on the ?map? and given humans a philosophical context. It was a step away from the pre-Socratic philosophers who were mostly interested in the phusis, the physical elements of nature. Yet after Protagoras man was suddenly made the ?measure of all things? and was a subject worth studying. Socrates, in fact, realized that every human being had a universal capacity; regardless of sex or social status; everyone could reason and through logic and the constant questioning of values they could be able to attain states of truth and wisdom. One of the points Socrates may not have been completely agreeing with is the Sophist claim that truth is relative and merely depends on one?s culture and upbringing.The practical Romans were less interested in the study of humanistic values, but preferred to look for bravery and heroism in each individual, in addition to politics and rhetoric, of how to manipulate people and gain ...
By: Arash's World
Reason/Humanism Collaborative MegaSite
2009-01-30 19:38:00 Greetings Advocates of Reason and Humanism, Are you interested in joining an ambitious international community of advocates for reason and humanism who are working to create a major independent media voice? I and a growing group of freethinkers are working to expand our small collaborative website, www.theedger.org (name to change), into a ...
There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life?
2008-10-22 17:41:00 That title is what will be appearing on the sides of London buses shortly. This advertising campaign is sponsored by the British Humanist Association.'There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life!'It is hardly suprising that they got a reasonable amount of money from supporters, including my 'favorite' atheist Richard Dawkins.And Richard, bless him, has been spouting his usual nonsense about "thinking is anathema to religion". Which of course is plainly wrong and utter rubbish. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise! But Dawkins thinks anyone who disagrees with him has faulty thinking so hardly surprising.I agree with this article where the writer believes this campaign will actually benefit 'religion'.The 'probably' says it all. They cannot be sure about it or they are just trying to be a bit PC rather than stating 'there is no God'. Don't lay the message on too thick to start with. However if it gets people thinking and talking about it that can only b...
Lower Than Angels
2008-10-15 14:24:00 Jacob Bronowski’s The Ascent of Man. Broadcast as a documentary series in the early 1970’s and then published as a book, The Ascent of Man has inspired subsequent documentaries by the likes of Carl Sagan and Sir David Attenborough. Episode/Chapter One, “Lower than the Angels,” covers the following topics: Animal adaptation | The human alternative ...
By: Migrations
Letter to Our Conservative Brothers and Sisters
2008-09-17 19:48:00 A re-post of mine: I didn’t write it, but it seems rather timely, considering the upcoming Presidential elections. Dear Conservatives, I, and my fellow signatories, hereby make these promises to you: 1. We will always respect you for your conservative beliefs. We will never, ever, call you ?unpatriotic? simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage ...
By: Migrations
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2008-05-18 15:57:00 ??2008? 5? 8? ? ?? 2,719?? ??. ????? ? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???. ?? ??? ??? ?? ??. ? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ??? ????? ??? ?? ????. ? ??? ??? ???? ? ??? ???? ?? ??. ? ?? ??? ??? ???? ? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????.? ??? ?? ??? ? ???? ????? ?? ? ???, ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ? ??? ??? ???? ? ???? ???? ?? ????. ??? ????? ????? ????? ??? ? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??. ??? ?? ??? ???? ??.??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ????. ???? 3?? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???? ? ???. ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? ? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ? ??. ??? ??? ??? ? ??. ???? ?? ????? ???.?? ?? ????? ??? ????? ?? ???. ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ? ? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??. ???? ????? ??? ???? ? ?? ???? ????? ??? ?? ?????. ?? ???? ?? ???. ??? ?? ????? ??? ????... ??? ???? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????.??? ???? ?? ????. ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??...
By: Gambler's Story
Knowledge or Certainty
2008-04-08 08:36:00 One of the foundations of my high school education was watching and discussing Jacob Bronowski’s 13-part series titled The Ascent of Man. It crystallized my thinking about Western thought, science, and the trends that humanity perpetrates. It inspired Carl Sagan to produce his series Cosmos, and resonated with many young minds of my ...
