BHA news BHA news www.humanism.org.uk Issue 2 2013 ‘Humanism in the modern sense of the term is the view that whatever your ethical system, it derives from your best understanding of human nature and the human condition in the real world.’ A.C Grayling, Philosopher Voltaire Lecture: The decline of violence The 2013 Voltaire Lecture was given by Harvard Professor, former US ‘Humanist of the Year’, multiple international prize-winner, and one of Time’s ‘Hundred Most Influential People in the World Today’ Steven Pinker. His lecture was an intellectual celebration of the decline of violence, summarising the arguments of his latest best-selling book, The Better Angels of Our Nature. Chaired by BHA President Jim Al-Khalili, the lecture presented an optimistic message of how, despite the common perception that we are living in unprecedentedly violent times, violence has actually been decreasing throughout the course of recorded human history. Mentioning Hobbes and Rousseau, who both speculated on what life was like before the establishment of governments in violence from ancient times to the Steven ended his lecture with a call and social order, when human beings present day can be attributed to a range for us to stand up for the things that were living in a primitive ‘state of of factors, not least that, as more people had made our world a less violent place: nature’, Professor Pinker argued that become accustomed to rational thinking, enlightenment values, reason, science, both had been ‘talking through their and reject irrational prejudices, the and Humanism. hats’, because they had not had the justifications for violence against our The audio of the lecture was recorded opportunity to observe human beings in fellow human beings are undermined, and by our partner podcast, the Pod Delusion, this state. In contrast to these thinkers, violence itself declines. This vindicates www.poddelusion.co.uk, and the video Steven presented an impressive body of Voltaire’s famous maxim that ‘Those who will soon be available on YouTube at evidence to back up his conclusions. can make you believe absurdities can www.youtube.com/BritishHumanists. He suggested that the decrease make you commit atrocities’. Darwin Day Lecture: The emergence of drug resistance Anti-creationist, chemist, and and experience of being a father — The lecture is available on our Distinguished Supporter of the BHA Sir elucidating on the effect of these on his YouTube channel at: Tom Blundell, Professor Emeritus and work and career. www.youtube.com/BritishHumanists. Director of Research at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, presented the 2013 Darwin Day lecture on The emergence of drug resistance: molecular evolution and new medicines for the treatment of cancer and tuberculosis. Chaired by BHA Vice-President Professor Richard Dawkins, the lecture explored how, whilst many accepted mutations are selectively neutral, others appear to be selectively advantageous to organisms by optimising stability, activity, and interactions at the molecular and cellular levels. A true Renaissance man, Sir Tom interwove details from his personal life — from playing jazz trumpet, to being a political activist, and his marriage We have moved! You can now find us at our new address: 39 Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB or telephone us on 020 7324 3060 From the Chief Executive Andrew Copson The news that the BHA has been given restricted themselves to advocating the themselves. If a person is not capable permission by the Court to intervene in legalisation of assisted dying only for of fulfilling their own legal desires and the case of Tony Nicklinson (see below) is people who are terminally ill. Because there are others willing to assist them in an extremely welcome opportunity for us of that, it is worth rehearsing the strong fulfilling their wishes, there is no obvious to make the case on what must be one of moral case for us, as a society, to provide reason why the law should criminalise the most significant ethical issues of our exactly what Tony Nicklinson wanted to the helper. time. His own determined advocacy, the be provided — the case that led the BHA Fourthly: the intentional ending effective use of the media to promote to support this case. of one’s own life is legal and, more his cause, and the ongoing eloquent, Firstly: a mentally competent adult than that, is an act that a rational and ethical, and dignified support of his wife should be afforded control over his or her mentally competent person may well and daughters have guaranteed that Tony own body. Only our thoughts are perhaps consider — in extreme circumstances — to Nicklinson’s death has not been the end more personal and more wholly owned by be preferable to continued life. of the public debate he reignited. The us than our bodies and the right to bodily Respect for the autonomy of a free BHA is the only national organisation to integrity and autonomy of