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Exuberant Champion of the New Enlightenment Jan Feb 13 2_SI new design masters 11/29/12 11:26 AM Page 14 Exuberant Champion of the New Enlightenment KENDRICK FRAZIER countries around the globe. From the beginning he was deeply knowledgeable about, and directly in- volved in, scientific-based skeptical in- quiry. This energized our committee and SI as well. He had more energy and enthusiasm than three people. His output of writing was prodigious. He was overwhelmingly positive and optimistic. And courageous. And something else—exuberant. It was such a pleasure to be his colleague. Paul was my mentor and my friend. He brought me into CSICOP (now CSI). He strongly supported me and SI. A young CSICOP chairman Paul Kurtz, lower right, watches a younger Ken Frazier, then still editor ofScience He granted us editorial autonomy, pub- News but about to become editor of SI, speak at first CSICOP meeting in August 1977 in New York City. licly. When controversy came, as it often did, he always encouraged me. He felt Paul Kurtz had a broad and clear vision aggressive. He always emphasized the that if you are not creating some contro- for a return to Enlightenment values— positive. versy, you are not doing things right. And reason, scientific thinking, and reliance on By his own example of thoughtful he practiced his own humanist values. human thought, not authority or super- philosophical discourse and open- He was kind to me and my family in naturalism, for our ethical values and re- minded critical inquiry and by the caliber ways no one will ever know. sponsibilities to each other. He was a tire- of scientists, scholars, and thinkers he at- less and outspoken champion of both the tracted, he brought instant respectability Paul Kurtz, beyond all his extraordi- scientific outlook and secular humanism. to the modern skeptical movement he nary professional accomplishments as He brought a coherent, affirmative founded. He was an organizational ge- leader of the New Enlightenment, was worldview to disparate people working nius. He could bring people together and that rare exemplary person you want all on different aspects of these issues. create and nurture new organizations your best friends to meet and to know. Nonreligious himself, his brand of athe- with seeming ease. He had an interna- —Kendrick Frazier is editor of the SKEPTICAL ism was informed by science and always tionalist—he saw it as a planetary—view INQUIRER and a member of the CSI Executive gentle and thoughtful, never militant or that inspired similar thinking people in Council. Paul Kurtz and the Virtue of Skepticism MICHAEL SHERMER The word skeptic comes from the Greek thinking who, through the guidelines of though there has been some debate skeptikos, for “thoughtful”—far from science, establish a mark at which to aim. (and much quibbling) about who gets modern misconceptions of the word as Paul Kurtz was one of the founders of the what amount of credit for the founding meaning “cynical” or “nihilistic.” Accord- modern skeptical movement, and he em- of the modern skeptical movement, ing to the Oxford English Dictionary, bodied the principle of skepticism as everyone I have spoken to (including “skeptical” has also been used to mean thoughtful inquiry. He truly was a watch- the other founders) agrees that it was “inquiring,” “reflective,” and, with varia- man who provided a mark at which we Paul Kurtz more than anyone else who tions in the ancient Greek, “watchman” or skeptics may all aim. actually made it happen. All successful “mark to aim at.” What a glorious mean- Paul Kurtz will now take his place social movements have someone who ing for what we do! We are thoughtful, among the great thinkers in the En- has the organizational skills and social inquiring, and reflective, and in a way we lightenment tradition, alongside such intelligence to get things done. Paul are the watchmen who guard against bad minds as Voltaire, Diderot, Rous seau, Kurtz was that man. For twenty years ideas, consumer advocates for good Locke, Jefferson, Kant, and Hume. Al- now I have been at the head of the 14 Volume 37 Issue 1 | Skeptical Inquirer Jan Feb 13 2_SI new design masters 11/29/12 11:26 AM Page 15 [ PAUL KURTZ IN MEMORIAM A Powerful and Thoughtful Voice for Skepticism and Humanism STEVEN NOVELLA Paul Kurtz was a philosopher who ded- Meanwhile, CSI focused on promot- this day within the skeptical movement. icated the better part of his life and ca- ing science and reason, mainly through In his later years Kurtz would also have reer to promoting science, reason, and confronting popular pseudoscience. to deal with another internal tension— humanist values. He was one of the When I joined the skeptical movement that between the aggressive “new athe- founders of the modern skeptical move- in 1996 CSI was pretty much the only ists” and the softer approach that Kurtz ment—someone who was there at the game in town. Michael Shermer was advocated. beginning. Kurtz had something that the just getting started with the Skeptics Despite these internal conflicts, others did not—the ability to organize a Society, but that was never a member- Kurtz remained active until the very movement. Other giants, like James ship organization and was largely West end. I saw him for the last time at last Randi, Ray Hyman, and Martin Gardner, Coast based. The James Randi Educa- year’s Amazing Meeting. He was still got together and knew that the world tional Foundation had not yet been engaged and very interested in the fu- needed a dose of reason. Kurtz had the founded. So as the organizer of a local ture of the movement he helped to cre- skills to make that happen. group, CSI was the only national organ- ate. As late as 2010 he was still trying to He founded two “sister” organizations, ization to reach out to, and they were put his stamp on humanist thinking. He the Council for Secular Human ism and definitely helpful in getting us off the published his Neo-Humanist Statement the Committee for the Scien tific Inves- ground. Kurtz also founded Prometheus of Secular Values and Principles, in which tigation of Claims of the Paranormal Books and the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER he lays out what he thinks is the path (CSICOP, now CSI—the Committee (the official pub lication of CSI). forward for secular humanism. for Skeptical Inquiry). Re garding secular I remember meeting Paul Kurtz for No matter where you stand with re- humanism, he took the existing humanist the first time. He was very interested in spect to the philosophical debates re- philosophy and essentially purged it of who I was and what I was doing in my garding the nature of humanism and supernatural fluff to craft it into secular local group. He had a clear passion for skepticism, Kurtz was a powerful and human ism. This he presented as a philo- promoting rationalism. I was also thoughtful voice who always pushed the sophical alternative to supernatural-based struck, however, by how closely tied sec- discussion forward. religions. He made a powerful philosoph- ular humanism and skepticism were in —Steven Novella is president of the New Eng- ical argument that one could lead a moral his approach. This would ultimately land Skeptical Society, professor of neurology life without any appeal to a supernatural cause some tension between CSI and at Yale University School of Medicine, and a belief system. the local groups, a tension that exists to member of the CSI Executive Council. Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine, reading for all skeptics and humanists: seek to translate itself into a new and as such I have come to respect more faith. One must view with caution the The skeptic is not passionately in tent promises of any new secular priest than ever before what Paul Kurtz did on converting mankind to his or her who might emerge promising a brave for our movement. In terms of the day- point of view and surely is not inter- new world—if only his path to clarity to-day grind of keeping a movement ested in imposing it on others, and truth is followed. Perhaps the though he may be deeply concerned afloat through the constant battering best we can hope for is to temper the with raising the level of education and assaults that come from variegated intemperate and to tame the perverse and critical inquiry in society. Still, if temptation that lurks within. sources, there are few that can be com- there are any lessons to be learned pared with Paul Kurtz. So I close this from history, it is that we should be R.I.P. Paul Kurtz. We all owe you a brief remembrance with my favorite skeptical of all points of view, in - great debt of gratitude for making the cluding those of the skeptics. No one world a better place. You will be missed. passage from what I consider to be is infallible, and no one can claim a Kurtz’s finest work, The Transcendental monopoly on truth or virtue. It would —Michael Shermer is publisher and Temp ta tion, which should be mandatory be contradictory for skepticism to editor-in-chief, Skeptic magazine. Skeptical Inquirer | January/ February 2013 15.
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