By: Migrations
Humanism - christiansquoting.org.uk
2008-02-28 12:57:00 Happy day, when, all appetites controlled, all passions subdued, all matters subjected, mind, all conquering mind, shall live and move the monarch of the world. Glorious consummation! Hail fall of Fury! Reign of Reason, all hail!Indeed there is a case for arguing that Homo sapiens is also Homo religiosus.... like any other human activity, religion can be abused but it seems to be something that we have always done. It was not tacked on to a primordially secular nature by manipulative kings and priests but was natural to humanity. Indeed, our current secularism is an entirely new experiment, unprecedented in human history. We have yet to see how it will work. It is also true to say that our Western liberal humanism is not something that comes naturally to us; like an appreciation of art and poetry it has to be cultivated. Humanism is itself a religion without god -not all religions, of course, are theistic. ~Karen ArmstrongOn humanist assumptions, life leads to nothing; and every pre...
By: Christian Quoter
Abortion: Legalized Child Sacrifice On The Altar Of Humanism Posted By : M
2008-01-28 05:01:00 As if the abortion debate couldn’t get any hotter, it most certainly will heat up a few more degrees with a well-respected author’s posit that abortion be criminalized and, that it’s supporters be sent to death row. More: continued here
Humanism and Education in Medieval and Renaissance Italy
2008-01-07 16:35:00 Robert Black, Humanism and Education in Medieval and Renaissance Italy: Tradition and Innovation in Latin Schools from the Twelfth to the Fifteenth CenturyCambridge University Press | ISBN 0511017871 | 2003 | PDF | 1.86 MB | 506 pagesBased on the study of over 500 surviving manuscript school books, this comprehensive study of the curriculum of school education in medieval and Renaissance Italy contains some surprising conclusions. Robert Black’s analysis finds that continuity and conservatism, not innovation, characterize medieval and Renaissance teaching.The study of classical texts in medieval Italian schools reached its height in the twelfth century; this was followed by a collapse in the thirteenth century, an effect on school teaching of the growth of university education. This collapse was only gradually reversed in the two centuries that followed: it was not until the later 1400s that humanists began to have a significant impact on education. Scholars of European history, o...
Real Patriots Ask Questions
2008-01-04 07:44:00 Education on the value of free speech and the other freedoms reserved by the Bill of Rights, about what happens when you don?t have them, and about how to exercise and protect them, should be an essential prerequisite for being an American citizen ? or indeed a citizen of any nation, the more so to ...
By: Migrations
Bredan is right, we need a new humanism
2007-12-31 10:36:00 http://commentisfree.guardian.c-o.uk/brendan_oneill/2007/12/the-_new_atheism.html This is the first really thoughtful article on religion that I have seen here on CIF. The salient point, when you think about why religion is rising again, is ‘what has secularism (which is ultimately what atheism is promoting) failed to provide.’ Well, it has failed to provide a way forward, by proclaiming that the enlightenment is dead. But that is a mistake, and one that deserves looking at carefully. When we talk about “post-enlightenment thinking” we are actually muddling two things up. The first is the philosophical understanding of the impossibility of truly universal statements. This is the useful legacy of people like Foucault. But this is falsely conflated with the sense of a “human universal” as if humans are the only possible form of intelligence in what is a very big universe. This is stupid, and is what moves people to claim the enlightenment is dead. Y...
On Patriotism
2007-12-14 15:30:00 I am a proud Englishman. Or, at least, I used to be. Today, I?m just a proud human being. In my late teens and early twenties I was passionately patriotic, with a huge St George?s Cross flag hanging menacingly from my bedroom wall, and England cups, towels and key rings never far ...
By: A Load of Bright
Elfing Over the Holidays
2007-12-14 07:25:00 Have an Elfing fun holidays! Celebrate the season with your family, enjoy some hot cocoa or eggnog, and smile. Oh, and for the record, I don’t actually believe in elves - they’re right up there with Celestial Teapots, Spaghetti Monsters, and gods. But decorating a tree (a pagan tradition that the Christians ...
