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FI AM 17.Indd ROBYN E. BLUMNER: JOIN OUR TRIBE! CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY April/May 2017 Vol. 37 No.3 ISSUES IN TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS Nanotech | Autonomous Cars | Autonomous Weapons What Future Do We Want? DAVID KOEPSELL | James Hughes | Ryan Jenkins | Patrick Lin | Wendell Wallach OPINION by Greta Christina | Shadia B. Drury | Ophelia Benson Russell Blackford |Faisal Saeed Al Mutar |Janet L. Factor | James A. Haught A/M 17 $5.95 CDN $5.95 US $5.95 05 UNRAVELING TRUMP: Peter Boghossian and James A. Lindsay | Gleb Tsipursky Published by the Center for Inquiry in association 0 74470 74957 8 with the Council for Secular Humanism FI June July cut_FI 5/2/12 4:39 PM Page 67 We are committed to the application of reason and science We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence. to the understanding of the universe and to the solving We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be of human problems. allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, access to comprehensive and informed health care, and to look outside nature for salvation. and to die with dignity. We believe that scientific discovery and technology We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, can contribute to the betterment of human life. integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that standards that we discover together. Moral principles are democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights tested by their consequences. from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities. We are deeply concerned with the moral education We are committed to the principle of the of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion. separation of church and state. We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences. We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual We are citizens of the universe and are excited by understanding. discoveries still to be made in the cosmos. We are concerned with securing justice and fairness We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, in society and with eliminating discrimination and we are open to novel ideas and seek new and intolerance. departures in our thinking. We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to disabled so that they will be able to help themselves. theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich per sonal significance and genuine satisfaction We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based in the service to others. on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity and strive to work together for We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather the common good of humanity. than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place We want to protect and enhance Earth, to preserve of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind suffering on other species. faith or irrationality. We believe in enjoying life here and now and in We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest developing our creative talents to their fullest. that we are capable of as human beings. *by Paul Kurtz For a parchment copy of this page, suitable for framing, please send $4.95 to FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, New York 14226-0664 FI June July cut_FI 5/2/12 4:39 PM Page 67 APRIL | MAY 2017 Volume 37 No. 3 CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY 21 Issues in Technology and Ethics 40 Autopia: The Robot Car of INTRODUCTION Tomorrow May Just Be David Koepsell Programmed to Hit You Patrick Lin We are committed to the application of reason and science We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence. 22 A Dangerous Master to the understanding of the universe and to the solving We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be Wendell Wallach 43 Enhancing Virtues: Fairness of human problems. allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual James J. Hughes We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have 28 The Moral and Political Dangers to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, access to comprehensive and informed health care, of Autonomous Weapons 51 Is the Unthinkable the New Acceptable? and to look outside nature for salvation. and to die with dignity. Ryan Jenkins Peter Boghossian and James A. Lindsay We believe that scientific discovery and technology We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, can contribute to the betterment of human life. integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics 33 Nanotech: New Legal and Moral Challenges 56 The Brain Science of Political Deception is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative David Koepsell and the 2016 Election We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that standards that we discover together. Moral principles are Gleb Tsipursky democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights tested by their consequences. from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities. We are deeply concerned with the moral education We are committed to the principle of the of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion. separation of church and state. EDITORIAL APPRECIATIONS REVIEWS We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences. 4 Join Our Tribe 17 George Albert Wells, We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise 63 Village Atheists: How America’s Robyn E. Blumner 1926–2017 Unbelievers Made Their Way in a as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual We are citizens of the universe and are excited by Godly Nation, 18 Nat Hentoff, 1925–2017 understanding. discoveries still to be made in the cosmos. by Leigh Eric Schmidt OP-EDS We are concerned with securing justice and fairness We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, Reviewed by Tom Flynn 6 Celebrating the Post-Truth World in society and with eliminating discrimination and we are open to novel ideas and seek new Shadia B. Drury LETTERS and intolerance. departures in our thinking. 65 Confessions of a Secular Jesus 19 Follower: Finding Answers in Jesus We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to 8 Panic and Emptiness for Those Who Don’t Believe, Ophelia Benson disabled so that they will be able to help themselves. theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a LOOKING BACK by Tom Krattenmaker source of rich per sonal significance and genuine satisfaction Reviewed by Robert M. Price We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based 9 Keep Dissent Nonviolent 20 in the service to others. Russell Blackford on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual POEM orientation, or ethnicity and strive to work together for We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather 12 We Need to Say "No!" 64 Neversend post to the common good of humanity. than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of DEPARTMENTS Greta Christina my everlasting salvation ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place 59 DOERR'S WAY We want to protect and enhance Earth, to preserve Robin Lee Jordan of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, 13 Toward a Rational Muslim Betsy DeVos and Blaming Blaine it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind Immigration Policy Edd Doerr suffering on other species. faith or irrationality. Faisal Saeed Al Mutar 61 GOD ON TRIAL We believe in enjoying life here and now and in We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest 15 Doomed to Repeat? Why Does God Have developing our creative talents to their fullest. that we are capable of as human beings. Janet L. Factor to Be Worshipped? Sheldon F. Gottlieb *by Paul Kurtz 16 Many Struggles Won Religious Freedom James A. Haught For a parchment copy of this page, suitable for framing, please send $4.95 to FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, New York 14226-0664 it easier to form a tribe or connect ROBYN E. BLUMNER with fellow members. Take the pretty astounding social media reach of Editor Thomas W. Flynn EDITORIAL Managing Editor Andrea Szalanski the Center for Inquiry (CFI) and the Columnists Ophelia Benson, Russell Richard Dawkins Foundation for Rea- Blackford, Greta Christina, son & Science. Combined, we have Edd Doerr, Shadia B. Drury, over 100,000 Twitter followers, over Faisal Saeed Al Mutar 250,000 YouTube subscribers, and a Senior Editors Bill Cooke, Richard Dawkins, whopping 1.5 million Facebook likes. Edd Doerr, James A. Haught, Join Our Jim Herrick, Ronald A. Dawkins’s leadership has been key Lindsay, Taslima Nasrin to building this tribe and binding it Tribe together. His ideas on science and Contributing Editors Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, atheism, laid out in over a dozen Marvin Kohl, Lee Nisbet books, have given people a reason Assistant Editors Julia Lavarnway to come together. We join with him Nicole Scott and his ideas because his prescrip- Literary Editor Cheryl Quimba e are all tribal. That’s tion for evaluating the nature of real- Permissions Editor Julia Lavarnway what marketing guru ity through the application of critical Art Director Christopher S. Fix Seth Godin says in his thinking and the scientific method Production Paul E.
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