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Florence
Florence (Italian: Firenze [fiˈrɛntse] (
listen), alternate obsolete form: Fiorenza; Latin: Florentia) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.
Florence is famous for its history. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.
The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year, and Euromonitor International ranked the city as the world's 72nd most visited in 2009, with 1,685,000 visitors. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and the city is noted for its history, culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, amongst others, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics.
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Maine
Maine (
i/ˈmeɪn/) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost portion of New England. It is known for its scenery—its jagged, mostly rocky coastline, its low, rolling mountains, its heavily forested interior and picturesque waterways—as well as for its seafood cuisine, especially lobsters and clams.
For thousands of years, indigenous peoples were the only inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine. At the time of European encounter, several Algonquian-speaking peoples inhabited the area. The first European settlement in Maine was by the French in 1604 on Saint Croix Island, by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons. The first English settlement in Maine, the short-lived Popham Colony, was established by the Plymouth Company in 1607. A number of English settlements were established along the coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the rugged climate, deprivations, and conflict with the local peoples caused many to fail over the years. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements survived. Patriot and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820, when it voted to secede from Massachusetts. On March 15, 1820, it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state under the Missouri Compromise. Maine is the 39th most extensive and the 41st most populous of the 50 United States.
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Naples
Coordinates: 40°50′42″N 14°15′30″E / 40.845°N 14.25833°E / 40.845; 14.25833
Naples (Italian: Napoli [ˈnaːpoli] ( listen), Neapolitan: Napule; Latin: Neapolis; Ancient Greek: Νεάπολις, meaning "new city") is the capital of Campania and the third-largest city in Italy, after Rome and Milan. As of 2012[update], around 960,000 people live within the city's administrative limits. The wider Naples urban area, covering 777 km2 (300 sq mi), has a population of over 3 million, and is the 10th-most populous urban area in the European Union. Between 4.1 and 4.4 million people live in the overall Naples metropolitan area, one of the largest European cities on the Mediterranean Sea.
Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Greek settlements were established on the island of Megaride in the Gulf of Naples as early as the 9th century BC. A larger mainland colony – initially known as Parthenope (Παρθενόπη) – developed around the 7th century BC, and was refounded as Neápolis (Νεάπολις) in the 5th century BC. Naples became a lynchpin of Magna Graecia and played a key role in the merging of Greek culture into Roman society, eventually becoming a cultural centre of the Roman Republic. Naples remained influential after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, serving as the capital city of the Kingdom of Naples between 1282 and 1816. Thereafter, in union with Sicily, it became the capital of the Two Sicilies until the unification of Italy in 1861. During the Neapolitan War of 1815, Naples strongly promoted Italian unification.
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Adam Ferguson
Adam Ferguson FRSE, also known as Ferguson of Raith (20 June 1723 (O.S.) (1 July, N.S.) - 22 February 1816) was a Scottish philosopher and historian of the Scottish Enlightenment. Ferguson was sympathetic to traditional societies, such as the Highlands, for producing courage and loyalty. He criticized commercial society as making men weak, dishonourable and unconcerned for their community. Ferguson has been called "the father of modern sociology."
Born at Logierait in Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland, he received his education at Logierait Parish School, Perth Grammar School, and at the University of Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews (MA 1742). In 1745, owing to his knowledge of Gaelic, he gained appointment as deputy chaplain of the 43rd (afterwards the 42nd) regiment (the Black Watch), the licence to preach being granted him by special dispensation, although he had not completed the required six years of theological study.
It remains a matter of debate as to whether, at the Battle of Fontenoy (1745), Ferguson fought in the ranks throughout the day, and refused to leave the field, though ordered to do so by his colonel. Nevertheless, he certainly did well, becoming principal chaplain in 1746. He continued attached to the regiment till 1754, when, disappointed at not obtaining a living, he left the clergy and resolved to devote himself to literary pursuits.
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Adam Smith
Adam Smith (baptised 16 June 1723 – 17 July 1790 [OS: 5 June 1723 – 17 July 1790]) was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Principles Which Lead and Direct Philosophical Enquiries, Illustrated by the History of Astronomy, prior to 1758, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, 1759, and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, 1776. The latter, usually abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations, is considered his magnum opus and the first modern work of economics. It earned him an enormous reputation and would become one of the most influential works ever published. Smith is widely cited as the father of modern economics and capitalism and is still among the most influential thinkers in the field of economics today. In 2009, Smith was named among the 'Greatest Scots' of all time, in a vote run by Scottish television channel STV.
Smith studied social philosophy at the University of Glasgow and at Balliol College in the University of Oxford, where he was one of the first students to benefit from scholarships set up by his fellow Glaswegian John Snell. After graduating, he delivered a successful series of public lectures at Edinburgh, leading him to collaborate with David Hume during the Scottish Enlightenment. Smith obtained a professorship at Glasgow teaching moral philosophy, and during this time he wrote and published The Theory of Moral Sentiments. In his later life, he took a tutoring position that allowed him to travel throughout Europe, where he met other intellectual leaders of his day. Smith then returned home and spent the next ten years writing The Wealth of Nations, publishing it in 1776. He died in 1790 at the age of 67.
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Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein (
/ˈælbərt ˈaɪnstaɪn/; German: [ˈalbɐt ˈaɪnʃtaɪn] ( listen); 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics. While best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2 (which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation"), he received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory within physics.
Near the beginning of his career, Einstein thought that Newtonian mechanics was no longer enough to reconcile the laws of classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. This led to the development of his special theory of relativity. He realized, however, that the principle of relativity could also be extended to gravitational fields, and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916, he published a paper on the general theory of relativity. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light which laid the foundation of the photon theory of light. In 1917, Einstein applied the general theory of relativity to model the structure of the universe as a whole.
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Aldus Manutius
Aldus Pius Manutius (Bassiano, 1449 – Venice, February 6, 1515), the Latinised name of Aldo Manuzio —sometimes called Aldus Manutius, the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Aldus Manutius, the Younger—was an Italian humanist who became a printer and publisher when he founded the Aldine Press at Venice.
His publishing legacy includes the distinctions of inventing italic type, establishing the modern use of the semicolon, inventing the comma and introducing inexpensive books in small formats bound in vellum that were read much like modern paperbacks.
Manutius was born in Bassiano, in the Papal States, in what is now the province of Latina, some 100 km south of Rome, during the Italian Renaissance period.
His family was well off and Manutius was educated as a humanistic scholar, studying Latin in Rome under Gasparino da Verona, and Greek at Ferrara under Guarino da Verona.
In 1482, he went to reside at Mirandola with his old friend and fellow student, the illustrious Giovanni Pico. There he stayed two years, pursuing his studies in Greek literature. Before Pico moved to Florence, he procured for Manutius the post of tutor to his nephews Alberto and Lionello Pio, princes of Carpi. Alberto Pio supplied Manutius with funds for starting his printing press, and gave him lands at Carpi.
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Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous KG (also Alphonso; Catalan: Alfons; 1396 – 27 June 1458) was the King of Aragon (as Alfonso V), Valencia (as Alfonso III), Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica (as Alfonso II), and Sicily and Count of Barcelona (as Alfonso IV) from 1416 and King of Naples (as Alfonso I) from 1442 until his death. He was one of the most prominent figures of the early Renaissance and a knight of the Order of the Dragon.
Born at Medina del Campo, he was the son of Ferdinand I of Aragon (known as Ferdinand of Antequera) and Eleanor of Alburquerque. He represented the old line of the counts of Barcelona only through women, and was on his father's side descended from the House of Trastamara, the reigning House of Castile. By hereditary right he was king of Sicily and disputed the island of Sardinia with Genoa. Alfonso was also in possession of much of Corsica by the 1420s.
In 1421 Queen Joan II of Naples, who had no children, adopted and named him as heir to the Kingdom of Naples, and Alfonso went to Naples. Here he hired the famous condottiero Braccio da Montone with the task of reducing the resistance of the other pretender, Louis III of Anjou, and his forces led by Muzio Attendolo Sforza. As Pope Martin V supported Sforza, Alfonso switched religious allegiance to the Aragonese antipope Benedict XIII. When Sforza also abandoned Louis, Alfonso seemed to have all his problems solved; however, his relationship with Joan suddenly worsened, and in May 1423 he had her lover, and a powerful figure in the Neapolitan court, Gianni Caracciolo, arrested.
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Anaxagoras
Anaxagoras (Greek: Ἀναξαγόρας, Anaxagoras, "lord of the assembly"; c. 500 BC – 428 BC) was a Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher. Born in Clazomenae in Asia Minor, Anaxagoras was the first philosopher to bring philosophy from Ionia to Athens. He attempted to give a scientific account of eclipses, meteors, rainbows, and the sun, which he described as a fiery mass larger than the Peloponnese. According to Diogenes Laertius and Plutarch he fled to Lampsacus due to a backlash against his pupil Pericles.
Anaxagoras is famous for introducing the cosmological concept of Nous (mind), as an ordering force. He regarded material substance as an infinite multitude of imperishable primary elements, referring all generation and disappearance to mixture and separation respectively.
Anaxagoras appears to have had some amount of property and prospects of political influence in his native town of Clazomenae in Asia Minor. However, he supposedly surrendered both of these out of a fear that they would hinder his search for knowledge. Valerius Maximus preserves a different tradition: Anaxagoras, coming home from a long voyage, found his property in ruin, and said: "If this had not perished, I would have." A sentence, denoted by Maximus, as being "possessed of sought-after wisdom!". Although a Greek, he may have been a soldier of the Persian army when Clazomenae was suppressed during the Ionian Revolt.
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Anthony Grafton
Anthony Grafton (sometimes Anthony T. Grafton) (born 21 May 1950) is a historian and the current Henry Putnam University Professor at Princeton University. He is also a corresponding fellow of the British Academy and a recipient of the Balzan Prize. From January 2011 to January 2012, he served as the President of the American Historical Association.
Grafton was educated at Phillips Academy and the University of Chicago, where he took his A.B. and Ph.D. in rapid succession. He studied for one year at University College, London under the celebrated ancient historian Arnaldo Momigliano, and retains links with the Warburg Institute, University of London.
After a brief period teaching at Cornell's Department of History, he was appointed to a position at Princeton University in 1975, where he has subsequently remained. Since January 2007, he has been a co-editor of the Journal of the History of Ideas.
Anthony Grafton is noted for his studies of the classical tradition from the Renaissance to the eighteenth century, and in the history of historical scholarship. His many books include a profound study of the scholarship and chronology of the foremost classical scholar of the late Renaissance, Joseph Scaliger (2 vols, 1983–1993), a revisionist account (with Lisa Jardine) of the significance of Renaissance education (From Humanism to the Humanities, 1986), and, more recently, studies of Girolamo Cardano as an astrologer (1999) and Leon Battista Alberti (2000).
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Arnold Ruge
Arnold Ruge (13 September 1802 - 31 December 1880) was a German philosopher and political writer.
Born in Bergen auf Rügen, he studied in Halle, Jena and Heidelberg. As an advocate of a free and united Germany, he shared in the student agitations of 1821-24, and was jailed from 1824 to 1830 in the fortress of Kolberg, where he studied Plato and the Greek poets. Moving to Halle on his release, he published a number of plays — including Schill und die Seinen, a tragedy — and translations of ancient Greek texts — e.g. Oedipus in Colonus. He became a Privatdozent at the University of Halle in 1832.
He also became associated with the Young Hegelians. In 1837 with E. T. Echtermeyer he founded the Hallesche Jahrbücher für deutsche Kunst und Wissenschaft. In this periodical he discussed the questions of the time from the point of view of the Hegelian philosophy. According to Frederick Copleston:
“Ruge shared Hegel's belief that history is a progressive advance towards the realization of freedom, and that freedom is attained in the State, the creation of the rational General Will.[...] At the same time he criticized Hegel for having given an interpretation of history which was closed to the future, in the sense that it left no room for novelty.”
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Auguste Comte
Isidore Auguste Marie François Xavier Comte (19 January 1798 – 5 September 1857), better known as Auguste Comte [oɡyst kɔ̃t], was a French philosopher. He was a founder of the discipline of sociology and of the doctrine of positivism. He may be regarded as the first philosopher of science in the modern sense of the term.
Strongly influenced by the Utopian socialist Henri Saint-Simon, Comte developed the positive philosophy in an attempt to remedy the social malaise of the French revolution, calling for a new social doctrine based on the sciences. Comte was a major influence on 19th century thought, impacting the work of social thinkers such as Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill, and George Eliot. His concept of sociologie and social evolutionism, though now outdated, set the tone for early social theorists and anthropologists such as Harriet Martineau and Herbert Spencer, evolving into Modern academic sociology presented by Émile Durkheim as practical and objective social research.
Comte's social theories culminated in the "religion of humanity", which was influential to the development of religious humanist and Secular Humanist organizations in the 19th century. Comte likewise coined the word "altruism".
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Averroism
Averroism is the term applied to either of two philosophical trends among scholastics in the late 13th century: (a) the Arab philosopher Averroës or Ibn Rushd's interpretations of Aristotle and his reconciliation of Aristotelianism with Islamic faith; and (b) the application of these ideas in the Latin Christian and Jewish intellectual traditions, such as Siger of Brabant, Boetius of Dacia, and Maimonides. The term was originally coined by Ernst Renan.
Averroes at the time of Dante Alighieri was probably the most widely condemned thinker in the medieval Christian world... Averroism became virtually synonymous with atheism in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance . As an historiographical category it was first developed by Ernest Renan in Averroès et l'averroïsme (1852). Later historians applied the name to significant uses and expressions of elements of Averroes' doctrines and to the exegetical tradition of Aristotle by Jewish and Christian thinkers as it had come down through the Latin and Hebrew traditions. "Averroist" can therefore describe a range of positions, up to and including scholars interested in the historical phenomenon of Averroes' influence[citation needed].
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Avicenna
Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sīnā (Persian پورسينا Pur Sina [ˈpuːr ˈsiːnɑː] "son of Sina"; c. 980, Afshana near Bukhara– 1037, Hamadan, Iran), commonly known as Ibn Sīnā or by his Latinized name Avicenna, was a Persianpolymath, who wrote almost 450 treatises on a wide range of subjects, of which around 240 have survived. In particular, 150 of his surviving treatises concentrate on philosophy and 40 of them concentrate on medicine.
His most famous works are The Book of Healing, a vast philosophical and scientific encyclopaedia, and The Canon of Medicine, which was a standard medical text at many medieval universities. The Canon of Medicine was used as a text-book in the universities of Montpellier and Leuven as late as 1650. Ibn Sīnā's Canon of Medicine provides a complete system of medicine according to the principles of Galen (and Hippocrates).
His corpus also includes writing on philosophy, astronomy, alchemy, geology, psychology, Islamic theology, logic, mathematics, physics, as well as poetry. He is regarded as the most famous and influential polymath of the Islamic Golden Age.
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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705] – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and the glass 'armonica'. He formed both the first public lending library in America and the first fire department in Pennsylvania.
Franklin earned the title of "The First American" for his early and indefatigable campaigning for colonial unity; as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies, then as the first United States Ambassador to France, he exemplified the emerging American nation. Franklin was foundational in defining the American ethos as a marriage of the practical and democratic values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment. In the words of historian Henry Steele Commager, "In a Franklin could be merged the virtues of Puritanism without its defects, the illumination of the Enlightenment without its heat." To Walter Isaacson, this makes Franklin "the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential in inventing the type of society America would become."
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Brock Chisholm
George Brock Chisholm, CC, MC & Bar (18 May 1896 – 4 February 1971) was a Canadian First World War veteran, medical practitioner, and the first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). He was a strong advocate of religious tolerance and often commented that man's worst enemy was not disease, which he felt was curable as long as men worked together, but man himself.
