Dan Miller will discuss the conundrum of free will versus determinism, with a focus on opposing viewpoints put forward by two of our country’s most distinguished freethinkers, Daniel Dennett and Sam Harris.
In Elbow Room and Freedom Evolves, Dennett (author of Breaking The Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon) outlines his vision of “the kind of free will worth having,” and puts forward a compelling case that we do indeed possess this specific kind of freedom.
In “Free Will”, Sam Harris presents a contrasting view, arguing that free will is fundamentally an illusion. He makes his case in a spirit similar to his argument against religion in his most famous work, The End Of Faith.
So — is free will just another ghostly goblin of magical thinking? Or is it something we can define and observe critically, and put on a sound, logical, scientific basis? This question may be of more than rhetorical value to academics and armchair philosophers. The notion of free will, and the contrary opinion that it is but a phantom illusion, have both been used (and continue to be used today) to make fundamental arguments about ethics, personal responsibility, social justice and many important issues. How we define and explain (or explain away) free will can have a profound effect on our world view, politics, and the way we perceive and value the world around us.
Dan Miller of Palo Alto has been part of our Humanist Community for several years. He has been a musician, computer programmer, and entrepreneur. More on his background, including published papers and related work, can be found at http://www.squiggle.com/danbmil/
“I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree.”
Sena Havasy
Written in 1913, this poem by Joyce Kilmer has often been criticized as too simple, too insipid, too sentimental, and not lovely at all. Yet it lives on…and on…and on. Such is the power of even “bad” poetry.
Do you have a favorite poem, one that you’ve read or maybe even written yourself? Please share it with other Humanists at our Fifth Annual Poetry Forum.
We are taking sign-ups at the greeters table. For more information contact Sena Havasy at senahav@gmail.com.
The Challenge For Humanism In The Post-Post-Modern Era
Jon Figdor
November 24, 2013
Jon Figdor
While we are more connected through e-mail, text messages, Facebook, and Twitter, Americans feel increasingly socially atomized. As young people travel across the United States and around the world to attend faraway colleges and graduate schools, and families find themselves moving for jobs, we increasingly find ourselves in foreign places with few connections or roots. Jon Figdor will discuss why religious institutions, which have historically served this purpose are no longer able to provide meaning for an increasingly non-religious America. In a talk ranging from Robert Putnam’s American Grace and Bowling Alone, to Stephen Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, as well as original research from the Humanist Community Project at Harvard, John will explain why he thinks Humanist communities are the answer to the problem of social atomization.
Jon Figdor is the Humanist Chaplain at Stanford University where he organizes events and programs for both students and community members from the San Francisco Bay Area. Jon and his work have been discussed in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has spoken at the Secular Student Alliance Annual Conference, the American Humanist Association Annual Conference, the Humanist Community in Silicon Valley, the Humanist Community at Harvard, and many local humanist groups across the United States. He received his B.A. with honors in Philosophy from Vassar College and holds a master’s degree (MDiv) in Humanism and Interfaith Dialogue from Harvard Divinity School. Jon was an Organizing Fellow of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard and former Assistant Humanist Chaplain at Harvard.
Maybo AuYeung, Zero Waste Coordinator from the City of Palo Alto, has been in the waste management and outreach industry for 3 years. She promotes and educates the Palo Alto community about our Zero Waste goal through outreach activities and campaigns.
Currently, Zero Waste Palo Alto is rolling out a city wide yearlong campaign focusing on Food Waste Reduction. Zero Waste Palo Alto also offers multiple programs that help achieve Zero Waste including Zero Waste Block Leaders, Green Business Certification, and the new Household Hazardous Waste station. She will share Zero Waste practices, tips to reduce your garbage bill, how to spend a low waste holiday season and more. This is helpful advice no matter where you live! For more information about the program in Palo Alto see their web site: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/pwd/zerowaste/default.asp
Who are you? What do you care about enough to join an organization to work on it?
Probably each of us is connected with a number of other organizations doing interesting work in the world. What are those organizations? Who is connected to them? And what are they (you!) doing there?
Come and share your secrets with us!
Anyone present who would like to share a minute about an organization and how they’re involved with it will be invited to do so. We’ll work in a little Q&A throughout the program.
Feel free to bring flyers, business cards, links to websites, etc. to offer to those who might be interested.
Martin Squibbs <msquibbs@ix.netcom.com> has provided below the list of organizations discussed at the Forum.
Details of Organizations Promoted by those Attending November 10th HCSV Sunday Forum
(Revision B – Nov 16th 2013)
I list below the details of the organizations which were mentioned and promoted during the November 10th Forum. If anyone wishes to add further information, or add an additional organization, please email me at the email address below and provide the details and I will update this document and provide to the webmaster for uploading. msquibbs@ix.netcom.com
Our mission is dedicated to “Inspiring hope and improving the quality of life for heart patients and their families through ongoing peer-to-peer support”.
Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual’s income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence.
3) Carlos Feder
Beit R’fuah (House of Healing), offering support relating to Mental Health issues
For patients suffering from a mental disease, and their relatives, The meetings take place on the second Wednesday of each month, see above link. In addition to the support and free education that the group provides, its goals are to dispel the stigma of mentally ill patients.
We’re part of a world-wide grassroots movement to build local resilience and connections close to home. Since 2010, we’ve been mounting creative and thoughtful responses to the challenges of resource depletion, climate change, and economic instability.
The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
The League of Women Voters is a citizens’ organization that has fought since 1920 to improve our government and engage all citizens in the decisions that impact their lives. Formed from the movement that secured the right to vote for women, the centerpiece of the League’s efforts remain to expand participation and give a voice to all Americans.
Our values: Ethical Culture affirms the equal worth and right to dignity of every person. We cherish individual differences, cultural diversity, and the democratic process. We seek to bring out the potential of each of us to make our homes, workplaces, and communities kinder, fairer, and more joyful.
At 350.org, we’re building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis and push for policies that will put the world on track to get to 350 ppm.
We, the people of the USA, reject the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizen United ruling and other related cases, and move to amend our constitution to firmly establish the money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.
EAA Silicon Valley is a chapter of the Electric Auto Association, a nonprofit organization formed in 1967 to promote the use of electric vehicles as a viable transportation alternative.
The Sunday Assembly is a godless congregation that celebrate life. Our motto: live better, help often, wonder more. Our mission: to help everyone find and fulfill their full potential. Our vision: a godless congregation in every town, city and village that wants one. See also
Less Wrong is a community blog devoted to refining the art of human rationality.
A handful of “aspiring rationalists” in the area meet in Mountain View most Tuesday nights to play games, discuss rationality-related topics and listen to speakers (both guest experts and group members) talk about a variety of fascinating and educational topics. Those interested in learning more can visit the main website about or can find out about past and future local events on our (informal) Bay Area Google Group at the URL below
Vision: People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.
The nation’s leading organization bringing together people across communities and backgrounds to understand and prevent suicide, and to help heal the pain it causes.
Bay Area Humanists – San Francisco
http://sfhumanists.org/ Meets a couple times a month with different flavors. Has dynamic small group discussions with great facilitation around topics such as humanists and tolerance, assisted suicide, male privilege, and other topics.
Related to San Francisco Bay Area Atheist, Agnostics, Humanists, Freethinkers, and Skeptics groups on Meetup. Find out who else is around here.
Our Taboo Museum http://ourtaboomuseum.com
Transforming hard to discuss subjects – with humor if possible – using art, conversation, and products
We value freedom, compassion, fairness and scientific knowledge. We seek ethical and personally fulfilling lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
