Path to Enlightened Humanism
Path to Enlightened Humanism

Author: Ben Grobbelaar

Publisher: Bookbaby

Published: 2021-05-22

Total Pages: 618

ISBN-13: 9781098366438

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Each one of us has a choice. We can blindly accept the customs, moral codes, political philosophy, and the religious beliefs of the society into which we are born or we can critically examine the perceptions and beliefs of one's own society, or one's own group, which in the first instance would be responsible for conditioning one's personal beliefs and perceptions. This is what philosophy is all about. It identifies the fundamental principles on which decisions of this nature are based, and it exposes the individual to other points of view. Most people elect the former course of action, based not on conscious decisions, but because of the incredibly powerful influence of environmental conditioning. Developing a broader understanding of evolution, knowledge, religion, science, philosophy and politics opens a pathway to enlightenment.

Enlightenment Now
Enlightenment Now

Author: Steven Pinker

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2018-02-13

Total Pages: 578

ISBN-13: 0525427570

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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR "My new favorite book of all time." --Bill Gates If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. By the author of the new book, Rationality. Is the world really falling apart? Is the ideal of progress obsolete? In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual Steven Pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five jaw-dropping graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise, not just in the West, but worldwide. This progress is not the result of some cosmic force. It is a gift of the Enlightenment: the conviction that reason and science can enhance human flourishing. Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature--tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking--which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation. With intellectual depth and literary flair, Enlightenment Now makes the case for reason, science, and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress.

Summary & Analysis of Enlightenment Now
Summary & Analysis of Enlightenment Now

Author: ZIP Reads

Publisher: ZIP Reads

Published:

Total Pages: 47

ISBN-13:

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If you've been feeling like the world has been getting worse off, that violence is on the rise, or that humanity has already "peaked" then this book will challenge everything you've been feeling. Delve deep into the world of data where Pinker presents rock-solid arguments for the betterment of humanity as a whole. Steven Pinker wants to prove that we are living in a world that is better off than it has ever been, and it will only continue to get better. In Enlightenment Now, Pinker argues that the best tools we have come from the 18th century ideals of reason, science, progress and humanism, and we can leverage them in very 21st century ways by using data to tell the story of our modern world. What does this ZIP Reads Summary Include? A synopsis of the original bookAn overview of the core tenets of Enlightenment thinkingDetailed chapter-by-chapter breakdownsKey takeaways including major data points from Pinker's bookA in-depth editorial review of the merits and shortcomings of the original titleEditorial Review of the original bookShort bio of Steven PinkerAbout the Original Book: Enlightenment Now is Steven Pinker’s love letter to the Enlightenment. Knowledge, he argues, is our best tool against the traps set by atrophying political parties, salacious media, and theocratic social norms. With reason, science, and humanism—the foundational principles of the Enlightenment—and our modern ways of measuring progress by way of data, Pinker elegantly proves that the world is in a better place than it used to be, and things will only keep getting better so long as we stay committed to those principles that have served us and still do. DISCLAIMER: This book is intended as a companion to, not a replacement for, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. ZIP Reads is wholly responsible for this content and is not associated with the original author in any way.

Challenges to the Enlightenment
Challenges to the Enlightenment

Author: Academy of Humanism

Publisher: Prometheus Books

Published: 2010-10-05

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 161614002X

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The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement which began in seventeenth-century Europe and espoused an optimistic project: an end to human ignorance and the slavish adherence to ancient texts and dogma; the application of scientific principles to solving the world's problems; the elimination of inequality between the sexes; and the advocacy of political rights for all citizens. Modern western society, with its democratic institutions and its reliance on science as the basis of technology and industry, is largely an outgrowth of Enlightenment ideals. Yet today the entire Enlightenment agenda is being challenged, not only by members of the religious orthodoxy but also by a group of academics loosely described under the label of "postmodernism". Whereas the Enlightenment project has always been at odds with religious orthodoxy, which has traditionally been suspicious of efforts to achieve human progress without supernatural support, today it must deal with a very different type of attack from postmodernist intellectuals. Critics of this school question the very ability of human reason to grasp objective reality, and they raise serious objections to the reliability and efficiency of the scientific method and the "tyranny of democratic elites". Is the Enlightenment project still worth pursuing? The distinguished members of the Academy of Humanism who have contributed to this important collection of essays are united in their conviction that the ideals of the Enlightenment must be preserved. Editors Paul Kurtz and Timothy J. Madigan have grouped the diverse perspectives represented in this volume into three major sections dealing with philosophical issues, scientific issues, and socialissues. These cogently argued and vigorous responses to traditional and postmodernist criticisms of the Enlightenment make it clear that reason, science, and the political and social ideals of the Enlightenment are indispensable for the welfare and future of our planet.