Chisholm was born in Oakville, Ontario, to a family with deep ties to the region. Under Sir Isaac Brock, after whom Chisholm was named, his great-grandfather fought against the Americans during the War of 1812. His great-grandfather's brother was also Oakville's founder.
As an 18-year-old at the start of the First World War, Chisholm joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force, serving in the 15th Battalion, CEF as a cook, sniper, machine gunner and scout. His leadership and heroism were twice rewarded: with a Military Cross for his efforts in a battle outside of Lens, France; and the Bar. He rose to the rank of captain, was injured once and returned home in 1917.
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Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan ( /ˈseɪɡɪn/; November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer, and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books. He advocated scientifically skeptical inquiry and the scientific method, pioneered exobiology and promoted the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
Sagan is known for his popular science books and for the award-winning 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which he narrated and co-wrote. The book Cosmos was published to accompany the series. Sagan wrote the novel Contact, the basis for a 1997 film of the same name.
Carl Sagan was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Ukrainian Jewish family. His father, Sam Sagan, was an immigrant garment worker from Kamenets-Podolsk, Ukraine; his mother, Rachel Molly Gruber, a housewife. Carl was named in honor of Rachel's biological mother, Chaiya Clara, in Sagan's words, "the mother she never knew." Sagan graduated from Rahway High School in Rahway, New Jersey, in 1951.
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Cesare Beccaria
Cesare, Marquis of Beccaria-Bonesana (Italian pronunciation: [ˈtʃɛzare bekkaˈria]; March 15, 1738 – November 28, 1794) was an Italian jurist, philosopher and politician best known for his treatise On Crimes and Punishments (1764), which condemned torture and the death penalty, and was a founding work in the field of penology.
Beccaria was born in Milan on March 15, 1738 and educated in the Jesuit college at Parma. Then he graduated in Law from the University of Pavia in 1758. At first, he showed a great aptitude for mathematics, but the study of Montesquieu redirected his attention towards economics. His first publication, in 1762, was a tract on the disorder of the currency in the Milanese states, with a proposal for its remedy. During this time Beccaria, with the brothers Alessandro and Pietro Verri and a number of other young men from the Milan aristocracy formed a literary society, which was named "L'Accademia dei pugni" (the Academy of Fists), a playful name that made fun of the stuffy academies that proliferated in Italy and also because relaxed conversations that were taking place in there were sometimes ending in affrays.[citation needed]
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Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( /ˈsɪsɨroʊ/; Classical Latin: [ˈkɪkɛroː]; January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC; sometimes anglicized as Tully), was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, orator, political theorist, Roman consul and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
He introduced the Romans to the chief schools of Greek philosophy and created a Latin philosophical vocabulary (with neologisms such as humanitas, qualitas, quantitas, and essentia) distinguishing himself as a linguist, translator, and philosopher.
Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited for initiating the 14th-century Renaissance. According to Polish historian Tadeusz Zieliński, "Renaissance was above all things a revival of Cicero, and only after him and through him of the rest of Classical antiquity." The peak of Cicero's authority and prestige came during the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, and his impact on leading Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, David Hume, and Montesquieu was substantial. His works rank among the most influential in European culture, and today still constitute one of the most important bodies of primary material for the writing and revision of Roman history, especially the last days of the Roman Republic.
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Coluccio Salutati
Coluccio Salutati (February 16, 1331 – May 4, 1406) was an Italian Humanist and man of letters, and one of the most important political and cultural leaders of Renaissance Florence.
Salutati was born in Stignano, near Buggiano (today's province of Pistoia, Tuscany). After studies in Bologna, he began to work as notary in that town, then part of the Republic of Florence. His letters to Florentine scholars earned him the nickname of "Ape of Cicero", referring to his mastership of Latin style. Francesco Bruni took Salutati with him in Rome from 1368 to 1370, as assistant in the Papal secretariat. Having his career boosted by his stay in Rome, he was therefore appointed chancellor of Todi and then of the powerful Lucca.
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Confucius
Confucius (551–479 BC) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history.
The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity. His followers competed successfully with many other schools during the Hundred Schools of Thought era only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin Dynasty. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius's thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known as Confucianism.
Confucius is traditionally credited with having authored or edited many of the Chinese classic texts including all of the Five Classics, but modern scholars are cautious of attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself. Aphorisms concerning his teachings were compiled in the Analects, but only many years after his death.
Confucius's principles had a basis in common Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong family loyalty, ancestor worship, respect of elders by their children (and in traditional interpretations of husbands by their wives), and family as a basis for ideal government. He espoused the well-known principle "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself", an early version of the Golden Rule.
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Corliss Lamont
Corliss Lamont (March 28, 1902–April 26, 1995), was a socialist philosopher, and advocate of various left-wing and civil liberties causes. As a part of his political activities he was the Chairman of National Council of American-Soviet Friendship starting from early 1940s. He was the great-uncle of 2006 Democratic Party nominee for the United States Senate from Connecticut, Ned Lamont.
Lamont was born in Englewood, New Jersey. His father, Thomas W. Lamont, was a Partner and later Chairman at J.P. Morgan & Co.. Lamont graduated as valedictorian of Phillips Exeter Academy in 1920, and magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1924. In 1924 he did graduate work at New College University of Oxford while he resided with Julian Huxley. The next year Lamont matriculated at Columbia University, where he studied under John Dewey. In 1928 he became a philosophy instructor at Columbia and married Margaret Hayes Irish. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy in 1932 from Columbia University. Lamont taught at Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, and the New School for Social Research . In 1962 he married Helen Elizabeth Boyden.
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David Hume
David Hume (7 May [O.S. 26 April] 1711 – 25 August 1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, known especially for his philosophical empiricism and scepticism. He was one of the most important figures in the history of Western philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment. Hume is often grouped with John Locke, George Berkeley, and a handful of others as a British Empiricist.
Beginning with his A Treatise of Human Nature (1739), Hume strove to create a total naturalistic "science of man" that examined the psychological basis of human nature. In stark opposition to the rationalists who preceded him, most notably Descartes, he concluded that desire rather than reason governed human behaviour, saying: "Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions." A prominent figure in the sceptical philosophical tradition and a strong empiricist, he argued against the existence of innate ideas, concluding instead that humans have knowledge only of things they directly experience. Thus he divides perceptions between strong and lively "impressions" or direct sensations and fainter "ideas", which are copied from impressions. He developed the position that mental behaviour is governed by "custom"; our use of induction, for example, is justified only by our idea of the "constant conjunction" of causes and effects. Without direct impressions of a metaphysical "self", he concluded that humans have no actual conception of the self, only of a bundle of sensations associated with the self.
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Democritus
Democritus (Greek: Δημόκριτος, Dēmokritos, "chosen of the people") (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher born in Abdera, Thrace, Greece. He was an influential pre-Socratic philosopher and pupil of Leucippus, who formulated an atomic theory for the cosmos.
His exact contributions are difficult to disentangle from his mentor Leucippus, as they are often mentioned together in texts. Their speculation on atoms, taken from Leucippus, bears a passing and partial resemblance to the nineteenth-century understanding of atomic structure that has led some to regard Democritus as more of a scientist than other Greek philosophers; however their ideas rested on very different bases. Largely ignored in ancient Athens, Democritus was nevertheless well known to his fellow northern-born philosopher Aristotle. Plato is said to have disliked him so much that he wished all his books burned. Many consider Democritus to be the "father of modern science".
Democritus was born in the city of Abdera in Thrace, an Ionian colony of Teos, although some called him a Milesian. He was born in the 80th Olympiad (460–457 BC) according to Apollodorus of Athens, and although Thrasyllus placed his birth in 470 BC, the later date is probably more likely.John Burnet has argued that the date of 460 is "too early", since according to Diogenes Laërtius ix.41, Democritus said that he was a "young man (neos)" during Anaxagoras' old age (circa 440–428). It was said that Democritus' father was so wealthy that he received Xerxes on his march through Abdera. Democritus spent the inheritance which his father left him on travels into distant countries, to satisfy his thirst for knowledge. He traveled to Asia, and was even said to have reached India and Ethiopia.
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Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot (October 5, 1713 – July 31, 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer. He was a prominent person during the Enlightenment and is best known for serving as co-founder and chief editor of and contributor to the Encyclopédie.
Diderot also contributed to literature, notably with Jacques le fataliste et son maître (Jacques the Fatalist and his Master), which emulated Laurence Sterne in challenging conventions regarding novels and their structure and content, while also examining philosophical ideas about free will. Diderot is also known as the author of the dialogue, Le Neveu de Rameau (Rameau's Nephew), upon which many articles and sermons about consumer desire have been based. His articles included many topics of the Enlightenment.
Denis Diderot was born in Langres and began his formal education at the jesuitic Collège Louis-leGrand in Langres. In 1732 he earned a master of arts degree in philosophy. Then he entered at the Collège d’Harcourt in Paris. He abandoned the idea of entering the clergy and decided instead to study law. His study of law was short-lived however and in 1734 Diderot decided to become a writer. Because of his refusal to enter one of the learned professions, he was disowned by his father, and for the next ten years he lived a bohemian existence.
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Desiderius Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (October 28, 1466? – July 12, 1536), known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian.
Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in a pure Latin style. He was an early proponent of religious toleration, and enjoyed the sobriquet "Prince of the Humanists"; he has been called "the crowning glory of the Christian humanists." Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament. These raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. He also wrote The Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, Julius Exclusus, and many other works.
Erasmus lived through the Reformation period, but while he was critical of the Church, he did not join the cause of the Reformers. In relation to clerical abuses in the Church, Erasmus remained committed to reforming the Church from within. He also held to Catholic doctrines such as that of free will, which some Reformers rejected in favor of the doctrine of predestination. His middle road approach disappointed and even angered scholars in both camps.
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Duke of Zhou
The Duke of Zhou (Chinese: 周公, Zhōu Gōng), personal name Dan (Chinese: 旦), was a Zhou dynasty nobleman who played a major role in consolidating the state established by his elder brother King Wu. He acted as regent for King Wu's heir King Cheng and successfully suppressed a number of rebellions, placating the Shang nobility with titles and positions. He is also known in Chinese as Dan, Duke of Zhou (周公旦, Zhōu Gōng Dàn, Wade Chou Kung Tan), Shu Dan (叔旦), and Zhou Dan.
In Chinese legend, he is a culture hero credited with writing the I Ching and the Book of Poetry, establishing the Rites of Zhou, and creating the yayue of Chinese classical music.
In 2004, Chinese archaeologists reported that they may have found the tomb complex of the Duke of Zhou in Qishan County, Shaanxi.[citation needed]
Dan was the fourth son of King Wen of Zhou. His eldest brother Boyi Kao predeceased their father and the second eldest defeated the Shang at Muye around 1046 BC, ascending the throne as King Wu, first of the Zhou dynasty. He distributed many fiefs to his relatives and followers and Dan received the territory of Zhou near present-day Luoyang.
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Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke PC (12 January [NS] 1729– 9 July 1797) was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party.
He is mainly remembered for his support of the cause of the American Revolutionaries, and for his later opposition to the French Revolution. The latter led to his becoming the leading figure within the conservative faction of the Whig party, which he dubbed the "Old Whigs", in opposition to the pro–French Revolution "New Whigs", led by Charles James Fox.
Burke was praised by both conservatives and liberals in the 19th century.[citation needed] Since the 20th century, he has generally been viewed as the philosophical founder of modern Conservatism, as well as a representative of classical liberalism.
Burke was born in Dublin, Ireland, to a prosperous solicitor father (Richard; d. 1761) of the Church of Ireland. It is unclear if this is the same Richard Burke who converted from Catholicism. His mother Mary (c. 1702–1770), whose maiden name was Nagle, was a Roman Catholic and came from an impoverished but genteel County Cork family. The Burke dynasty descended from an Anglo-Norman surnamed de Burgh (Latinised as de Burgo) who arrived in Ireland in 1185 following the Norman invasion of Ireland by Henry II of England in 1171.)
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Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon (27 April 1737 – 16 January 1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. The Decline and Fall is known for the quality and irony of its prose, its use of primary sources, and its open criticism of organized religion.
Edward Gibbon was born in 1737, the son of Edward and Judith Gibbon at Lime Grove, in the town of Putney, Surrey. He had six siblings: five brothers and one sister, all of whom died in infancy. His grandfather, also named Edward, had lost all of his assets as a result of the South Sea Bubble stock market collapse in 1720, but eventually regained much of his wealth, so that Gibbon's father was able to inherit a substantial estate.
As a youth, his health was under constant threat. He described himself as "a puny child, neglected by my Mother, starved by my nurse." At age nine, Gibbon was sent to Dr. Woddeson's school at Kingston upon Thames (now Kingston Grammar School), shortly after which his mother died. He then took up residence in the Westminster School boarding house, owned by his adored "Aunt Kitty," Catherine Porten. Soon after she died in 1786, he remembered her as rescuing him from his mother's disdain, and imparting "the first rudiments of knowledge, the first exercise of reason, and a taste for books which is still the pleasure and glory of my life." By 1751, Gibbon's reading was already extensive and certainly pointed toward his future pursuits: Laurence Echard's Roman History (1713), William Howel(l)'s An Institution of General History (1680–85), and several of the 65 volumes of the acclaimed Universal History from the Earliest Account of Time (1747–1768).
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Epicurus
Epicurus (Ancient Greek: Ἐπίκουρος, Epikouros, "ally, comrade"; 341 BCE – 270 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher as well as the founder of the school of philosophy called Epicureanism. Only a few fragments and letters remain of Epicurus's 300 written works. Much of what is known about Epicurean philosophy derives from later followers and commentators.
For Epicurus, the purpose of philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by ataraxia—peace and freedom from fear—and aponia—the absence of pain—and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. He taught that pleasure and pain are the measures of what is good and evil, that death is the end of the body and the soul and should therefore not be feared, that the gods do not reward or punish humans, that the universe is infinite and eternal, and that events in the world are ultimately based on the motions and interactions of atoms moving in empty space.
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Ernest Renan
Joseph Ernest Renan (28 February 1823 – 2 October 1892) was a French expert of Middle East ancient languages and civilizations,philosopher and writer, devoted to his native province of Brittany. He is best known for his influential historical works on early Christianity and his political theories, especially concerning nationalism and national identity.
He was born at Tréguier in Brittany to a family of fishermen. His grandfather, having made a small fortune with his fishing-shack, bought a house at Tréguier and settled there, and his father, captain of a small cutter and an ardent republican, married the daughter of a Royalist tradesman from the neighbouring town of Lannion. All his life, Renan felt a conflict between his father's and his mother's political beliefs.[citation needed] He was five years old when his father died, and his sister, Henriette, twelve years his senior, became the moral head of the household. Having in vain attempted to keep a school for girls at Tréguier, she departed and went to Paris as a teacher in a young ladies' boarding-school.
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Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an American expatriate poet, critic and a major figure of the early modernist movement. His contribution to poetry began with his promotion of Imagism, a movement that derived its technique from classical Chinese and Japanese poetry, stressing clarity, precision and economy of language. His best-known works include Ripostes (1912), Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (1920), and his unfinished 120-section epic, The Cantos (1917–1969).
Working in London in the early 20th century as foreign editor of several American literary magazines, Pound helped to discover and shape the work of contemporaries such as T. S. Eliot, James Joyce, Robert Frost, and Ernest Hemingway. He was responsible for the publication in 1915 of Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," and for the serialization from 1918 of Joyce's Ulysses. Hemingway wrote of him in 1925: "He defends [his friends] when they are attacked, he gets them into magazines and out of jail. ... He writes articles about them. He introduces them to wealthy women. He gets publishers to take their books. He sits up all night with them when they claim to be dying ... he advances them hospital expenses and dissuades them from suicide."
