Skepticism and Humanism: the New Paradigm

Skepticism and Humanism: The New Paradigm
by Paul Kurtz
Transaction Publishers, $39.95, ISBN 0765800519

Paul Kurtz is, of course, the founder of CSICOP. This is a collection of mostly brief pieces in four sections, the first (“Skeptics of the World Unite!”) on skepticism, the others (“Beyond Religion”, “Neo-Humanist Politics” and “Humanism Writ Large”) on aspects of humanism, for which Kurtz is a most persuasive and eloquent advocate. Many are from the journal Free Inquiry, of which Kurtz is editor-in-chief, or are based on papers given at a variety of events around the world.
Skeptics will of course find the first section of most interest. It includes the best summary I have seen of why Gauquelin’s “Mars Effect” does not stand up to scrutiny (written with Jan Willem Nienhuys and Ranjit Sandhu), preceded by a brief summary of scientific tests of astrology by Kurtz and Andrew Fraknoi.
Kurtz also, in “Skepticism and the Paranormal”, gives an excellent outline of skeptical criticism of paranormal claims, with nice phrases like the “stretched-sock” and “unsinkable-rubber-duck” syndromes. The Heaven’s Gate mass suicide is thoughtfully discussed, as are alternative medicine, whether skeptical enquiry can be applied to religion, and why people believe or disbelieve. The sections on humanism cannot be summarized easily, but contain much of interest on the lessons of the collapse of Marxism, morality without God, liberalism, the growth of media giants, and much else. This book is a most stimulating insight into a fascinating and brilliant mind.