Questions MAR 24

 Humanism: A Very Short Introduction by Stephen Law (SL), intro, 1-2

1. Law says humanists oppose what forms of coercion?

2. The Carvaka school in India illustrates what point? 

3. Why is Aristotle significant to humanists?

4 What did Seneca say about religion?

5. What did Averroes say about the interpretation of scripture?

6. Sapere aude means what?

7. What did Hume say about his finger?

8. In what sense were the new ethical societies of the 19th century religious?

9. What did the Minnesota study reveal about how atheists in America are commonly regarded?

 [UPDATE, Wed 23d: Thanks for the ch2 questions, Gary. Do the rest of you want to propose some discussion questions?]

Discussion Questions

• Do you take issue with, or wish to add to, any of Law's seven-point characterization of humanism?
• Do you like the Happy Human symbol? (What would Baggini say?)
• What % of religious people in our region would you say probably share Law's characterization of humanism and are secularists too? Do you know of any examples of humanist organizations forming working partnerships with their religious counterparts?
• Do you interpret Protagoras as a relativist, pragmatist, humanist, or what?
• Do you share Epicurus's therapeutic approach to philosophy? Are you consoled by his "I was not" (etc.) statement?
• COMMENT: "The overwhelming majority of religious people now entirely accept that the application of science and reason... should not be subject to any sort of religious censorship or control."
• Is MacIntyre right about tradition?
• Was Hume right about reason and the passions?
• Any comment on Darwin, Nietzsche, Marx, Bentham, Mill

Here's Stephen Law on Zoom in August 2020. You might want to skip the first couple of minutes of "technical difficulties"...