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Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban(s),KC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Although his political career ended in disgrace, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution.
Bacon has been called the creator of empiricism. His works established and popularised inductive methodologies for scientific inquiry, often called the Baconian method, or simply the scientific method. His demand for a planned procedure of investigating all things natural marked a new turn in the rhetorical and theoretical framework for science, much of which still surrounds conceptions of proper methodology today.
Bacon was knighted in 1603, and created both the Baron Verulam in 1618, and the Viscount St Alban in 1621; as he died without heirs both peerages became extinct upon his death. He famously died by contracting pneumonia while studying the effects of freezing on the preservation of meat.
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François Quesnay
François Quesnay (French pronunciation: [fʀɑ̃ˈswa kɛˈnɛ]; June 4, 1694 – December 16, 1774) was a French economist of the Physiocratic school. He is known for publishing the "Tableau économique" (Economic Table) in 1758, which provided the foundations of the ideas of the Physiocrats. This was perhaps the first work to attempt to describe the workings of the economy in an analytical way, and as such can be viewed as one of the first important contributions to economic thought.
Quesnay was born at Méré near Versailles, the son of an advocate and small landed proprietor. Apprenticed at the age of sixteen to a surgeon, he soon went to Paris, studied medicine and surgery there, and, having qualified as a master-surgeon, settled down to practice at Mantes. In 1737 he was appointed perpetual secretary of the academy of surgery founded by François Gigot de la Peyronie, and became surgeon in ordinary to the king. In 1744 he graduated as a doctor of medicine; he became physician in ordinary to the king, and afterwards his first consulting physician, and was installed in the Palace of Versailles. His apartments were on the entresol, whence the Réunions de l'entresol[clarification needed] received their name. Louis XV esteemed Quesnay highly, and used to call him his thinker; when he ennobled him he gave him for arms three flowers of the pansy (derived from pensée, in French meaning thought), with the Latin motto Propter cogitationem mentis.
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Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller [ˈjoːhan ˈkʁɪstɔf ˈfʁiːdʁɪç fɔn ˈʃɪlɐ] (10 November 1759 – 9 May 1805) was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. They frequently discussed issues concerning aesthetics, and Schiller encouraged Goethe to finish works he left as sketches. This relationship and these discussions led to a period now referred to as Weimar Classicism. They also worked together on Xenien, a collection of short satirical poems in which both Schiller and Goethe challenge opponents to their philosophical vision.
Friedrich Schiller was born on 10 November 1759, in Marbach, Württemberg as the only son of military doctor Johann Kaspar Schiller (1733–96), and Elisabeth Dorothea Kodweiß (1732–1802). They also had five daughters. His father was away in the Seven Years' War when Friedrich was born. He was named after king Frederick the Great, but he was called Fritz by nearly everyone. Kaspar Schiller was rarely home during the war, but he did manage to visit the family once in a while. His wife and children also visited him occasionally wherever he happened to be stationed. When the war ended in 1763, Schiller's father became a recruiting officer and was stationed in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The family moved with him. Due to the high cost of living—especially the rent—the family moved to nearby Lorch.
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Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम बुद्ध; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. The word Buddha is a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (P. sammāsambuddha, S. samyaksaṃbuddha) of our age, "Buddha" meaning "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." Gautama Buddha may also be referred to as Śākyamuni (Sanskrit: शाक्यमुनि "Sage of the Śākyas"). The Buddha found a Middle Way that ameliorated the extreme asceticism found in the Sramana religions.
The time of Gautama's birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c. 563 BCE to 483 BCE, but more recent opinion dates his death to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411 and 400 BCE. UNESCO lists Lumbini, Nepal, as a world heritage site and birthplace of Gautama Buddha. There are also claims about birth place of Gautama Buddha to be Kapileswara, Orissa or Kapilavastu at Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kośala.
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Gemistus Pletho
Georgius Gemistus (Greek: Γεώργιος Γεμιστός; ca. 1355–1452/1454) — later called Plethon or Pletho (Greek: Πλήθων) — was a Greek scholar of Neoplatonic philosophy. He was one of the chief pioneers of the revival of Greek learning in Western Europe. In the dying years of the Byzantine Empire, he advocated a return to the Olympian gods of the ancient world.
He re-introduced Plato's thoughts to Western Europe during the 1438 - 1439 Council of Florence, a failed attempt to reconcile the East-West schism. Here Pletho met and influenced Cosimo de' Medici to found a new Platonic Academy, which, under Marsilio Ficino, would proceed to translate into Latin all Plato's works, the Enneads of Plotinus, and various other Neoplatonist works.
George Gemistos was born some time after 1355, probably in Constantinople. As a young man he went to study at Adrianopolis, by now the Turkish capital following its capture by the Ottoman Sultan Murad I in 1365. Adrianopolis was now a centre of learning modelled by Murat on the caliphates of Cairo and Baghdad. He admired Plato so much that late in life he took the similar-meaning name Plethon. In c1407 Gemistos left Adrianopolis and travelled through Cyprus, Palestine and other places, finally settling in Mistra, in the Despotate of Morea.
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Georg Voigt
Georg Voigt was a German historian who was born in 1827 in Königsberg in East Prussia. He died in Leipzig in 1891. Voigt was the son of the historian Johannes Voigt. Voigt belonged to the founders of modern research into the Italian Renaissance along with Jacob Burckhardt.
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George Eliot
Mary Anne (alternatively Mary Ann or Marian) Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880), better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She is the author of seven novels, including Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Middlemarch (1871–72), and Daniel Deronda (1876), most of them set in provincial England and well known for their realism and psychological insight.
She used a male pen name, she said, to ensure her works would be taken seriously. Female authors were published under their own names during Eliot's life, but she wanted to escape the stereotype of women only writing lighthearted romances. An additional factor in her use of a pen name may have been a desire to shield her private life from public scrutiny and to prevent scandals attending her relationship with the married George Henry Lewes, with whom she lived for over 20 years.
Her 1872 work, Middlemarch, has been described as the greatest novel in the English language by Martin Amis and by Julian Barnes.
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George Henry Lewes
George Henry Lewes (18 April 1817 – 30 November 1878) was an English philosopher and critic of literature and theatre. He became part of the mid-Victorian ferment of ideas which encouraged discussion of Darwinism, positivism, and religious scepticism. However, he is perhaps best known today for having openly lived with George Eliot, a soul-mate whose life and writings were enriched by their friendship, although they were never married.
Lewes, born in London, was an illegitimate son of a minor poet, John Lee Lewes, and Elizabeth Ashweek and grandson of comic actor Charles Lee Lewes. His mother married a retired sea captain when he was six and frequent changes of home meant he was educated in London, Jersey, Brittany, and finally at Dr Charles Burney's school in Greenwich. Having abandoned successively a commercial and a medical career, he seriously thought of becoming an actor and appeared several times on stage between 1841 and 1850. Finally he devoted himself to literature, science and philosophy.
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Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal ( /ˌɡɔr vɨˈdɑːl/; born October 3, 1925) is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar (1948), outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality. He also ran for political office twice and has been a longtime political critic.
Vidal was born Eugene Luther Gore Vidal in West Point, New York, the only child of 1st Lieutenant Eugene Luther Vidal (1895–1969) and Nina Gore (1903–1978). He was born in the Cadet Hospital of the United States Military Academy, where his father was the first aeronautics instructor, and was christened by the headmaster of St. Albans preparatory school, his future alma mater. According to "West Point and the Third Loyalty", an article Vidal wrote for The New York Review of Books (October 18, 1973), he later decided to be called Gore in honor of his maternal grandfather, Thomas Gore, Democratic senator from Oklahoma.
Vidal's father, a West Point football quarterback and captain, and an all-American basketball player, was director of the Commerce Department's Bureau of Air Commerce (1933–1937) in the Roosevelt administration, was one of the first Army Air Corps pilots and, according to biographer Susan Butler, was the great love of Amelia Earhart's life. In the 1920s and 1930s, he was a co-founder of three American airlines: the Ludington Line, which merged with others and became Eastern Airlines, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT, which became TWA), and Northeast Airlines, which he founded with Earhart, as well as the Boston and Maine Railroad. The elder Vidal was also an athlete in the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics (seventh in the decathlon; U.S. pentathlon team coach).
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Greg Epstein
Greg M. Epstein is the current secular humanist chaplain at Harvard University, and is a published author on the subject of secular humanism.
Epstein was born February 4, 1977 and grew up in the ethnically-diverse neighborhood of Flushing, Queens, New York. His parents, though Jewish, were not very religious, and he attended services with them only occasionally, usually during Jewish holidays or festivals. He describes this experience as one of the foundations for his later interest in Humanistic Judaism.
While attending the Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, Epstein studied Buddhism and Taoism. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. As part of his undergraduate studies in the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, he spent a year in Taiwan in an effort to further his knowledge of Zen Buddhism through readings in Chinese and direct contact with Zen practitioners. Becoming disenchanted with Eastern religions during this experience, Epstein returned to the U.S. and completed his Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Chinese from the University of Michigan. He then went on to complete a Master of Arts in Judaic Studies, also from the University of Michigan.
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Harriet Martineau
Harriet Martineau (12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist and Whig writer, often cited as the first female sociologist.
Martineau wrote 35 books and a multitude of essays from a sociological, holistic, religious, domestic, and, perhaps most controversial, a feminine perspective; she also translated various works from Auguste Comte. She earned enough to be supported entirely by her writing, a challenging feat for a woman in the Victorian era. Martineau has said of her approach: "when one studies a society, one must focus on all its aspects, including key political, religious, and social institutions". She believed a thorough societal analysis was necessary to understand woman's status.
The novelist Margaret Oliphant said "as a born lecturer and politician she (Martineau) was less distinctively affected by her sex than perhaps any other, male or female, of her generation." While she was commonly described as having a masculine intellect, Martineau introduced feminist sociological perspectives in her writing on otherwise overlooked issues such as marriage, children, domestic and religious life, and race relations.
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Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (German pronunciation: [ɪˈmaːnu̯eːl ˈkant]; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher from Königsberg (today Kaliningrad of Russia), who researched, lectured, and wrote on philosophy and anthropology during the Enlightenment at the end of the 18th century. At the time, there were major successes and advances in the sciences (for example, Isaac Newton, Carl Friedrich Gauss, and Robert Boyle) applying reason and logic.
Kant’s major work, the Critique of Pure Reason (Kritik der reinen Vernunft, 1781), aimed to unite reason with experience to move beyond what he took to be failures of traditional philosophy and metaphysics. He hoped to end an age of speculation where objects outside experience were used to support what he saw as futile theories, while opposing the skepticism of thinkers such as Descartes, Berkeley and Hume.
He stated:
Kant proposed a ‘Copernican Revolution’ in reverse, saying that:
Kant published other important works on ethics, religion, law, aesthetics, astronomy, and history. These included the Critique of Practical Reason (Kritik der praktischen Vernunft, 1788) and the Metaphysics of Morals (Die Metaphysik der Sitten, 1797), which dealt with ethics. And the Critique of Judgment (Kritik der Urteilskraft, 1790), which looks at aesthetics and teleology. He aimed to resolve disputes between empirical and rationalist approaches. The former asserted that all knowledge comes through experience; the latter maintained that reason and innate ideas were prior. Kant argued that experience is purely subjective without first being processed by pure reason. He also said that using reason without applying it to experience only leads to theoretical illusions. The free and proper exercise of reason by the individual was both a theme of the Enlightenment, and of Kant's approaches to the various problems of philosophy.
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Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov (/ˈaɪzək ˈæzɨməv/ EYE-zək AZ-i-məv; born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov, Russian: Исаак Юдович Озимов; Yiddish: אייזיק יודאָוויטש אסימאוו; c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. His works have been published in all ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System (although his only work in the 100s—which covers philosophy and psychology—was a foreword for The Humanist Way).
Asimov is widely considered a master of hard science fiction and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov's most famous work is the Foundation Series; his other major series are the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series, both of which he later tied into the same fictional universe as the Foundation Series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those pioneered by Robert A. Heinlein and previously produced by Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson. He wrote many short stories, among them "Nightfall", which in 1964 was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America the best short science fiction story of all time. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.
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Isaac Casaubon
Isaac Casaubon (18 February 1559, Geneva – 1 July 1614, London) was a classical scholar and philologist, first in France and then later in England, regarded by many of his time as the most learned in Europe.
He was born in Geneva to two French Huguenot refugees. The family returned to France after the Edict of Saint-Germain in 1562, and settled at Crest in Dauphiné, where Arnaud Casaubon, Isaac's father, became minister of a Huguenot congregation. Until he was nineteen, Isaac had no education other than that given him by his father. Arnaud was away from home for long periods in the Calvinist camp, and the family regularly fled to the hills to hide from bands of armed Catholics who patrolled the country. It was in a cave in the mountains of Dauphiné, after the massacre of St Bartholomew, that Isaac received his first lesson in Greek, from the textbook Isocrates ad Demonicum.
At the age of nineteen Isaac was sent to the Academy of Geneva, where he read Greek under Francis Portus a Cretan. Portus died in 1581, recommending Casaubon, then only twenty-two, as his successor. He remained at Geneva as professor of Greek until 1596. There he married twice, his second wife being Florence Etiennes, daughter of the scholar-printer Henri Estienne. At Geneva, Casaubon lacked example, encouragement and assistance and struggled against the troops of the Catholic dukes of Savoy, but became a consummate Greek and classical scholar. He spent all the money he could spare on books, including copying classics that were not then in print. Even though Henri Estienne, Theodore de Beza (rector of the university and professor of theology), and Jacques Lect (Lectius), were men of superior learning, they often had no time for Casaubon.
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Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS MP (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1727 [NS: 4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727]) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived." His monograph Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, lays the foundations for most of classical mechanics. In this work, Newton described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion, which dominated the scientific view of the physical universe for the next three centuries. Newton showed that the motions of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural laws, by demonstrating the consistency between Kepler's laws of planetary motion and his theory of gravitation, thus removing the last doubts about heliocentrism and advancing the Scientific Revolution.
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Jacob Burckhardt
Carl Jacob Christoph Burckhardt (Basel, May 25, 1818 – August 8, 1897 in Basel) was a historian of art and culture, and an influential figure in the historiography of each field. He is known as one of the major progenitors of cultural history.Siegfried Giedion described Burckhardt's achievement in the following terms: "The great discoverer of the age of the Renaissance, he first showed how a period should be treated in its entirety, with regard not only for its painting, sculpture and architecture, but for the social institutions of its daily life as well." Burckhardt's best known work is The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (1860).
The son of a Protestant clergyman, Burckhardt studied theology in Basel in the hope of taking holy orders; however, under the influence of De Wette he chose not to become a clergyman. He finished his degree in 1839 and went to the University of Berlin to study history, especially art history, then a new field. At Berlin, he attended lectures by Leopold von Ranke, the founder of history as a respectable academic discipline based on sources and records rather than personal opinions. He spent part of 1841 at the University of Bonn, studying under the art historian Franz Kugler, to whom he dedicated his first book, Die Kunstwerke der belgischen Städte (1842). He taught at the University of Basel from 1843 to 1855, then at the engineering school ETH Zurich. In 1858, he returned to Basel to assume the professorship he held until his 1893 retirement. Only starting in 1886 did he teach art history exclusively. He twice declined offers of professorial chairs at German universities, at the University of Tübingen in 1867, and Ranke's chair at the University of Berlin in 1872.