Enlightenment Now
Enlightenment Now

Author: Steven Pinker

Publisher: Penguin Books Limited

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780141979090

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Is modernity really failing? Or have we failed to appreciate progress and the ideals that make it possible? If you follow the headlines, the world in the 21st century appears to be sinking into chaos, hatred and irrationality. Yet, as Steven Pinker shows, if you follow the trendlines, you discover that our lives have become longer, healthier, safer and more prosperous not just in the West, but worldwide. Such progress is no accident, it's the gift of a coherent value system that many of us embrace without even realizing it. These are the values of the Enlightenment - of reason, science, humanism and progress. The challenges we face today are formidable. But the way to deal with them is not to sink into despair or try to lurch back to a mythical idyllic past; it's to treat them as problems we can solve, as we have solved other problems in the past. This is the case for an Enlightenment newly recharged for the 21st century.

The Phantom of the New Ages
The Phantom of the New Ages

Author: Kamran Pirnahad

Publisher:

Published: 2006-02

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780595383092

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The history of human kind has led to the belief that the human is to be considered his or her own savior. On this basis, the human has taken the initiative to create a most supreme entity of thought which is called humanism. Inspirational Humanism is the phantom of the new ages which serves as the ultimate guide to deliver the message of the fulfillment of all human needs through exploring the meaning of humanity, based on inspiration and enlightenment. The source which has brought this phantom into life is the vocation of discovering the worthiness of the human form of existence, at a time when religions have lost their solemn authority to deliver mankind in the path of salvation. Author Kamran Pirnahad is concerned about the status of the human beings and their wellbeing; therefore, he has made effort to address critical worldwide issues that have affected the degree of happiness and enjoyment, which everyone deserves to receive in this world. Inspirational humanism is an effort to reconnect with the Spirit of the Truth, and to establish a new relationship with God. The difference of inspirational humanism and other types of humanism is that spirituality is considered the main source in defining the meaning and purpose of human existence.

Humanistic Buddhism
Humanistic Buddhism

Author: Venerable Master Hsing Yun

Publisher: Buddha's Light Publishing

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 9781932293036

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The rationale for Humanistic Buddhism derives directly from the Buddha, "because the Buddha was born, cultivated the path, became enlightened, and strived to enlighten others in this world." It is with this understanding that Venerable Master Hsing Yun proceeds to elaborate on the many ways in which the Buddha's teachings can guide us through challenges in life. In doing so, he affirms the basic spirit of Humanistic Buddhism that centers on the conviction that the Dharma is of crucial pertinence to humanity. Humanistic Buddhism is a book that not only embodies this spirit, but also discusses how it can be infused in life. As a "blueprint" of sorts for conduct and ethics, it is a handy manual for guiding us, as well as a lucid exposition of some of the main tenets in Buddhism. Through illuminating examples and references to Buddhist teachings, Venerable Master Hsing Yun provides insights into many facets of the human condition. He shows how emotions, ethics, family, society, government, and the environment are all areas for contemplation and cultivation. In short, what Humanistic Buddhism reminds us of is that Buddhism is part of life, not separate from it.

Humanism With a Human Face
Humanism With a Human Face

Author: Howard Radest

Publisher: Praeger

Published: 1996-06-30

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 0275949699

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...argues that Humanism has its roots both in the Enlightenment and in Transcendentalism, and explores Humanism as both a public and a personal philosophy.