By: Migrations
Science is Definitely NOT Faith-Based
2007-11-26 16:17:00 Science most definitely is not based on Faith (i.e. belief in something without evidence). But that’s just what Paul Davies is suggesting. I have just two words for that patently absurd suggestion: epistemology and empiricism. Alex gives a succinct reaction to Davies along those lines. How on Earth does Davies get off calling ...
By: Migrations
Progressive and Proud of it
2007-11-15 04:03:00 … or liberal, or humanist, or Democrat, for that matter. They’re pretty much interchangeable in my opinion. (HT: Crooks and Liars)
By: Migrations
Agency and Theory of Mind
2007-11-10 21:25:00 On Theology and Falsification, the discussion came down to the overriding questions of the Universe’s origins. John commented: I conclude that the existence of an algorithmic structure in the universe capable of generating life is a sign that intelligence is built in right from the start. In this sense knowledge (or the capacity for knowledge to ...
By: Migrations
An Interesting Question, Based on a Flawed Premise
2007-11-05 19:43:00 The NY Times has an interesting, if suspicious, Opinion piece titled Suffering, Evil and the Existence of God. The topic is the existence of suffering and evil in a world presided over by an all powerful and benevolent deity, and focuses on the intersection of a theist-turned-agnostic and a atheist-turned-theist relating to said topic. ...
By: Migrations
Why Non-Theism is a More Moral Alternative
2007-10-21 17:56:00 Why There Really Is No God - On the podcast Point of Inquiry, a half-hour interview with Edward Tabash. Edward Tabash is a constitutional and civil rights lawyer, and explains himself as one who grew up theistic. Growing up, he says he quickly realized that (for various reasons that he mentions in the ...
By: Migrations
Carnival Alert
2007-10-14 14:18:00 The 9th Humanist Symposium is now up at Greta Christina’s Blog. The 77th Carnival of the Godless is available at The Skeptical Alchemist. Enjoy your Sunday reading!
By: A Load of Bright
On Human Dignity
2007-10-09 16:31:00 Via Paul Burke, speaking for Amnesty International (emphasis mine): Is it any wonder that Human dignity has all but evaporated. From the willingness to blow up people in a market getting their daily bread to the visceral, violent and ugly words and images from our entertainment industry, the idea of human dignity has all but disappeared. ...
By: Migrations
Ghastly Spectres of Secular Humanism
2007-10-06 16:09:00 According to the James Dobson’s of the world, secular humanism inevitably leads to moral turpitude and societal decay. Strangely however, the opposite seems to be true. Take Norway as a case-study… Norway flourishes as secular nation: Rev. Rick Mason notes that atheism is on the rise. He blames Christian fundamentalism. Certainly the ineptness, dishonesty and ...
By: Migrations
Science Literacy, Discourse, and Evidence-Based Approaches to the World
2007-10-02 14:45:00 10 days ago, SEED magazine posted the winning essay from the second annual SEED writing contest, which answered the question “What does it mean to be scientifically literate in the 21st Century?” This question goes far beyond simply the practice of science, and impacts every aspect of our society. Science literacy is, at ...
By: Migrations
Sciences and pseudo-science at Think Humanism forum
2007-09-27 09:41:00 reposted from: http://www.thinkhumanism.com/ph-pBBForum/viewforum.php?f=14Inte-resting sub forum at Think Humanism. Topics include: British Humanist Association Science Group at YahoogroupsCritical Analysis of Icons of EvolutionThe mind is what the brain doesRichard Dawkins - Enemies of Reason:Slaves to SuperstitionGlobal WarmingAliens, biology, evolution and organised religionWASP: World Atheist Science People
Why did he say it?