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James Boswell
James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (29 October 1740 – 19 May 1795) was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland; he is best known for the biography he wrote of one of his contemporaries, the English literary figure Samuel Johnson, which contemporary Johnsonian critic Harold Bloom has claimed is the greatest biography written in the English language.
Boswell's surname has passed into the English language as a term (Boswell, Boswellian, Boswellism) for a constant companion and observer, especially one who records those observations in print. In A Scandal in Bohemia, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes affectionately says of Dr. Watson, who narrates the tales, "I am lost without my Boswell."
Boswell was born near St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh on 29 October 1740. He was the eldest son of a judge, Alexander Boswell, Lord Auchinleck and his wife Euphemia Erskine; he inherited his father’s estate Auchinleck in Ayrshire. Boswell's mother was a strict Calvinist, and he felt that his father was cold to him. As a child, he was delicate and suffered from some type of nervous ailment which appeared to be inherent and would afflict him sporadically all through his life. At the age of five, he was sent to James Mundell's academy, an advanced institution by the standards of the time, where he was instructed in English, Latin, writing and arithmetic. Boswell was unhappy there, and his sickliness began to manifest itself in the physical indicants associated with night fears and extreme shyness.
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James Madison
James Madison, Jr. (March 16, 1751 (O.S. March 5) – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman and political theorist, the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817). He is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being instrumental in the drafting of the United States Constitution and as the key champion and author of the United States Bill of Rights. He served as a politician much of his adult life. Like other Virginia statesmen in the slave society, he was a slaveholder and part of the élite; he inherited his plantation known as Montpelier, and owned hundreds of slaves during his lifetime to cultivate tobacco and other crops.
After the constitution had been drafted, Madison became one of the leaders in the movement to ratify it. His collaboration with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay produced the Federalist Papers (1788). Circulated only in New York at the time, they would later be considered among the most important polemics in support of the Constitution. He was also a delegate to the Virginia constitutional ratifying convention, and was instrumental to the successful ratification effort in Virginia. Like most of his contemporaries, Madison changed his political views during his life. During the drafting and ratification of the constitution, he favored a strong national government, though later he grew to favor stronger state governments, before settling between the two extremes late in his life.
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John Dewey
John Dewey (October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of pragmatism and one of the founders of functional psychology. He was a major representative of progressive education and liberalism.
Although Dewey is known best for his publications concerning education, he also wrote about many other topics, including experience, nature, art, logic, inquiry, democracy, and ethics.
In his advocacy of democracy, Dewey considered two fundamental elements—schools and civil society—as being major topics needing attention and reconstruction to encourage experimental intelligence and plurality. Dewey asserted that complete democracy was to be obtained not just by extending voting rights but also by ensuring that there exists a fully formed public opinion, accomplished by effective communication among citizens, experts, and politicians, with the latter being accountable for the policies they adopt.[citation needed]
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John Locke
John Locke FRS ( /ˈlɒk/; 29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704), widely known as the Father of Classical Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social contract theory. His work had a great impact upon the development of epistemology and political philosophy. His writings influenced Voltaire and Rousseau, many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American revolutionaries. His contributions to classical republicanism and liberal theory are reflected in the United States Declaration of Independence.
Locke's theory of mind is often cited as the origin of modern conceptions of identity and the self, figuring prominently in the work of later philosophers such as Hume, Rousseau and Kant. Locke was the first to define the self through a continuity of consciousness. He postulated that the mind was a blank slate or tabula rasa. Contrary to pre-existing Cartesian philosophy, he maintained that we are born without innate ideas, and that knowledge is instead determined only by experience derived from sense perception.
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John Rigby Hale
Sir John Rigby Hale (September 17, 1923 - August 12, 1999) was a British Renaissance historian, translator, editor, and university professor.
John Rigby Hale was born September 17, 1923, in Ashford, Kent, in the United Kingdom. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford (B.A., 1948, M.A., 1953). He also attended Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University (1948-49). He was a Fellow of the British Academy and Emeritus Professor of Italian History at University College, London, where he was head of the Italian Department from 1970 until his retirement in 1988. His first position was as Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at Jesus College, Oxford, from 1949-1964, followed by being the first Professor of History at Warwick University. He taught at a number of other universities including Cornell and the University of California.
He was a Trustee of the National Gallery, London from 1973-80, becoming Chairman from 1974. He was made a Knight Bachelor on 20 August 1984.
In 1992, he suffered a stroke that caused aphasia. After his death, his wife, the journalist Sheila Hale, wrote a book about these final years, The Man Who Lost His Language.
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Joseph Black
Joseph Black FRSE FRCPE FPSG (16 April 1728 – 6 December 1799) was a Scottish physician and chemist, known for his discoveries of latent heat, specific heat, and carbon dioxide. He was professor of Medicine at University of Glasgow (where he also served as lecturer in Chemistry). James Watt, who was appointed as philosophical instrument maker at the same university in 1756 consulted with Black on experiments with his steam engine. Watt and Black also collaborated in project to manufacture sodium hydroxide; however, Black was not known to have any business interest in the process, which did not enjoy commercial success. The chemistry buildings at both the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow are named after Black.
Black was born in Bordeaux, France, where his father, who was from Belfast, Ireland, was engaged in the wine trade. His mother was from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and her family was also in the wine business. Joseph had twelve brothers and sisters. He entered the University of Glasgow when he was eighteen years old, and four years later he went to Edinburgh to further his medical studies.
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Joseph de Maistre
Joseph-Marie, comte de Maistre (French pronunciation: [də mɛstʁ] 1 April 1753 – 26 February 1821) was a French-speaking Savoyard philosopher, writer, lawyer, and diplomat. He defended hierarchical societies and a monarchical State in the period immediately following the French Revolution. Despite his close ties with France, Maistre was a subject of the King of Piedmont-Sardinia, whom he served as member of the Savoy Senate (1787–1792), ambassador to Russia (1803–1817), and minister of state to the court in Turin (1817–1821).
Maistre, a key figure of the Counter-Enlightenment, saw monarchy both as a divinely sanctioned institution and as the only stable form of government. He called for the restoration of the House of Bourbon to the throne of France and argued that the Pope should have ultimate authority in temporal matters. Maistre also claimed that it was the rationalist rejection of Christianity which was directly responsible for the disorder and bloodshed which followed the French Revolution of 1789.
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Juan Luis Vives
Juan Luis Vives (Ioannes Lodovicus Vives in Latin), also Joan Lluís Vives i March (Valencian pronunciation: [ʒuˈaɲ ʎuˈiz ˈvivez i ˈmaɾk]) (6 March 1493 – 6 May 1540), was a Valencian Spanish scholar and humanist.
Vives was born in Valencia. As a child, he saw his father, grandmother and great-grandfather, as well as members of their wider family, executed as Judaizers at the behest of the Spanish Inquisition; his mother was acquitted but died of the plague when he was 15 years old. Shortly thereafter, he left Spain never to return.
He studied at the University of Paris from 1509 to 1512, and in 1519 was appointed professor of humanities at the University of Leuven. At the insistence of his friend Erasmus, he prepared an elaborate commentary on Augustine's De Civitate Dei, which was published in 1522 with a dedication to Henry VIII of England. Soon afterwards, he was invited to England, and acted as tutor to the Princess Mary, for whose use he wrote De ratione studii puerilis epistolae duae (1523) and, ostensibly, De Institutione Feminae Christianae, on the education of girls (a book he dedicated to the English queen, Catherine of Aragon).
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Julian Baggini
Julian Baggini (born 1968, UK) is the author of several books about philosophy written for a general audience. He is the author of The Pig that Wants to be Eaten and 99 other thought experiments (2005) and is co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Philosophers' Magazine. He was awarded his PhD in 1996 from University College London for a thesis on the philosophy of personal identity. He contributes to a variety of newspapers, magazines and BBC radio.
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Julian Huxley
Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS (22 June 1887 – 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, humanist and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century evolutionary synthesis. He was Secretary of the Zoological Society of London (1935–1942), the first Director of UNESCO, and a founding member of the World Wildlife Fund.
Huxley was well known for his presentation of science in books and articles, and on radio and television. He directed an Oscar-winning wildlife film. He was awarded UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for the popularisation of science in 1953, the Darwin Medal of the Royal Society in 1956, and the Darwin–Wallace Medal of the Linnaean Society in 1958. He was also knighted in that same year, 1958, a hundred years after Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace announced the theory of evolution by natural selection. In 1959 he received a Special Award of the Lasker Foundation in the category Planned Parenthood – World Population. Huxley was a prominent member of the British Eugenics Society and its president from 1959–1962.
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Jürgen Habermas
Jürgen Habermas ( /ˈjɜrɡən/ or /ˈjʊərɡən ˈhɑːbərmɑːs/;German: [ˈjʏʁɡən ˈhaːbɐmaːs]; born June 18, 1929) is a German sociologist, geographer and philosopher in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism. He is perhaps best known for his theory on the concepts of 'communicative rationality' and the 'public sphere'. His work focuses on the foundations of social theory and epistemology, the analysis of advanced capitalistic societies and democracy, the rule of law in a critical social-evolutionary context, and contemporary politics, particularly German politics. Habermas's theoretical system is devoted to revealing the possibility of reason, emancipation, and rational-critical communication latent in modern institutions and in the human capacity to deliberate and pursue rational interests. Habermas is known for his work on the concept of modernity, particularly with respect to the discussions of "rationalization" originally set forth by Max Weber. While influenced by American pragmatism, action theory, and even poststructuralism, many of the central tenets of Habermas' thought remain broadly Marxist in nature. Global polls identified him as one of the leading intellectuals of the present day.
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Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx (5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement. He published various books during his lifetime, with the most notable being The Communist Manifesto (1848) and Capital (1867–1894); some of his works were co-written with his friend and fellow German revolutionary socialist, Friedrich Engels.
Born into a wealthy middle class family in Trier, formerly in Prussian Rhineland now called Rhineland-Palatinate, Marx studied at both the University of Bonn and the University of Berlin, where he became interested in the philosophical ideas of the Young Hegelians. In 1836, he became engaged to Jenny von Westphalen, marrying her in 1843. After his studies, he wrote for a radical newspaper in Cologne, and began to work out his theory of dialectical materialism. Moving to Paris in 1843, he began writing for other radical newspapers. He met Engels in Paris, and the two men worked together on a series of books. Exiled to Brussels, he became a leading figure of the Communist League, before moving back to Cologne, where he founded his own newspaper. In 1849 he was exiled again and moved to London together with his wife and children. In London, where the family was reduced to poverty, Marx continued writing and formulating his theories about the nature of society and how he believed it could be improved, and also campaigned for socialism—he became a significant figure in the International Workingmen's Association.
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King Wu of Zhou
King Wu of Zhou (Chinese: 周武王, pinyin Zhōu Wǔ Wáng, Wade Chou Wu Wang) was the first king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. The chronology of his reign is debated, but it probably began in 1046 and ended with his death in 1043 BC.
King Wu was the second son of King Wen of Zhou, but his older brother Boyi Kao predeceased his father. Upon his succession, Wu worked with Jiang Ziya to accomplish his father's unfinished task: overthrowing the Shang dynasty.
In 1048 BC, Wu marched down the Yellow River to the Mengjin ford and met with more than 800 dukes.[citation needed] In 1046 BC, King Wu took advantage of Shang disunity to launch an attack along with many neighboring dukes. The Battle of Muye destroyed Shang's forces and King Zhou of Shang set his palace on fire and burned himself to death.
Wu followed his victory by establishing many feudal states under his 16 younger brothers and numerous allies, but his death three years later provoked several rebellions against his young heir King Cheng and the regent Duke of Zhou, even from three of his brothers.
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Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. ( /ˈvɒnɨɡət/; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle (1963), Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), and Breakfast of Champions (1973) blend satire, gallows humor, and science fiction. As a citizen he was a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union and a critical leftist intellectual. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to third-generation German-American parents, Kurt Vonnegut, Sr. and Edith Lieber. Both his father and his grandfather Bernard Vonnegut attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology and were architects in the Indianapolis firm of Vonnegut & Bohn. His great-grandfather Clemens Vonnegut, Sr. was the founder of the Vonnegut Hardware Company, an Indianapolis institution. Vonnegut graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis in May 1940 and matriculated into Cornell University that fall. Though majoring in chemistry, he was Assistant Managing Editor and Associate Editor of The Cornell Daily Sun. He was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity, as was his father. While at Cornell, Vonnegut enlisted in the U.S. Army. The Army transferred him to the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the University of Tennessee to study mechanical engineering.
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Lactantius
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius was an early Christian author (ca. 240 – ca. 320) who became an advisor to the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine I, guiding his religious policy as it developed, and tutor to his son.
Lactantius, a Latin-speaking native of North Africa, was a pupil of Arnobius and taught rhetoric in various cities of the Eastern Roman Empire, ending in Constantinople. He wrote apologetic works explaining Christianity in terms that would be palatable to educated people who still practiced the traditional religions of the Empire, while defending Christian beliefs against the criticisms of Hellene philosophers. His Divinae Institutiones ("Divine Institutes") is an early example of a systematic presentation of Christian thought. He was considered somewhat heretical after his death, but Renaissance humanists took a renewed interest in him, more for his elaborately rhetorical Latin style than for his theology.
A translator of the Divine Institutes starts his introduction as follows:
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Laozi
Laozi (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozi; Wade–Giles: Lao Tzu; also romanized as Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Laosi, Laocius, and other variations) was a philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching (often simply referred to as Laozi). His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of philosophical Taoism (pronounced as "Daoism"). He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of Taoist philosophy, which often refers to Laozi as Taishang Laojun, or "One of the Three Pure Ones".
According to Chinese traditions, Laozi lived in the 6th century BCE. Historians variously contend that Laozi is a synthesis of multiple historical figures, that he is a mythical figure, or that he actually lived in the 5th–4th century BCE, concurrent with the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period.
A central figure in Chinese culture, both nobility and common people claim Laozi in their lineage. He was honored as an ancestor of the Tang imperial family, and was granted the title Taishang xuanyuan huangdi, meaning "Supreme Mysterious and Primordial Emperor". Throughout history, Laozi's work has been embraced by various anti-authoritarian movements.
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Leon Milton Birkhead
Rev. Leon Milton Birkhead (1885–1954) was an American Unitarian minister who opposed Nazi sympathizers in America in the 1930s. He was in dispute with Gerald Burton Winrod since the 1920s. As the author of The Religion of Free Man (1929) he suggested dropping "God out of consideration," and represented the humanist rather than theist wing of the modern Unitarian church.
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Leonardo Bruni
Leonardo Bruni (or Leonardo Aretino) (c. 1370 – March 9, 1444) was an Italian humanist, historian and statesman. He has been called the first modern historian.
Leonardo Bruni was born in Arezzo, Tuscany circa 1370. Bruni was the pupil of political, and cultural leader Coluccio Salutati, whom he succeeded as chancellor of Florence. Bruni's years in office—1410 to 1411 and again from 1427 to his death in 1444—were plagued by warfare. Though he occupied one of the highest political offices, Bruni was relatively powerless compared to the Albizzi and Medici families. Historian Arthur Field has identified Bruni as an apparent plotter against Cosimo de Medici in 1437 (see below). Bruni died in 1444 and was succeeded in office by Carlo Marsuppini.
