Toward a New Enlightenment: Philosophy of Paul Kurtz

ISBN-13: 9781560001188 / Angielski / Twarda / 1991 / 416 str.

Paul Kurtz

Opis

Paul Kurtz has been the dominant voice of secular humanism over the past thirty years. This compilation of his work reveals the scope of his thinking on the basic topics of our time and his many and varied contributions to the cause of free thought. It focuses on the central issues that have concerned Kurtz throughout his career: ethics, politics, education, religion, science, and pseudoscience.The chapters are linked by a common theme: the need for a new enlightenment, one committed to the use of rationality and skepticism, but also devoted to realizing the highest values of humanist culture. Many writings included here were first published in magazines and journals long unavailable. Some of the essays have never before been published. They now appear as a coherent whole for the first time. Also included is an extensive bibliography of Kurtz's writings. Toward a New Enlightenment is essential for those who know and admire Paul Kurtz's work. It will also be an important resource for students of philosophy, political science, ethics, and religion.Among the chapters are: "Humanist Ethics: Eating the Forbidden Fruit"; "Relevance of Science to Ethics"; "Democracy without Theology"; "Misuses of Civil Disobedience"; "The Limits of Tolerance"; "Skepticism about the Paranormal: Legitimate and Illegitimate"; "Militant Atheism vs. Freedom of Conscience"; "Promethean Love: Unbound"; "The Case for Euthanasia"; and "The New Inquisition in the Schools."

Spis treści

Introduction: Toward a New Enlightenment; One: Ethics and the Planetary Society; Introduction to Part One; 1: Humanist Ethics: Eating the Forbidden Fruit; 2: The Relevance of Science to Ethics; 3: The Twenty-First Century and Beyond: The Need for a New Global Ethic and a Declaration of Interdependence; Two: Democratic Ideas, Pluralism; Introduction to Part Two; 4: Humanism and the Freedom of the Individual; 5: Democracy without Theology: Dialogue with Evangelists; 6: Excellence and Irrelevance: Democracy and the Higher Learning; 7: Misuses of Civil Disobedience; 8: The Limits of Tolerance; 9: Beyond Multiculturalism: Toward a Humanist Universalism; 10: Will Secularism Survive?; Three: Skepticism: Science and Antiscience; Introduction to Part Three; 11: The Scientific Attitude vs. Antiscience and Pseudoscience; 12: Antireason; 13: Science and the Paranormal: An Overview; 14: Skepticism about the Paranormal: Legitimate and Illegitimate; Four: Atheism, Humanism, and Religion; Introduction to Part Four; 15: Humanism and the Open Society: Dialogues with Marxists and Roman Catholics; 16: Militant Atheism vs. Freedom of Conscience: Reflections on the Moscow Atheist/Humanist Dialogue; 17: Humanism and Atheism: Exploring Similarities and Differences; 18: The Church under Siege: Reflections on the Vatican/Humanist Dialogue; 19: The Argument from Revelation Reexamined; 20: Is Life Meaningful in a Universe without God?; 21: Finding a Common Ground between Believers and Unbelievers; 22: The Growth of Fundamentalism Worldwide: A Humanist Response; Five: Paul Kurtz in Person and in Action; Introduction to Part Five; 23: In Defense of Eupraxophy; 24: Promethean Love: Unbound; 25: On Nearly Dying—Unceremoniously and Unexpectedly; 26: The Case for Euthanasia: A Humanistic Perspective; Six: On the Barricades; Introduction to Part Six; 27: Does Faith Healing Work?; 28: Faith Healing: Miracle or Hoax?; 29: The New Inquisition in the Schools; 30: Bigfoot on the Loose; or, How to Create a Legend; 31: A Case Study of the West Pittston “Haunted” House; 32: Near-Death Experiences: A Skeptical View

O autorze

Paul Kurtz