2007-09-24 20:54:00 Watched an awesome cricket match today. Supported my country Pakistan as they lost in the thrilling final of the twenty20 World Cup. In the post-match interview the Captain Shoaib Malik starts off by saying-: First of all I?d like to thank people back home and all the MUSLIMS around the world. Why did he have ...
Carnival Alert
2007-09-23 15:28:00 The 8th Humanist Symposium is now up at Elliptica, and Lynet has done a really great job. One of my early posts, An Atheist’s Sonnett is included. Remember that I’m hosting the Carnival of the Godless a week from today, so please keep your submissions coming in. You can email me directly, or use ...
By: A Load of Bright
Ritual Ceremonies
2007-09-21 17:29:00 As with last week, my upcoming wedding has been a big item keeping my attention lately, so I thought another post would be a good idea. Specifically, I was considering recently about how rituals and ceremonies influence the ways in which we think and feel. Pascal Boyer, a cultural anthropologist has these thoughts ...
By: Migrations
The ?New? Atheism and Humanism
2007-09-18 18:07:00 A couple weeks ago, I signed on to Richard Dawkins’ OUT Campaign, and proudly so. I think that speaking up on behalf of rationalism and freethinking, and recognizing that we’re not the only ones out there appalled by the magical thinking of theism, is a good thing for our society. However, describing myself as an ...
By: Migrations
Nonbelieving Literati, Lack of Writing, Nullifidian and Planet Humanism
2007-09-15 11:48:00 I haven?t finished my homework, and I don?t even have a dog. I am thoroughly enjoying Julian, but a few things have come up in my personal life which have prevented me from finishing it in time. I have sent my apologies to the Exterminator (who posted his article on Julian today) personally, ...
By: A Load of Bright
Carnival Alert
2007-09-03 22:53:00 The 74th Carnival of the Godless is now up at Atheist FAQ. The 7th Humanist Symposium is also available, at Bligbi. Both include my article Holy Smoke.
By: A Load of Bright
The Humanist Symposium #7
2007-09-02 16:00:00 This week I have the privilege of hosting The Humanist Symposium. I would’ve liked to have done something creative, but that just isn’t me. So, let’s get this started. First up is Eric Johnson of The Primate Diaries with his excellent article, The Sacrifice of Admetus, which is about altruism and how ...
By: Bligbi
Does the West REALLY stand for tolerance?
2007-08-15 19:27:00 So everyone’s blaming Islam and Muslims for being intolerant to other faiths etc. They claim (truthfully) that Islamic countries institutionally oppress their religious minorities. As if to imply that the Western civilization (or should I say “Christian Civilization”) is somehow actually tolerant! From De-Conversion.com: “Norway is a constitutional monarchy without separation of Church and State. The constitution declares ...
The Humanist Symposium #6
2007-08-12 02:01:00 Welcome one and all to A Load of Bright, and the 6th edition of the Humanist Symposium. The carnival has been growing in stature and, I have no doubt, will continue to do so. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be hosting an early edition which, I?m quite sure, will be ...
By: A Load of Bright
Humanist Symposium Reminder
2007-08-07 14:58:00 Remember folks, the 6th edition of the ever-growing Humanist Symposium is appearing right here at A Load of Bright on Sunday. I need your submissions in by Saturday, so get cracking! You can email Ebonmuse or me directly, or you can use the blog carnival submission form.
By: A Load of Bright
REGARDING A NEW HUMANISM
2007-07-28 18:22:00 By Salvador Pániker Translation by Karen Phillips [7.4.07] Salvador Pániker is a Spanish philosopher and writer. The true “sacred texts” of the western tradition have been for centuries, those of the great authors. Plato and Aristotle, Dante and Shakespeare. But also Victoria, Bach, Handel, Beethoven. And Giotto, Fra Angelico, Rembrandt. And Archimedes, Pascal, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, Heisenberg. And Paul ...