Bruni's most notable work is History of the Florentine People, which has been called the first modern history book. Bruni was the first historian to write using the three-period view of history: Antiquity, Middle Ages, and Modern. The dates Bruni used to define the periods are not exactly what modern historians use today, but he laid the conceptual groundwork for a tripartite division of history. While it probably was not Bruni's intention to secularize history, the three period view of history is unquestionably secular and for that Bruni has been called the first modern historian. The foundation of Bruni's conception can be found with Petrarch, who distinguished the classical period from later cultural decline, or tenebrae (literally "darkness"). Bruni argued that Italy had revived in recent centuries and could therefore be described as entering a new age.
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Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (Italian pronunciation: [leoˈnardo da ˈvintʃi] pronunciation (help·info); April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519, Old Style) was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance Man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination". He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. According to art historian Helen Gardner, the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent and "his mind and personality seem to us superhuman, the man himself mysterious and remote". Marco Rosci points out, however, that while there is much speculation about Leonardo, his vision of the world is essentially logical rather than mysterious, and that the empirical methods he employed were unusual for his time.
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Lorenzo Valla
Lorenzo (or Laurentius) Valla (c.1407 – August 1, 1457) was an Italian humanist, rhetorician, and educator. His family was from Piacenza; his father, Luciave della Valla, was a lawyer.
In 1431 he entered the priesthood, and after trying in vain to secure a position as apostolic secretary, he went to Piacenza, whence he proceeded to Pavia, where he obtained a professorship of eloquence. His tenure at Pavia was made unpleasant by his attack on the Latin style of the great jurist Bartolus de Saxoferrato. Valla wandered from one university to another, accepting short engagements and lecturing in many cities. In 1433 Valla made his way to Naples, to the court of Alfonso V of Aragon, who made Valla his private Latin secretary and defended him against the attacks on account of his public statements about theology, including one in which he denied that the Apostles' Creed was composed in succession by each of the twelve Apostles. These charges were eventually dropped.
By this time Valla had won a high reputation for two works: his dialogue De Voluptate, and his treatise De Elegantiis Latinae Linguae. In De Voluptate (On Pleasure), he contrasted the principles of the Stoics with the tenets of Epicurus, openly proclaiming his sympathy with those who claimed the right of free indulgence for man's natural appetites. It was a remarkable utterance. Here for the first time in the Renaissance the ideas of Epicurus found deliberate and positive expression in a work of scholarly and philosophical value.
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Ludwig Feuerbach
Ludwig Andreas von Feuerbach (July 28, 1804, Landshut, Lower Bavaria – September 13, 1872) was a German philosopher and anthropologist. He was the fourth son of the eminent jurist Paul Johann Anselm Ritter von Feuerbach, brother of mathematician Karl Wilhelm Feuerbach and uncle of painter Anselm Feuerbach. An associate of Left Hegelian circles, Feuerbach was politically liberal, an atheist and a materialist. Many of his philosophical writings offered a critical analysis of Christianity. His thought was influential in the development of dialectical materialism, where he is often recognized as a bridge between Hegel and Marx.
Feuerbach matriculated in the University of Heidelberg with the intention of pursuing a career in the church.[citation needed] Through the influence of Prof. Karl Daub he was led to an interest in the then predominant philosophy of Hegel and, in spite of his father's opposition, enrolled in the University of Berlin in order to study under the master himself. After 22 years, the Hegelian influence began to slacken. Feuerbach became associated with a group known as the Young Hegelians, alternately known as the Left Hegelians, who synthesized a radical offshoot of Hegelian philosophy, interpreting Hegel's dialectic march of spirit through history to mean that existing Western culture and institutional forms—and, in particular, Christianity—would be superseded. "Theology," he wrote to a friend, "I can bring myself to study no more. I long to take nature to my heart, that nature before whose depth the faint-hearted theologian shrinks back; and with nature man, man in his entire quality." These words are a key to Feuerbach's development. He completed his education at Erlangen, at the Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg with the study of natural science.
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Marquis de Condorcet
Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet ([maʁi ʒɑ̃n‿ɑ̃twan nikola də kaʁita kɔ̃dɔʁˈse]; 17 September 1743 – 28 March 1794), known as Nicolas de Condorcet, was a French philosopher, mathematician, and early political scientist whose Condorcet method in voting tally selects the candidate who would beat each of the other candidates in a run-off election. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he advocated a liberal economy, free and equal public education, constitutionalism, and equal rights for women and people of all races. His ideas and writings were said to embody the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment and rationalism, and remain influential to this day. He died a mysterious death in prison after a period of being a fugitive from French Revolutionary authorities.
Condorcet was born in Ribemont, Aisne, and descended from the ancient family of Caritat, who took their title from the town of Condorcet in Dauphiné, of which they were long-time residents. Fatherless at a young age, he was raised by his devoutly religious mother. He was educated at the Jesuit College in Reims and at the Collège de Navarre in Paris, where he quickly showed his intellectual ability, and gained his first public distinctions in mathematics. When he was sixteen, his analytical abilities gained the praise of Jean le Rond d'Alembert and Alexis Clairaut; soon, Condorcet would study under d'Alembert.
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Marquis de Sade
Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814) (French pronunciation: [maʁki də sad] Audio) was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher, and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle. His works include novels, short stories, plays, dialogues, and political tracts; in his lifetime some were published under his own name, while others appeared anonymously and Sade denied being their author. He is best known for his erotic works, which combined philosophical discourse with pornography, depicting sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence, criminality, and blasphemy against the Catholic Church. He was a proponent of extreme freedom, unrestrained by morality, religion, or law.
Sade was incarcerated in various prisons and in an insane asylum for about 32 years of his life; 11 years in Paris (10 of which were spent in the Bastille), a month in the Conciergerie, two years in a fortress, a year in Madelonnettes, three years in Bicêtre, a year in Sainte-Pélagie, and 13 years in the Charenton asylum. During the French Revolution he was an elected delegate to the National Convention. Many of his works were written in prison.
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Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was a British poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator. Matthew Arnold has been characterized as a sage writer, a type of writer who chastises and instructs the reader on contemporary social issues.
The Reverend John Keble, who would become one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, stood as godfather to Matthew. "Thomas Arnold admired Keble's 'hymns' in The Christian Year, only reversing himself with exasperation when this old friend became a Romeward-tending 'High Church' reactionary in the 1830s." In 1828, Arnold's father was appointed Headmaster of Rugby School and his young family took up residence, that year, in the Headmaster's house. In 1831, Arnold was tutored by his uncle, the Reverend John Buckland, at Laleham, Middlesex. In 1834, the Arnolds occupied a holiday home, Fox How, in the Lake District. William Wordsworth was a neighbour and close friend. In 1836, Arnold was sent to Winchester College, but in 1837 he returned to Rugby School where he was enrolled in the fifth form. He moved to the sixth form in 1838 and thus came under the direct tutelage of his father. He wrote verse for the manuscript Fox How Magazine produced by Matthew and his brother Tom for the family's enjoyment from 1838 to 1843. During his years as a Rugby student, he won school prizes for English essay writing, and Latin and English poetry. His prize poem, "Alaric at Rome," was printed at Rugby.
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Mazdak
Mazdak (in Persian مزدک) (died c. 524 or 528) was a proto-socialistPersian reformer and religious activist who gained influence under the reign of the Sassanian Shahanshah Kavadh I. He claimed to be a prophet of God, and instituted communal possessions and social welfare programs.
Mazdak was the chief representative of a religious and philosophical teaching called Mazdakism, which he viewed as a reformed and purified version of Zoroastrianism, although his teaching has been argued to display influences from Manichaeism as well. Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion of Sassanid Persia, and Mazdak himself was a Zoroastrian priest, or mobed, but most of the Zoroastrian clergy regarded his teaching as a heresy. Information about it is scarce and little is known beyond what is listed below; some further details may be inferred from the later doctrine of Khurramism, which has been seen as a continuation of Mazdakism.
Some sources claim that the original founders of this sect lived earlier than Mazdak. These were another mobed named Zardusht (of the same name, but not the same person as the founder of Zoroastrianism) and/or a Zoroastrian philosopher known as Mazdak the Elder, who taught a combination of altruism and hedonism: "he directed his followers to enjoy the pleasures of life and satisfy their appetite in the highest degree with regard to eating and drinking in the spirit of equality,to aim at good deeds; to abstain from shedding blood and inflicting harm on others; and to practice hospitality without reservation". This doctrine was further developed by the best known Mazdak, Mazdak the Younger, son of Bāmdād. At later stages the opposition to Mazdak blamed them for heresy and sharing women etc. which is not true. They are considered to be the first real socialists of human history who emphasized the community work and benefits for all.
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Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault (French pronunciation: [miʃɛl fuko]), born Paul-Michel Foucault (15 October 1926 – 25 June 1984) was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas. He held a chair at the Collège de France with the title "History of Systems of Thought," and lectured at the University at Buffalo and the University of California, Berkeley.
Foucault is best known for his critical studies of social institutions, most notably psychiatry, social anthropology of medicine, the human sciences and the prison system, as well as for his work on the history of human sexuality. His writings on power, knowledge, and discourse have been widely influential in academic circles.
In the 1960s, he was associated with structuralism, a theoretical movement in social anthropology from which he later distanced himself. He also rejected the poststructuralist and postmodernist labels later attributed to him, preferring to classify his thought as a critical history of modernity rooted in Immanuel Kant. His project was particularly influenced by Nietzsche, his "genealogy of knowledge" being a direct allusion to Nietzsche's "genealogy of morality". In a late interview he definitively stated: "I am a Nietzschean."
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Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn (6 September 1729 – 4 January 1786) was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas Haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment) is indebted. Although himself a practicing orthodox Jew, he has been referred to as the father of Reform Judaism.
Born to a poor Jewish family in Dessau and originally destined for a rabbinical career, Mendelssohn educated himself in German thought and literature and from his writings on philosophy and religion came to be regarded as a leading cultural figure of his time by both Germans and Jews. He also established himself as an important figure in the Berlin textile industry, which was the foundation of his family's wealth.
Moses Mendelssohn's descendants include the composers Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn and the founders of the Mendelssohn & Co. banking house.
Moses Mendelssohn was born in Dessau. His father's name was Mendel and he later took the surname Mendelssohn ("Mendel's son"). Mendel Dessau was a poor scribe—a writer of torah scrolls—and his son Moses in his boyhood developed curvature of the spine. His early education was cared for by his father and by the local rabbi, David Fränkel, who besides teaching him the Bible and Talmud, introduced to him the philosophy of Maimonides. Fränkel received a call to Berlin in 1743. A few months later Moses followed him.
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Nicolas Walter
Nicolas Hardy Walter (22 November 1934 – 7 March 2000) was a British anarchist and atheist writer, speaker and activist.
Walter was born in London; his father was the neurophysiologist and pioneer of cybernetics, William Grey Walter. After serving his National Service in the RAF (where he learned Russian at the Joint Services School for Linguists, and was engaged in SIGINT), Walter studied history at Exeter College, Oxford, 1954-1957, afterwards becoming a journalist. He was deputy editor of Which? (1963-1965); press officer for the British Standards Institution (1965-1967); and chief sub-editor of the Times Literary Supplement (1968-1974). He was also a staff writer for the Good Food Guide.
Walter was editor of New Humanist, published by the Rationalist Press Association, for a decade, and he was to continue to work in the humanist, rationalist and secularist movement until his retirement from it in 1999.
In 1973, Walter was diagnosed with testicular cancer. As a result of the consequent treatment Walter had eventually to use a wheelchair. The cancer was found to have returned shortly after Walter's retirement, and he died very soon afterwards.
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Paul Kurtz
Paul Kurtz (born December 21, 1925 in Newark, New Jersey) is a prominent American skeptic and secular humanist. He has been called "the father of secular humanism." He is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, having previously also taught at Vassar, Trinity, and Union colleges, and the New School for Social Research.
Kurtz has published of over 800 articles or reviews and has authored and edited over 50 books. Many of his books have been translated into over 60 languages. They include "The Transcendental Temptation," "Forbidden Fruit: The Ethics of Secularism," "The Courage to Become," and "Multi-Secularism: A New Agenda." His published bibliography of writings from 1952 to 2003 runs over 79 pages.
Kurtz founded the publishing house Prometheus Books in 1969. He is also the founder and past chairman of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP)), the Council for Secular Humanism, and the Center for Inquiry. On May 18, 2010, he resigned from all these positions. Moreover, the Center for Inquiry accepted his resignation as chairman emeritus and board member, the culmination of a years-long "leadership transition," thanking him "for his decades of service" while alluding to "concerns about Dr. Kurtz’s day-to-day management of the organization."
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Pericles
Pericles (Ancient Greek: Περικλῆς, Periklēs, "surrounded by glory"; c. 495 – 429 BC) was a prominent and influential Greek statesman, orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age—specifically, the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. He was descended, through his mother, from the powerful and historically influential Alcmaeonid family.
Pericles had such a profound influence on Athenian society that Thucydides, his contemporary historian, acclaimed him as "the first citizen of Athens". Pericles turned the Delian League into an Athenian empire and led his countrymen during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War. The period during which he led Athens, roughly from 461 to 429 BC, is sometimes known as the "Age of Pericles", though the period thus denoted can include times as early as the Persian Wars, or as late as the next century.
Pericles promoted the arts and literature; it is principally through his efforts that Athens holds the reputation of being the educational and cultural centre of the ancient Greek world. He started an ambitious project that generated most of the surviving structures on the Acropolis (including the Parthenon). This project beautified the city, exhibited its glory, and gave work to the people. Pericles also fostered Athenian democracy to such an extent that critics call him a populist.
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Peter Gay
Peter Gay (born June 20, 1923) is Sterling Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University and former director of the New York Public Library's Center for Scholars and Writers (1997–2003). Gay received the American Historical Association's (AHA) Award for Scholarly Distinction in 2004. He is the author of more than twenty-five books, including The Enlightenment: An Interpretation, a multi-volume award winner; Weimar Culture: The Outsider as Insider (1968), a bestseller; and the widely translated Freud: A Life for Our Time (1988).
Peter Gay was born in Berlin, Germany in 1923 and emigrated to the United States in 1941. He received his BA from the University of Denver in Colorado in 1946, and his MA and Ph.D from Columbia University in 1947 and 1951, respectively. He studied for one year at University College London. He has also been recognized with several honorary doctorates. From 1962 to 1969 he was Professor of History at Columbia University. He joined Yale University’s History Department as Professor of Comparative and Intellectual European History in 1969, and was named Sterling Professor of History in 1984.
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Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca (July 20, 1304 – July 19, 1374), known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism". In the 16th century, Pietro Bembo created the model for the modern Italian language based on Petrarch's works, as well as those of Giovanni Boccaccio and, especially, Dante Alighieri. This would be later endorsed by the Accademia della Crusca. Petrarch's sonnets were admired and imitated throughout Europe during the Renaissance and became a model for lyrical poetry. He is also known for being the first to develop the concept of the "Dark Ages".
Petrarch was born July 20, 1304 at Vicolo dell'Orto 28 according to tradition in the city of Arezzo, just at dawn on a Monday. He was the son of Ser Petracco. His given name was Francesco Petracco. The name was Latinized to Petrarca and later was Anglicized to Petrarch. Petrarch's younger brother was born in Incisa in Val d'Arno in 1307. Dante was a friend of his father.
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Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X (11 December 1475 – 1 December 1521), born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest (only a deacon) to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses. He was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici, the most famous ruler of the Florentine Republic, and Clarice Orsini. His cousin, Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, would later succeed him as Pope Clement VII (1523–34).
Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici was born in Italy, the second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, head of the Florentine Republic, and Clarice Orsini.