each person is individual, however disabled, combined intervene in the case in support of Tony’s the most important guarantee we have of with the principle of compassion, widow Jane, who has now been given individual dignity. undeniably indicates that society permission to continue with the case in Secondly: some people — through should provide assistance to those in her own right. disability — are unable to give effect to Tony’s position. In the public debate surrounding their own desires. This can create great To support the recognition of the Tony’s fight, there was a general absence suffering for them. right to die with dignity at a time of of prominent supporters from public life Thirdly: compassion should motivate one’s choosing is a rational, humane, and for his position; those who did not oppose us to alleviate suffering and we should humanist position. assisted dying entirely nonetheless be moved to help those who cannot help Nicklinson Appeal Government releases list of proposed Free In February we made our legal Schools to BHA submissions to the Court Appeal in support of the Nicklinson case. Working In the last issue we reported that we had with humanist philosophers Richard won our Information Tribunal case against Norman, AC Grayling, Simon Blackburn, the Department for Education, forcing it and John Harris, we put forward a strong to release details of all proposals to set defence of Tony Nicklinson's widow Jane's up Free Schools in the first three years appeal against the refusal to grant Tony of the programme — giving their names, the right to end his own life with the locations and religious affiliations, if help of a doctor, as well as on some of any. This followed on from a Freedom of the issues raised in the legal case. We Information request we submitted in also supported several appellants who June 2011. One of the approved Free Schools have been added to the case, who are In February and March the suffering and wish to establish the legal Government provided that data to the GCSE because they believe technology is right to die. BHA. In total, 831 proposals were made corrupting; 27 from Steiner groups (who We will update members once the to establish Free Schools, of which the often give homeopathy to schoolchildren) court dates have been confirmed. BHA was able to identify whether 659 and three from the Maharishi (who teach of these were religious or not. 330 of the ‘Science of Creative Intelligence’). these were religious or pseudoscientific, There was even an application for a representing just over 50% of identified Satanist school in Tower Hamlets. All bids and 40% of all proposals. of these were rejected bar two Steiner Fortunately, religious groups have applications and a Maharishi application. been less likely to be successful than On the other hand, the Church of other groups. Of the 197 proposals England have been very successful at that were backed by the Government getting their Free School bids approved: to open, 64 (or 32%) were religious last year almost two-thirds of their 16 or pseudoscientific. Perhaps this is proposals were backed to open. because many inappropriate groups Meanwhile, the Government turned have been applying. There were: down our Freedom of Information nine applicants from private schools request for a list of groups applying to teaching the creationist Accelerated set up Free Schools in the fourth wave Christian Education curriculum; 10 from of the programme, because it was made the Christian Schools Trust network of thirteen working days earlier than a Jane and Tony Nicklinson's creationist private schools; 15 from the comparable request originally made in last family photo Exclusive Brethren, who do not teach ICT 2011. We are fighting the rejection. Meeting with Foreign and Same-Sex Marriage News in brief Commonwealth Office Bill progresses through (FCO) on Freedom of Parliament Memory matters with Thought In a historic step forward for equality, Elizabeth Loftus We met with representatives from the on 5 February MPs voted overwhelmingly FCO to present and discuss the findings in favour of same-sex marriage. The The BHA, Centre for Inquiry UK, and of the International Humanist and Ethical Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was Goldsmiths' Anomalistic Psychology Union’s report, Freedom of Thought passed in the House of Commons by Research Unit hosted Elizabeth Loftus, 2012: A Global Report on Discrimination 400 votes to 175, a majority of 225. Distinguished Professor at University of Against Humanists, Atheists and the Non- We worked with the Coalition for Equal California, Irvine, speaking on Memory religious which highlights nations that Marriage to lobby for support. Matters. The lecture was attended by discriminate against people on the basis Despite attempts by same-sex over 300 people, including 200 students of their atheism, Humanism, or other marriage opponents to dilute the Bill from local schools and colleges.