Science and the Future of Humanism, Tuesday, October 12, 7-8:30pm ET (free talk with Q&A on Zoom)
October Critical Minds & Further Reflection with Dr. Mark Reimers:Critical Minds — Diverse perspectives to expand your knowledge (free talk with Q&A on Zoom)Science and the Future of Humanism, Tuesday, October 12, 7-8:30pm ET
How might the flourishing life and human sciences change humanism?
Looking back a century, the humanism of 1900 was an optimistic vision informed by the steady march of physical science and inspired vaguely by the recent evolutionary theory. However physics and chemistry gave little guidance about how to build a good society, while empowering wars and environmental devastation; early applications of Darwinian metaphors to human society seem to have exacerbated our problems.
The last century, and particularly the new millennium have seen increasing richness of the life sciences and investigations of human nature; this proliferation of knowledge may enrich and shape humanism in this century.
This talk will discuss the promises and limitations of genetics for human health and well-being; how new biotechnologies may meet the challenge of emerging diseases; how modern genetics both places humans within nature and conclusively refutes the racist tropes of the past; how brain sciences show how differently we all operate; how archaeology and social science are uncovering the conditions under which cooperation flourishes.
All these streams of knowledge may flow into the great current of humanism, if we choose to embrace them.