From an very early age, he was destined for an ecclesiastical career. He received the tonsure at the age of seven and was soon loaded with rich benefices and preferments. His father prevailed on his relative Innocent VIII to name him cardinal-deacon of Santa Maria in Domnica on 8 March 1489, although he was not allowed to wear the insignia or share in the deliberations of the college until three years later. Meanwhile he received a distinguished education at Lorenzo's brilliant humanistic court under such men as Angelo Poliziano, Pico della Mirandola, Marsilio Ficino and Bernardo Dovizio Bibbiena. From 1489 to 1491 he studied theology and canon law at Pisa under Filippo Decio and Bartolomeo Sozzini.
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Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V (Italian: Niccolò V) (15 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from 6 March 1447 until his death in 1455.
He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician. His father died while he was young. Parentucelli later became a tutor, in Florence, to the families of the Strozzi and Albizzi, where he met the leading humanist scholars.
He studied at Bologna and Florence, gaining a degree in theology in 1422. Bishop Niccolò Albergati was so awe-struck with his capabilities that he took him into his service and gave him the chance to pursue his studies further by sending him on a tour through Germany, France and England. He was able to collect books, for which he had an intellectual's passion, wherever he went. Some of them survive with his marginal annotations.
He attended the Council of Florence and in 1444, when his patron died, he was appointed Bishop of Bologna in his place. Civic disorders at Bologna were prolonged, so Pope Eugene IV soon named him as one of the legates sent to Frankfurt. He was to assist in negotiating an understanding between the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire, regarding undercutting or at least containing the reforming decrees of the Council of Basel (1431–1439).
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Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Latin Aeneas Sylvius; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464) was Pope from 19 August 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family. His longest and most enduring work is the story of his life, the Commentaries, which is the only autobiography ever written by a reigning Pope.
After studying at the universities of Siena and Florence, he settled in the former city as a teacher, but in 1431 accepted the post of secretary to Domenico Capranica, bishop of Fermo, then on his way to the Council of Basel (1431–39). Capranica was protesting against the new Pope Eugene IV's refusal of a cardinalate for him, which had been designated by Pope Martin V. Arriving at Basel after enduring a stormy voyage to Genoa and then a trip across the Alps, he successively served Capranica, who ran short of money, and then other masters.
In 1435 he was sent by Cardinal Albergati, Eugenius IV's legate at the council, on a secret mission to Scotland, the object of which is variously related even by himself. He visited England as well as Scotland, underwent many perils and vicissitudes in both countries, and left a valuable account of each. The journey to Scotland proved so tempestuous that Piccolomini swore that he would walk barefoot to the nearest shrine of Our Lady from their landing port. This proved to be Dunbar; the nearest shrine was 10 miles distant at Whitekirk. The journey through the ice and snow left Aeneas afflicted with pain in his legs for the rest of his life. In Scotland he fathered his second natural child, the other one having been born in Strasbourg.
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Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age, the Vatican Archives. Sixtus also furthered the agenda of the Spanish Inquisition and annulled the decrees of the Council of Constance. He was famed for his nepotism and was personally involved in the infamous Pazzi Conspiracy.
Francesco was born to a family of modest means from Liguria, Italy, the son of Leonardo della Rovere and Luchina Monleoni. He was born in Celle Ligure, a town near Savona.
As a young man he joined the Franciscan Order, an unlikely choice for a political career, and his intellectual qualities were revealed while he was studying philosophy and theology at the University of Pavia. He went on to lecture at many eminent Italian universities.
In 1464, Francesco della Rovere was elected Minister General of the Franciscan order at the age of 50. In 1467, he was appointed Cardinal of San Pietro in Vincoli by Pope Paul II. Before his papal election, Cardinal della Rovere was renowned for his unworldliness and had even written learned treatises entitled On the Blood of Christ and On the Power of God. His pious reputation was one of the deciding factors that prompted the College of Cardinals to elect him pope upon the unexpected death of Paul II at the age of fifty-four.
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Protagoras
Protagoras ( /ˈproʊtæɡərəs/; Greek: Πρωταγόρας, ca. 490 BC – 420 BC) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher and is numbered as one of the sophists by Plato. In his dialogue Protagoras, Plato credits him with having invented the role of the professional sophist or teacher of virtue. He is also believed to have created a major controversy during ancient times through his statement that "man is the measure of all things". This idea was revolutionary for the time and contrasted with other philosophical doctrines that claimed the universe was based on something objective, outside the human influence.
Protagoras was born in Abdera, Thrace, in Ancient Greece. According to Aulus Gellius, he originally made his living as a porter, but one day he was seen by the philosopher Democritus carrying a load of small pieces of wood tied with a short cord. Democritus discovered that Protagoras had tied the load himself with such perfect geometric accuracy that it revealed him to be a mathematic prodigy. He immediately took him into his own household and taught him philosophy.
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Quentin Skinner
Quentin Robert Duthie Skinner (born 26 November 1940, Oldham, Lancashire) is the Barber Beaumont Professor of the Humanities at Queen Mary, University of London.
Quentin Skinner was born the second son of Alexander Skinner, CBE (died 1979), and Winifred Rose Margaret, née Duthie (died 1982). Educated at Bedford School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, he was elected into a Fellowship there in 1962 upon obtaining a double-starred first in History, but immediately gained a teaching Fellowship at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he remained until moving to the University of London in 2008. He is now an Honorary Fellow of both Christ's College and Gonville and Caius College.
In the middle 1970s he spent four formative years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, initially as a historian and latterly in the School of Social Science. It was there that he met Raymond Geuss, later a colleague at Cambridge. Together with John Dunn and J. G. A. Pocock Skinner has been said to have founded the "Cambridge School" of the history of political thought. In 1978 he was appointed to the chair of Political Science at the University of Cambridge, and in 1996 he was appointed Regius Professor of Modern History. He was pro-vice-chancellor of Cambridge in 1999. In 1979 he married Susan James, Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College London; they have a daughter and a son.
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Richard Norman
Professor Richard J. Norman, BA (Cantab), PhD (London), is a British academic, philosopher and humanist. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent, and Vice-President of the British Humanist Association.
He formerly taught philosophy at the University of Kent, where his areas of interest were mainly moral and political philosophy, including both theoretical and practical ethics. His published works include:
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Romanian philosophy
Romanian philosophy is a name covering either a) the philosophy done in Romania or by Romanians, or b) an ethnic philosophy, which expresses at a high level the fundamental features of the Romanian spirituality, or which elevates to a philosophical level the Weltanschauung of the Romanian people, as deposited in language and folklore, traditions, architecture and other linguistic and cultural artifacts.
The discussion concerning the existence of a Romanian philosophy has known three stages.
Between the two World Wars, after the emergence of Greater Romania, Romanian national identity went through a crisis. Since it was not centered anymore on immediate political goals (national rights, independence, national unity etc.), the idea now had a more pronounced cultural character. Therefore, discussions of "national specificity" in historiography, literature and philosophy became very common. The first history of Romanian philosophy was published in 1922 by Marin Ştefănescu, proving that philosophical thinking in Romania had reached the level of self-reflexivity; in other words, it had become conscious of itself. The general conclusion of interbellum discussions, which involved almost every notable philosopher, was that there is a Romanian philosophy proper, with a distinct profile among other national philosophies. Constantin Noica, who became one of the most prominent Romanian philosophers, thought early on that Romanian philosophy is characterized by paganism, cosmicism (i.e. no acute separation of the world of the man from, transcendence) and determinism (or rather, "fatalism").
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Roy Wood Sellars
Roy Wood Sellars (1880 – September 5, 1973) was an American philosopher of critical realism and religious humanism, and a proponent of emergent evolution. His son was the philosopher Wilfrid Sellars. For much of his career he taught at the University of Michigan.
In his 1967 book, Reflections on American Philosophy From Within he described his views on materialism as evolutionary materialism, an extension to his 1922 groundbreaking book Evolutionary Naturalism.
He helped draft the Humanist Manifesto in 1933.
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Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 [O.S. 7 September] – 13 December 1784), often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Johnson was a devout Anglican and committed Tory, and has been described as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history". He is also the subject of "the most famous single work of biographical art in the whole of literature": James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson.
Johnson was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and attended Pembroke College, Oxford for just over a year, before his lack of funds forced him to leave. After working as a teacher he moved to London, where he began to write miscellaneous pieces for The Gentleman's Magazine. His early works include the biography The Life of Richard Savage, the poems "London" and "The Vanity of Human Wishes", and the play Irene.
After nine years of work, Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language was published in 1755; it had a far-reaching effect on Modern English and has been described as "one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship." This work brought Johnson popularity and success. Until the completion of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later, Johnson's was viewed as the pre-eminent British dictionary. His later works included essays, an influential annotated edition of William Shakespeare's plays, and the widely read tale Rasselas. In 1763, he befriended James Boswell, with whom he later travelled to Scotland; Johnson described their travels in A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. Towards the end of his life, he produced the massive and influential Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, a collection of biographies and evaluations of 17th- and 18th-century poets.
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Sean Faircloth
Sean Faircloth (born 1960/1961) is the author of Attack of the Theocrats! How the Religious Right Harms Us All -- and What We Can Do About It (Pitchstone Press, released February 2012). Faircloth, an attorney, served five terms in the Maine Legislature including appointments on the Judiciary and Appropriations Committees. In his final term, Faircloth was elected Majority Whip. In 2009 Faircloth became executive director of the Secular Coalition for America, advocating for separation of church and state, and for greater acceptance of nontheistic viewpoints in American life. In September 2011 he became the Director of Strategy and Policy for the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science and was the opening speaker for Dawkins book tour. Faircloth's first book published by Pitchstone Press, Attack of the Theocrats! How the Religious Right Harms Us All - and What We Can Do About It was released in February 2012.
Faircloth had the idea for the Maine Discovery Museum in 1996 and led the project from concept to completion in 2001. Maine Discovery Museum was then the second largest children's museum outside Boston in New England.
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Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca; ca. 4 BC – AD 65) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero. While he was later forced to commit suicide for alleged complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy to assassinate Nero, the last of the Julio-Claudian emperors, he may have been innocent. His father was Seneca the Elder and his elder brother was Gallio.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was born in Cordoba, in the Baetica, the southern highly romanized province of Spain. One of his revisionist modern biographers, however, Miriam Griffin says in her biography of Seneca that "the evidence for Seneca's life before his exile in 41 is so slight, and the potential interest of these years, for social history as well as for biography, is so great that few writers on Seneca have resisted the temptation to eke out knowledge with imagination." Griffin also states, apparently inferring from ancient sources, that Seneca was born in either 8, 4, or 1 BC. She thinks he was born between 4 and 1 BC and was a resident in Rome by AD 5. Seneca says that he was carried to Rome in the arms of his mother's stepsister. Griffin says that, allowing for rhetorical exaggeration, means "it is fair to conclude that Seneca was in Rome as a very small boy." Be that as it may, it is clear that he was in Rome at a relatively early stage in his life.
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Terence
Publius Terentius Afer (195/185–159 BC), better known in English as Terence, was a playwright of the Roman Republic, of North African descent. His comedies were performed for the first time around 170–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on, impressed by his abilities, freed him. Terence apparently died young, probably in Greece or on his way back to Rome. All of the six plays Terence wrote have survived.
One famous quotation by Terence reads: "Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto", or "I am a human being, I consider nothing that is human alien to me." This appeared in his play Heauton Timorumenos.
Terence's date of birth is disputed; Aelius Donatus, in his incomplete Commentum Terenti, considers the year 185 BC to be the year Terentius was born;Fenestella, on the other hand, states that he was born ten years earlier, in 195 BC.
He may have been born in or near Carthage or in Greek Italy to a woman taken to Carthage as a slave. Terence's ethnonym Afer suggests he lived in the territory of the Libyan tribe called by the Romans Afri near Carthage prior to being brought to Rome as a slave. This inference is based on the fact that the term was used in two different ways during the republican era: during Terence's lifetime, it was used to refer to non-Carthaginian Libyco-Berbers, with the term Punicus reserved for the Carthaginians. Later, after the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC, it was used to refer to anyone from the land of the Afri (Tunisia and its surroundings). It is therefore most likely that Terence was of Libyan descent, considered ancestors to the modern-day Berber peoples.
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Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural. While he regarded himself primarily as a poet who composed novels mainly for financial gain, he became and continues to be widely regarded for his novels, such as Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd. The bulk of his fictional works, initially published as serials in magazines, were set in the semi-fictional county of Wessex (based on the Dorchester region where he grew up) and explored tragic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances.
Hardy's poetry, first published in his fifties, has come to be as well regarded as his novels and has had a significant influence over modern English poetry, especially after The Movement poets of the 1950s and 1960s cited Hardy as a major figure.
wn.com/Thomas_Hardy -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 (April 2, 1743 O.S.) – July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence (1776) and the third President of the United States (1801–1809). At the beginning of the American Revolution, Jefferson served in the Continental Congress, representing Virginia. He then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781). Just after the war ended, from mid-1784 Jefferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris, initially as a commissioner to help negotiate commercial treaties. In May 1785, he became the United States Minister to France. He was the first United States Secretary of State (1790–1793) during the administration of President George Washington. Upon resigning his office, with his close friend James Madison he organized the Democratic-Republican Party. Elected Vice-President in 1796, under his opponent John Adams, Jefferson with Madison secretly wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which attempted to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts.
wn.com/Thomas_Jefferson -
Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann (6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual. His analysis and critique of the European and German soul used modernized German and Biblical stories, as well as the ideas of Goethe, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer. His older brother was the radical writer Heinrich Mann, and three of his six children, Erika Mann, Klaus Mann and Golo Mann, also became important German writers. When Hitler came to power in 1933, Mann fled to Switzerland. When World War II broke out in 1939, he emigrated to the United States, from where he returned to Switzerland in 1952. Thomas Mann is one of the best-known exponents of the so-called Exilliteratur.
Mann was born Paul Thomas Mann in Lübeck, Germany, and was the second son of Thomas Johann Heinrich Mann (a senator and a grain merchant), and his wife Júlia da Silva Bruhns (a Brazilian of partial German ancestry who emigrated to Germany when seven years old). His mother was Roman Catholic, but Mann was baptised into his father's Lutheran faith. Mann's father died in 1891, and his trading firm was liquidated. The family subsequently moved to Munich. Mann attended the science division of a Lübeck Gymnasium (school), then spent time at the Ludwig Maximillians University of Munich and Technical University of Munich where, in preparation for a journalism career, he studied history, economics, art history and literature.
wn.com/Thomas_Mann -
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737 (NS February 9, 1737) – June 8, 1809) was an English-American author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He has been called "a corsetmaker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination."
Born in Thetford, England, in the county of Norfolk, Paine immigrated to the British American colonies in 1774 in time to participate in the American Revolution. His principal contributions were the powerful, widely read pamphlet Common Sense (1776), the all-time best-selling American book that advocated colonial America's independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and The American Crisis (1776–83), a pro-revolutionary pamphlet series. Common Sense was so influential that John Adams said, "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.”
Paine lived in France for most of the 1790s, becoming deeply involved in the French Revolution. He wrote the Rights of Man (1791), in part a defense of the French Revolution against its critics. His attacks on British writer Edmund Burke led to a trial and conviction in absentia in 1792 for the crime of seditious libel. In 1792, despite not speaking French, he was elected to the French National Convention. The Girondists regarded him as an ally. Consequently, the Montagnards, especially Robespierre, regarded him as an enemy. In December of 1793, he was arrested and imprisoned in Paris, then released in 1794. He became notorious because of The Age of Reason (1793–94), his book that advocates deism, promotes reason and freethinking, and argues against institutionalized religion in general and Christian doctrine in particular. He also wrote the pamphlet Agrarian Justice (1795), discussing the origins of property, and introduced the concept of a guaranteed minimum income.
wn.com/Thomas_Paine -
Thomas Reid
The Reverend Thomas Reid FRSE (/riːd/; 7 May (26 April O.S.) 1710 – 7 October 1796), was a religiously trained Scottish philosopher, and a contemporary of David Hume, was the founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense, and played an integral role in the Scottish Enlightenment. The early part of his life was spent in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he created the 'Wise Club' (a literary-philosophical association) and graduated from the University of Aberdeen. He was given a professorship at King's College, Aberdeen in 1752, where he wrote An Inquiry Into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense (published in 1764). Shortly afterward he was given the prestigious Professorship of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow when he was called to replace Adam Smith. He resigned from this position in 1781.