Carnival Alert
2007-07-22 17:26:00 Two for the price of one! The 71st Carnival of the Godless, including my article The Engine and the Bushfire, is now up at Aardvarkaeology. Meanwhile, the 5th Humanist Symposium is on display at The Green Atheist, with my piece How Do You Know That? among the selection of writings on offer. The 6th ...
By: A Load of Bright
Count Your Blessings
2007-07-19 21:12:00 In my article Everything Happens for a Reason, I made the point that when really bad things happen, there is nothing to be gained from trying to salvage one, measly thing that could have been slightly worse, and declaring a false victory. I stand by this point, but I think it?s worth clarifying that there is ...
By: A Load of Bright
A New Planet in the Atheist Solar System
2007-07-14 11:55:00 Planet Atheism has become part of the furniture in the atheosphere (if you?ll allow me to mix my metaphors!). It was a wonderful project that Pedro of Way of the Mind took on, and it?s been hugely successful, and rightly so. We are all very grateful to him. Having said that, we all tend ...
By: A Load of Bright
Carnival Alert
2007-07-01 10:56:00 The 4th Humanist Symposium is now up at Nullifidian, who has presented it in a very clever, innovative fashion. My article Everything Happens for a Reason is included.
By: A Load of Bright
Carnival Alert
2007-06-10 10:30:00 The 3rd Humanist Symposium is now up at Black Sun Journal. My recent article Absent Friends is included.
By: A Load of Bright
Absent Friends
2007-06-09 11:15:00 Today is my mother?s birthday. She would have been 61, but she had a sudden heart attack and died 12 years ago, when I was 13 and my brothers were 17 and 5. No-one need ever tell me that Christians can be good, she was all the evidence I will ever need of that. ...
By: A Load of Bright
My experience with Islam - Part 2: Disagreeing with Theology
2007-06-08 03:38:00 This article is a continuation from part 1. As I stated before, post-9/11 was a time for deep introspection of my beliefs for me. As I started exploring different sects within Islam a feeling of frustration developed within me, mainly because no sect was able to give me what I was looking for: a religious acceptance ...
My experience with Islam - Part 1: My Islamic background
2007-06-06 09:38:00 My name is Salahudin and this is the story of my experience with Islam; from childhood as a born Muslim to an adult as an agnostic atheist. I was born in 1986 in Lahore, Pakistan. I come from what would be considered an “upper middle class” family with my parents being of a high skilled technical profession. ...
A New Argument against the Death Penalty
2007-06-01 12:05:00 I am opposed to capital punishment. That is not to say I don?t think strong arguments can be made in its favour, on the contrary, I think it is a very difficult dilemma to decide, and by no means clear cut. Personally, I find the idea of an innocent man being executed in ...
By: A Load of Bright
Hypocrisy of Muslims and Westerners
2007-05-04 19:25:00 Having lived in a western, allegedly secular country (USA) and in a self declared Islamic republic, I can unequivocally say that Western people (non-Muslims, Christians and even Atheists and Agnostics from the West) and Muslim people are hypocrites in one way or another; they just don’t support their own proclaimed ideals to the extent at which ...
?Why The Gods are not winning?
2007-05-03 17:12:00 Excellent article explaining the ground realities of how religion (generally) is faring in the world today. (It’s faring rather poorly by the way, as my fellow Towelian Feeza wrote below! Three cheers!) Here’s an excerpt: “Disbelief now rivals the great faiths in numbers and influence. Never before has religion faced such enormous levels ...
?Islamosapien? behavior
2007-05-01 07:54:00 For those of you not familiar with the term ?Islamosapien?, it?s a Towelie term used to describe fanatical anti-human behavior among some Muslims. Here are 10 ways to know that you are a ?Islamosapien? You refused to shake hands with a female human, and if by some rare event this happens, ...
The reponse to Theist critiques of non-Theists
2007-04-30 00:01:00 Here’s more info on Pascal’s Wager. And at the end of the video when he talks about knowing the value of the only life you have, here’s an article that discusses exactly that! |
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