Living the Good Life

Written: July 15, 1998

As an activist in the secular humanist movement, it isn't an option to really sit still for very long - I need to continue educating myself and to consult with others in the movement as to what they are doing. As a part of that, I attended the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, NY from July 9-12 for a conference and two seminars sponsored by the Council for Secular Humanism (Publishers of Free Inquiry; the Center for Inquiry also serves as a home for the Center for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, publishers of Skeptical Inquirer). This was not only a wonderful opportunity to learn from an experienced faculty, but to build relationships with a wide variety of other activists from around the country and around the world.

The first course was Reason in Ethics, which is described thus: "Examines the basic principles of ethics and humanist virtues. Strong emphasis is placed upon the importance of developing "good conduct and wisdom in living" by drawing on science and philosophy." It was taught by:

• Paul Kurtz, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Buffalo
• Valerii Kuvakin, Professor of Philosophy, Moscow State University and director of the Center for Inquiry-Moscow
• Tad Clements, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, State University of New York at Brockport

 

This was a very distinguished faculty - and one of the advantages of taking courses at the Center for Inquiry is the ability to learn directly from eminent philosophers from around the world. We spent a great deal of time discussing the nature of morality and exactly what naturalistic basis it has, rooted in human concerns and human needs. A central concept of secular humanism is the need to constantly develop a rationalistic ethics which can address the ever-changing needs of the human species. Life is inherently ambiguous, precarious, and problematic - in it we have to discover our own meanings and principles. The key to this is not simply reason, as many atheists and humanists might think, but instead courage. It takes a certain amount of courage to maintain stability while adrift in the contingencies of life. A life is in many ways akin to a work of art - something that must be created and regularly renewed.

This is a complex issue, and I intend to address it more fully in a later article. For the time being, however, I highly recommend the book Forbidden Fruit by Paul Kurtz in which he addresses all of this at length.

The second course was Leadership Training and described thus: "This workshop gives practical instruction in organizing and operating skeptical and/or humanistic groups. Includes planning meetings and programs, publicity, finances, and other skills." The faculty was quite diverse and included:

• Matt Cherry, Executive Director, Council for Secular Humanism
• Barry Karr, Executive Director, CSICOP
• JoAnn Mooney, Director of local community development, CSH
• Tim Madigan, Editor, Free Inquiry
• Matt Nisbet, Public Relations Director, CSICOP
• Robbi Robson, Chair, British Humanist Association
• Tim Binga, Director, Center for Inquiry Libraries
• David J. Schummer, Coordinator, Campus Freethought Alliance.

 

Quote of the week: The theist who asks the question "What is the meaning of life?" and insists that without some divine purpose life would be meaningless is not only masking his own insecurity but also displaying an infantile reaction; he has little faith in his own unaided powers of reason and fragile confidence in his ability to solve the problems of life on his own. Insofar as man is dependent upon God for his very being, his life has no significance in itself. This is all the more true if this life is simply a testing ground or waiting room for the afterlife, a way-station to hell or paradise.   Paul Kurtz, Forbidden Fruit: The Ethics of Humanism p. 236.

As indicated in the course description, we covered an extremely wide range of topics involved with starting and running a skeptical and/or humanist group. I found the information on finances and obtaining tax-exempt status to be particularly informative. Quite a few people learn these sorts of things "on the job" - and there will always be a place for that. In many areas, you just have to learn how to deal with matters when they come up. However, it is also useful to be able to sit down with experienced organizers and learn from what they have accomplished over the years. When you have the extensive knowledge of people like Matt Nisbet and Robbi Robson in front of you, it's a joy to be able to take advantage of it.

Another significant aspect to the weekend were all the other meetings. The Campus Freethought Alliance was meeting throughout the four days. At the end, they had elected new officers and drafted a "Bill of Rights for Unbelievers." This is a really great document and people should take the time to read it when it is released. In addition, various Regional Directors and group leaders met with each other - comparing notes and advising each other on the things they could do. We also spent some time with the leaders of the Council for Secular Humanism, discussing the ways in which they could support our local efforts with the Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies.

I would be remiss not to also point out that humanists can be a really rowdy bunch at times! The weekend wasn't all about philosophizing and organizing - it was also about having fun! Everytime I go up there there is at least one large party, usually done by the students attending. But whent there wasn't a party, a bunch of us went out to find someplace to party ourselves.

All in all, it was a really fun weekend.

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