Reid believed that common sense (in a special philosophical sense of sensus communis) is, or at least should be, at the foundation of all philosophical inquiry. He disagreed with Hume, who asserted that we can never know what an external world consists of as our knowledge is limited to the ideas in the mind, and George Berkeley, who asserted that the external world is merely ideas in the mind. By contrast, Reid claimed that the foundations upon which our sensus communis are built justify our belief that there is an external world.
wn.com/Thomas_Reid -
Thucydides
Thucydides (/θ[unsupported input]ˈsɪdɪˌdiz/; Greek: Θουκυδίδης, Thoukydídēs; c. 460 BC – c. 395 BC) was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientific history", because of his strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis in terms of cause and effect without reference to intervention by the gods, as outlined in his introduction to his work.
He has also been called the father of the school of political realism, which views the relations between nations as based on might rather than right. His text is still studied at advanced military colleges worldwide, and the Melian dialogue remains a seminal work of international relations theory.
More generally, Thucydides showed an interest in developing an understanding of human nature to explain behaviour in such crises as plague, massacres, as in that of the Melians, and civil war.
wn.com/Thucydides -
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃.swa ma.ʁi aʁ.wɛ]; 21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), known by the pen name Voltaire (pronounced: [vɔl.tɛːʁ]), was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression, free trade and separation of church and state. Voltaire was a prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poetry, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform, despite strict censorship laws with harsh penalties for those who broke them. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma and the French institutions of his day.
Voltaire was one of several Enlightenment figures (along with Montesquieu, John Locke, Richard Price, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Émilie du Châtelet) whose works and ideas influenced important thinkers of both the American and French Revolutions.
wn.com/Voltaire -
William James
William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher who was trained as a physician. He was the first educator to offer a psychology course in the U.S. He wrote influential books on the young science of psychology, educational psychology, psychology of religious experience and mysticism, and on the philosophy of pragmatism. He was the brother of novelist Henry James and of diarist Alice James. In the summer of 1878, James married Alice Gibbens.
William James was born at the Astor House in New York City. He was the son of Henry James Sr., a noted and independently wealthy Swedenborgian theologian well acquainted with the literary and intellectual elites of his day. The intellectual brilliance of the James family milieu and the remarkable epistolary talents of several of its members have made them a subject of continuing interest to historians, biographers, and critics.
James interacted with a wide array of writers and scholars throughout his life, including his godfather Ralph Waldo Emerson, his godson William James Sidis, as well as Charles Sanders Peirce, Bertrand Russell, Josiah Royce, Ernst Mach, John Dewey, Macedonio Fernández, Walter Lippmann, Mark Twain, Horatio Alger, Jr., Henri Bergson and Sigmund Freud.
wn.com/William_James
This knowledge of profound dignity.
These innocent thoughts.
This action of mercy.
.all in the name of conscience.
I am not a divine being.
I am not any god.
I am just another human.
I am an animal.
The world is what it appears.
The idolization of individuals.
Compassion has been terminated.
.in the name of conscience.
We are not divine beings.
We are not any gods.
We are just humans.
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Humanism Intro Part 1 - 'Humanism' Richard Dawkins, Tim Minchin, Andrew Copson, & more...
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:54
- Updated: 09 Feb 2013
Humanism is sometimes mistaken for a form of religion, or something which is very complex. Here, some well known humanists explain that all humanism really is, is people wanting to live ethical and happy lives, thinking for themselves, without religion imposing its own morals on them which are not necessarily compatible with living ethically today. Including interviews with: Richard Dawkins, AC Grayling, Tim Minchin, Andrew Copson, Polly Toynbee, Rumi Hassan, Philip Pullman, & Zoe Margolis.
http://wn.com/Humanism_Intro_Part_1_'Humanism'_Richard_Dawkins,_Tim_Minchin,_Andrew_Copson,_more
Humanism is sometimes mistaken for a form of religion, or something which is very complex. Here, some well known humanists explain that all humanism really is, is people wanting to live ethical and happy lives, thinking for themselves, without religion imposing its own morals on them which are not necessarily compatible with living ethically today. Including interviews with: Richard Dawkins, AC Grayling, Tim Minchin, Andrew Copson, Polly Toynbee, Rumi Hassan, Philip Pullman, & Zoe Margolis.
Chomsky on Humanism (1/3)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:51
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
Chomsky's views on humanism, religion, and state-sanctioned fear. Part 2: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Chomsky_on_Humanism_1_3
Chomsky's views on humanism, religion, and state-sanctioned fear. Part 2: www.youtube.com
- published: 28 May 2008
- views: 56099
- author: maldoror01
Seth MacFarlane - 2011 Harvard Humanist of the Year - Chapter 2
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 14:07
- Updated: 10 Feb 2013
Seth MacFarlane receives Harvard Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism at the Memorial Church - October 15th, 2011. With his trademark blend of wit and wisdom, Seth discusses religion's suppression of scientific progress and it's cost to civilization.
http://wn.com/Seth_MacFarlane_2011_Harvard_Humanist_of_the_Year_Chapter_2
Seth MacFarlane receives Harvard Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism at the Memorial Church - October 15th, 2011. With his trademark blend of wit and wisdom, Seth discusses religion's suppression of scientific progress and it's cost to civilization.
- published: 14 Feb 2012
- views: 11045
- author: HarvardHumanist
Richard Dawkins on Humanism
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:31
- Updated: 07 Feb 2013
Richard Dawkins on Humanism
http://wn.com/Richard_Dawkins_on_Humanism
Terry Pratchett - The Humanist - BBC
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:55
- Updated: 08 Jan 2013
Mark Lawson talks to Terry Pratchett about humanism, religion and his opinions. Great short video from BBC show Mark Lawson Talks to Terry Pratchett. Watch more high quality videos on the new BBC Worldwide YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Terry_Pratchett_The_Humanist_BBC
Mark Lawson talks to Terry Pratchett about humanism, religion and his opinions. Great short video from BBC show Mark Lawson Talks to Terry Pratchett. Watch more high quality videos on the new BBC Worldwide YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com
- published: 20 Mar 2010
- views: 22240
- author: BBCWorldwide
Joss Whedon on Humanism
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:20
- Updated: 08 Feb 2013
Joss Whedon receives the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism at Harvard University's Memorial Church. ~ 10 April 2009 ~ Camera 1, Editor: Tiffanie Hsu Camera 2: Nick Shearer Courtesy of the Harvard Humanist Society
http://wn.com/Joss_Whedon_on_Humanism
Joss Whedon receives the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism at Harvard University's Memorial Church. ~ 10 April 2009 ~ Camera 1, Editor: Tiffanie Hsu Camera 2: Nick Shearer Courtesy of the Harvard Humanist Society
- published: 13 Apr 2009
- views: 50775
- author: HarvardHumanist
Isaac Asimov: Humanism (1/5)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:04
- Updated: 09 Feb 2013
The great Isaac Asimov sketches the meaning of humanism. He presents the humanist view on abortion, evolution, secularism, gay rights and nuclear disarmament.
http://wn.com/Isaac_Asimov_Humanism_1_5
The great Isaac Asimov sketches the meaning of humanism. He presents the humanist view on abortion, evolution, secularism, gay rights and nuclear disarmament.
- published: 20 May 2012
- views: 4939
- author: ExposingTheism
Darwin, Humanism and Science - AC Grayling
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 36:34
- Updated: 02 Feb 2013
Philosopher and BHA Distinguished Supporter, AC Grayling, speaks at the Darwin, Humanism and Science Day Conference on the 6th June. Thanks to Adservio Digital for recording the event and producing this video.
http://wn.com/Darwin,_Humanism_and_Science_AC_Grayling
Philosopher and BHA Distinguished Supporter, AC Grayling, speaks at the Darwin, Humanism and Science Day Conference on the 6th June. Thanks to Adservio Digital for recording the event and producing this video.
- published: 19 Jun 2009
- views: 27924
- author: BritishHumanists
Darwin, Humanism and Science - Richard Dawkins
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 41:52
- Updated: 10 Feb 2013
Richard Dawkins talks to the Darwin, Humanism and Science day conference (6 Jun 2009) on the subject "There is grandeur in this view of life". This talk reflects the final chapter of his boo, The Greatest Show on Earth. Thanks to Adservio Digital for recording the event and producing this video.
http://wn.com/Darwin,_Humanism_and_Science_Richard_Dawkins
Richard Dawkins talks to the Darwin, Humanism and Science day conference (6 Jun 2009) on the subject "There is grandeur in this view of life". This talk reflects the final chapter of his boo, The Greatest Show on Earth. Thanks to Adservio Digital for recording the event and producing this video.
- published: 18 Nov 2009
- views: 14701
- author: BritishHumanists
Secular Humanism
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:03
- Updated: 09 Feb 2013
www.facebook.com ... "Are You a Secular Humanist?" by • www.youtube.com --- Please SUBSCRIBE to Science & Reason: • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com --- ATHEIST (n.): one without a belief in, or one who lacks belief in, the existence of god or gods. YOU MAY BE A SECULAR HUMANIST IF: • You try to live an ethical and fulfilling life without religious belief. • You think science and reason lead to more reliable knowledge than faith. • You support secular government and an open society that guarantees human rights for all. • You make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values. • You see no convincing evidence for gods, the supernatural, or life after death. • You believe that moral values are properly founded on human empathy and scientific understanding. • You believe we must live this life on the basis that it is the only life we'll have -- that, therefore, we must make the most of it for ourselves, each other, and our world. (List courtesy of The Institute for Humanist Studies) SECULAR HUMANISM is a humanist philosophy that upholds reason, ethics, and justice, and specifically rejects the supernatural and the spiritual as the basis of moral reflection and decision-making. Like other types of humanism, secular humanism is a life stance that focuses on the way human beings can lead good, happy and functional lives. The term "secular humanism" was coined in the 20th century to make a clear distinction from ...
http://wn.com/Secular_Humanism
www.facebook.com ... "Are You a Secular Humanist?" by • www.youtube.com --- Please SUBSCRIBE to Science & Reason: • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com --- ATHEIST (n.): one without a belief in, or one who lacks belief in, the existence of god or gods. YOU MAY BE A SECULAR HUMANIST IF: • You try to live an ethical and fulfilling life without religious belief. • You think science and reason lead to more reliable knowledge than faith. • You support secular government and an open society that guarantees human rights for all. • You make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values. • You see no convincing evidence for gods, the supernatural, or life after death. • You believe that moral values are properly founded on human empathy and scientific understanding. • You believe we must live this life on the basis that it is the only life we'll have -- that, therefore, we must make the most of it for ourselves, each other, and our world. (List courtesy of The Institute for Humanist Studies) SECULAR HUMANISM is a humanist philosophy that upholds reason, ethics, and justice, and specifically rejects the supernatural and the spiritual as the basis of moral reflection and decision-making. Like other types of humanism, secular humanism is a life stance that focuses on the way human beings can lead good, happy and functional lives. The term "secular humanism" was coined in the 20th century to make a clear distinction from ...
- published: 01 Jun 2009
- views: 61256
- author: FFreeThinker
"I Am A Humanist"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:41
- Updated: 03 Feb 2013
Song: "I am a Humanist" written and performed by Jim Corbett
http://wn.com/I_Am_A_Humanist
Song: "I am a Humanist" written and performed by Jim Corbett
- published: 01 Nov 2009
- views: 4281
- author: jcorbett51
Red Bank Humanists - What Is Humanism?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:29
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
Nine members of Red Bank Humanists in Red Bank, NJ comment on their understanding of Humanism. More info about the organization can be found at www.redbankhumanists.org , which cultivates rational inquiry, ethical values, and human development. RBH is affiliated with American Humanist Association, Institute for Humanist Studies, and the Council of Secular Humanism.
http://wn.com/Red_Bank_Humanists_What_Is_Humanism?
Nine members of Red Bank Humanists in Red Bank, NJ comment on their understanding of Humanism. More info about the organization can be found at www.redbankhumanists.org , which cultivates rational inquiry, ethical values, and human development. RBH is affiliated with American Humanist Association, Institute for Humanist Studies, and the Council of Secular Humanism.
- published: 14 Feb 2008
- views: 7465
- author: Ron Steelman
Existentialism: Jean-Paul Sartre, "Existentialism is a Humanism"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 53:44
- Updated: 08 Feb 2013
In this lecture, I explore some of the key themes of Jean-Paul Sartre's classic exposition of his atheist Existentialism, "Existentialism is a Humanism." I focus in particular on the themes of existence preceding essence, radical human freedom, criterionless choice that is nevertheless one made for all humanity, and on the human being as a project of freedom
http://wn.com/Existentialism_Jean-Paul_Sartre,_Existentialism_is_a_Humanism
In this lecture, I explore some of the key themes of Jean-Paul Sartre's classic exposition of his atheist Existentialism, "Existentialism is a Humanism." I focus in particular on the themes of existence preceding essence, radical human freedom, criterionless choice that is nevertheless one made for all humanity, and on the human being as a project of freedom
- published: 29 May 2012
- views: 6305
- author: Gregory B. Sadler
HumanLight 2009: Humanism and humanist values
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:54
- Updated: 12 Jan 2013
Happy HumanLight! humanlight.org Video transcript: emptv.com The music is tinyurl.com twitter.com www.facebook.com myspace.com
http://wn.com/HumanLight_2009_Humanism_and_humanist_values
Happy HumanLight! humanlight.org Video transcript: emptv.com The music is tinyurl.com twitter.com www.facebook.com myspace.com
- published: 23 Dec 2009
- views: 9067
- author: ZJemptv
The Humanist Manifesto III
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:49
- Updated: 08 Feb 2013
NOTE: "The Science of Race, Part 2", is currently in production. I expect to have it up by next week. Thank you for bearing with me on the long delay. Work and personal commitments have slowed the script writing process. This reading is in honor of the recent passing of Gore Vidal, an author who influenced me at a young age. Gore was a one-time spokesman for the American Humanist Association, sharing that honor with other authors like Kurt Vonnegut and Isaac Asimov. You can read more about Gore here: en.wikipedia.org What is Humanism? This Manifesto attempts to address the common goals of humanism. It is not a dogma. In fact, it is revised every twenty years or so. As Kurt Vonnegut elegantly put it "Being a humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead". It is the ethical and moral code of many non-believers. I hope you will investigate the Humanist Manifesto III further at the AHA website: www.americanhumanist.org Atheism has no moral dimension. There are no credos or manifestos to non-belief. Humanism, on the other hand, contains some ideas of how we would like to live and by what methods we ought to seek for truth.
http://wn.com/The_Humanist_Manifesto_III
NOTE: "The Science of Race, Part 2", is currently in production. I expect to have it up by next week. Thank you for bearing with me on the long delay. Work and personal commitments have slowed the script writing process. This reading is in honor of the recent passing of Gore Vidal, an author who influenced me at a young age. Gore was a one-time spokesman for the American Humanist Association, sharing that honor with other authors like Kurt Vonnegut and Isaac Asimov. You can read more about Gore here: en.wikipedia.org What is Humanism? This Manifesto attempts to address the common goals of humanism. It is not a dogma. In fact, it is revised every twenty years or so. As Kurt Vonnegut elegantly put it "Being a humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead". It is the ethical and moral code of many non-believers. I hope you will investigate the Humanist Manifesto III further at the AHA website: www.americanhumanist.org Atheism has no moral dimension. There are no credos or manifestos to non-belief. Humanism, on the other hand, contains some ideas of how we would like to live and by what methods we ought to seek for truth.
- published: 03 Aug 2012
- views: 11479
- author: C0nc0rdance
Debate: Christianity vs Secular Humanism (1 of 14)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:36
- Updated: 17 Jan 2013
Video courtesy of: www.youtube.com Featuring: Dr. Paul Kurtz, Dr. Norman Geisler Description: Dr. Paul Kurtz, the man who drafted the "Humanist Manifesto II," is currently the editor of Free Inquiry, the main Secular Humanist magazine in America. Representing Christianity is Dr. Norman Geisler, Dean of the Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC; author and co-author of over thirty books, including When Critics Ask, When Skeptics Ask, and Christian Apologetics. Tags: God Jesus Holy Spirit Bible Christian Christianity atheist atheism secular humanism Paul Kurtz Norman Geisler Humanist Manifesto
http://wn.com/Debate_Christianity_vs_Secular_Humanism_1_of_14
Video courtesy of: www.youtube.com Featuring: Dr. Paul Kurtz, Dr. Norman Geisler Description: Dr. Paul Kurtz, the man who drafted the "Humanist Manifesto II," is currently the editor of Free Inquiry, the main Secular Humanist magazine in America. Representing Christianity is Dr. Norman Geisler, Dean of the Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC; author and co-author of over thirty books, including When Critics Ask, When Skeptics Ask, and Christian Apologetics. Tags: God Jesus Holy Spirit Bible Christian Christianity atheist atheism secular humanism Paul Kurtz Norman Geisler Humanist Manifesto
- published: 09 Jun 2009
- views: 17321
- author: 1001Phoenix
We Are Humanists
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:17
- Updated: 09 Feb 2013
An expression of Humanist Values - Join Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com This video was created by James Croft. I'm the creator of TempleoftheFuture.net, an Assistant Editor at TheNewHumanism.org, and a contributing scholar at StateofFormation.org. I'm a graduate of Cambridge and Harvard, and a current Harvard Doctoral Candidate. I am also an actor, singer and a proud, gay Humanist. You can find me at facebook.com/jflcroft This video is part of an effort to make Humanism a broader, more effective and more inspiring movement. Details of all groups and individuals in this video will be placed here shortly. I am very open to criticism and suggestions!
http://wn.com/We_Are_Humanists
An expression of Humanist Values - Join Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com This video was created by James Croft. I'm the creator of TempleoftheFuture.net, an Assistant Editor at TheNewHumanism.org, and a contributing scholar at StateofFormation.org. I'm a graduate of Cambridge and Harvard, and a current Harvard Doctoral Candidate. I am also an actor, singer and a proud, gay Humanist. You can find me at facebook.com/jflcroft This video is part of an effort to make Humanism a broader, more effective and more inspiring movement. Details of all groups and individuals in this video will be placed here shortly. I am very open to criticism and suggestions!
- published: 14 Feb 2011
- views: 4675
- author: James Croft
Humanism Intro Part 2 - 'The BHA' - Richard Dawkins, Tim Minchin, Andrew Copson, & more...
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:17
- Updated: 08 Feb 2013
Second part to the 'Intro to Humanism' video. This video explores the role of the BHA and asks further questions on Humanism as a whole. Including interviews with: Richard Dawkins, AC Grayling, Tim Minchin, Andrew Copson, Polly Toynbee, Rumi Hassan, Philip Pullman, & Zoe Margolis.
http://wn.com/Humanism_Intro_Part_2_'The_BHA'_Richard_Dawkins,_Tim_Minchin,_Andrew_Copson,_more
Second part to the 'Intro to Humanism' video. This video explores the role of the BHA and asks further questions on Humanism as a whole. Including interviews with: Richard Dawkins, AC Grayling, Tim Minchin, Andrew Copson, Polly Toynbee, Rumi Hassan, Philip Pullman, & Zoe Margolis.
- published: 03 Dec 2012
- views: 6215
- author: BritishHumanists
Doubts about religion? You're one of many. | African Americans for Humanism
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:41
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
African Americans may be the nation's most religious minority, but the churches and religious leaders don't speak for many of us. Today as in the past, many African Americans question religion and religious institutions. More and more of us stand for reason over faith. Freethought over authority. Critical thinking in place of superstition. Many of us are nonreligious; some are nontheistic. African Americans for Humanism supports skeptics, doubters, humanists, and atheists in the African American community, provides forums for communication and education, and facilitates coordinated action to achieve shared objectives. In an irrational world, those who stand for reason must stand together. www.aahumanism.net
http://wn.com/Doubts_about_religion?_You're_one_of_many_|_African_Americans_for_Humanism
African Americans may be the nation's most religious minority, but the churches and religious leaders don't speak for many of us. Today as in the past, many African Americans question religion and religious institutions. More and more of us stand for reason over faith. Freethought over authority. Critical thinking in place of superstition. Many of us are nonreligious; some are nontheistic. African Americans for Humanism supports skeptics, doubters, humanists, and atheists in the African American community, provides forums for communication and education, and facilitates coordinated action to achieve shared objectives. In an irrational world, those who stand for reason must stand together. www.aahumanism.net
- published: 29 Jan 2012
- views: 15671
- author: centerforinquiry
Mark Hatcher - Extended Interview | African Americans for Humanism
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:57
- Updated: 08 Feb 2013
African Americans may be the nation's most religious minority, but the churches and religious leaders don't speak for many of us. Mark D. Hatcher is a PhD candidate of Neurophysiology at Howard University and CFO of Black Atheists of America. He started Secular Students of Howard University (SSHU), the first officially recognized secular organization at a historically black college or university. Mark has given talks for the Center for Inquiry, The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington Area Secular Humanists and more. www.aahumanism.net
http://wn.com/Mark_Hatcher_Extended_Interview_|_African_Americans_for_Humanism
African Americans may be the nation's most religious minority, but the churches and religious leaders don't speak for many of us. Mark D. Hatcher is a PhD candidate of Neurophysiology at Howard University and CFO of Black Atheists of America. He started Secular Students of Howard University (SSHU), the first officially recognized secular organization at a historically black college or university. Mark has given talks for the Center for Inquiry, The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington Area Secular Humanists and more. www.aahumanism.net
- published: 30 Jan 2012
- views: 3306
- author: centerforinquiry
Harvard Humanists Stephen Fry 2/22/2011 Chapter 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:03
- Updated: 04 Feb 2013
Stephen Fry awarded 2011 lifetime achievement award from the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University. Singer/songwriter Molly Lewis opens the show.
http://wn.com/Harvard_Humanists_Stephen_Fry_2_22_2011_Chapter_1
Stephen Fry awarded 2011 lifetime achievement award from the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University. Singer/songwriter Molly Lewis opens the show.
- published: 27 Feb 2011
- views: 14933
- author: HarvardHumanist
Humanism - Boxcon09 Open Mic
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:39
- Updated: 20 Dec 2012
Humanism came all the way from Japan just to rock the open mic @ the 2009 International Human Beatbox Convention! www.beatboxconvention.com
http://wn.com/Humanism_Boxcon09_Open_Mic
Humanism came all the way from Japan just to rock the open mic @ the 2009 International Human Beatbox Convention! www.beatboxconvention.com
- published: 16 Apr 2009
- views: 6979
- author: Humanbeatboxdotcom
photo: AP / Ugarit News via AP video
09 Feb 2013
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The video has gone viral in recent days. Syrian government soldiers, in camouflage gear, carrying rocket-propelled grenades and brandishing rifles, mugging for the camera while dancing in a circle to Usher’s hit song “Yeah!”. Enlarge This Image. Ugarit News, via Associated Press. In a video posted online, Syrian soldiers chant and dance to Usher’s hit song “Yeah!”. Related. U.N ... Twitter List ... Raw ... ....(size: 8.2Kb)
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
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China reported two human cases of bird flu in the southwestern city of Guiyang on Sunday, with both patients in a critical condition, the official Xinhua news agency said ... It typically spreads from birds to humans through direct contact, but experts fear it could ......(size: 1.3Kb)
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Solon wants Congress to investigate human rights violations against indigenous peoples ... A lawmaker today called for a congressional inquiry into the human rights violations against indigenous communities ... Teddy Brawner Baguilat (Lone District, Ifugao), author of House Resolution 3001, said he received numerous reports of exclusion, discrimination and other cases of human rights violations against indigenous peoples....(size: 3.7Kb)
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THE jailing of a 13-year-old Afghan boy who allegedly had sex with two men has been criticised by human rights activists who say a disturbing underground culture of pederasty still prevails in the country. The boy was jailed for a year after prosecutors in the western province of Herat said he consented to the act in a public park ... Login to read the rest of this article. Login using your Newspass account. User Login Username * ... Login ... ....(size: 5.5Kb)
The Examiner
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Now, Lauren Cohen who plays Maggie Green on AMC’s zombie drama says humans are a bigger threat than walkers ever were ... 10 ... What it means is that in addition to running away from walkers, the zombie apocalypse survivors will also have to run away from their fellow humans ... “The idea of the human threat is going to get stronger and it's going to be as much of a emotional roller coaster as the first half was. So be prepared.”. Sources ... Tweet ... ....(size: 6.7Kb)
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In Tumwater, Wash., a homeless man only identified as Tim is thanking his dog named Buddy for saving his human companion's life. In a last ditch effort to get help because an infection in his leg left Tim unable to walk, the desperate man tied a note to his dog's harness asking someone to send help ... The woman recognized the dog as belonging to a homeless man, and read the note which said.. "Send help. No joke. Cannot walk." ... Need doctor."....(size: 6.3Kb)
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Do not read this if you have not seen Being Human ‘Sticks and Rope’. Being Human always features brilliant guest characters who manage to steal the show ... The comedy-horror-drama formula of Being Human never gets old and it’s impressive that it manages to weave all these elements together seamlessly ... Next week on Being Human… Julian Barratt – one half of The Mighty Boosh – joins the cast as a TV presenter-turned-vampire....(size: 27.4Kb)
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"Humanistic" redirects here. For the album, see Humanistic (album).
This article is about human-centered philosophy. For other uses, see Humanism (disambiguation).
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view, or practice that focuses on human values and concerns, attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. According to Greg M. Epstein, "Humanism today can be categorized as a movement, a philosophy of life or worldview, or ... [a] lifestance."[1] In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism.[citation needed]
Secular humanism is a secular ideology which espouses reason, ethics, and justice, whilst specifically rejecting supernatural and religious dogma as a basis of morality and decision-making. Secular humanism contrasts with religious humanism, which is an integration of humanist ethical philosophy with religious rituals and beliefs that center on human needs, interests, and abilities.[2] Renaissance humanism is a cultural movement of the Italian Renaissance based on the study of classical works.[3][4]
Religious and secular humanism arose from a trajectory extending from the deism and anti-clericalism of the Enlightenment, the various secular movements of the 19th century (such as positivism), and the overarching expansion of the scientific project.[citation needed]
Contents |
History[link]
The term "humanism" is ambiguous. Around 1806 Humanismus was used to describe the classical curriculum offered by German schools, and by 1836 "humanism" was lent to English in this sense. In 1856, German historian and philologist Georg Voigt used humanism to describe Renaissance humanism, the movement that flourished in the Italian Renaissance to revive classical learning, a use which won wide acceptance among historians in many nations, especially Italy.[5] This historical and literary use of the word "humanist" derives from the 15th-century Italian term umanista, meaning a teacher or scholar of Classical Greek and Latin literature and the ethical philosophy behind it.
But in the mid-18th century, a different use of the term began to emerge. In 1765, the author of an anonymous article in a French Enlightenment periodical spoke of "The general love of humanity ... a virtue hitherto quite nameless among us, and which we will venture to call ‘humanism’, for the time has come to create a word for such a beautiful and necessary thing.”[6] The latter part of the 18th and the early 19th centuries saw the creation of numerous grass-roots "philanthropic" and benevolent societies dedicated to human betterment and the spreading of knowledge (some Christian, some not). After the French Revolution, the idea that human virtue could be created by human reason alone independently from traditional religious institutions, attributed by opponents of the Revolution to Enlightenment philosophes such as Rousseau, was violently attacked by influential religious and political conservatives, such as Edmund Burke and Joseph de Maistre, as a deification or idolatry of man.[7] Humanism began to acquire a negative sense. The Oxford English Dictionary records the use of the word "humanism" by an English clergyman in 1812 to indicate those who believe in the "mere humanity" (as opposed to the divine nature) of Christ, i.e., Unitarians and Deists.[8] In this polarized atmosphere, in which established ecclesiastical bodies tended to circle the wagons and reflexively oppose political and social reforms like extending the franchise, universal schooling, and the like, liberal reformers and radicals embraced the idea of Humanism as an alternative religion of humanity. The anarchist Proudhon (best known for declaring that "property is theft") used the word "humanism" to describe a "culte, déification de l’humanité" ("cult, deification of humanity") and Ernest Renan in L’avenir de la science: pensées de 1848 ("The Future of Knowledge: Thoughts on 1848") (1848–49), states: "It is my deep conviction that pure humanism will be the religion of the future, that is, the cult of all that pertains to man — all of life, sanctified and raised to the level of a moral value.“[9]
At about the same time, the word "humanism" as a philosophy centered around humankind (as opposed to institutionalized religion) was also being used in Germany by the so-called Left Hegelians, Arnold Ruge, and Karl Marx, who were critical of the close involvement of the church in the repressive German government. There has been a persistent confusion between the several uses of the terms:[10] philosophical humanists look to human-centered antecedents among the Greek philosophers and the great figures of Renaissance history.
Predecessors[link]
 |
This may contain previously unpublished synthesis of published material that conveys ideas not attributable to the original sources. See the talk page for details. (September 2011) |
Ancient Greece[link]
Main article: Ancient Greek philosophy
6th-century BCE pre-Socratic Greek philosophers Thales of Miletus and Xenophanes of Colophon were the first to attempt to explain the world in terms of human reason rather than myth and tradition, thus can be said to be the first Greek humanists. Thales questioned the notion of anthropomorphic gods and Xenophanes refused to recognize the gods of his time and reserved the divine for the principle of unity in the universe. These Ionian Greeks were the first thinkers to assert that nature is available to be studied separately from the supernatural realm. Anaxagoras brought philosophy and the spirit of rational inquiry from Ionia to Athens. Pericles, the leader of Athens during the period of its greatest glory was an admirer of Anaxagoras. Other influential pre-Socratics or rational philosophers include Protagoras (like Anaxagoras a friend of Pericles), known for his famous dictum "man is the measure of all things" and Democritus, who proposed that matter was composed of atoms. Little of the written work of these early philosophers survives and they are known mainly from fragments and quotations in other writers, principally Plato and Aristotle. The historian Thucydides, noted for his scientific and rational approach to history, is also much admired by later humanists.[11] In the 3rd century BCE, Epicurus became known for his concise phrasing of the problem of evil, lack of belief in the afterlife, and human-centered approaches to achieving eudaimonia. He was also the first Greek philosopher to admit women to his school as a rule.
Asia[link]
Human-centered philosophy that rejected the supernatural can be found as early as 1000 BCE in the Lokayata system of Indian philosophy. Also in the 6th-century BCE, Gautama Buddha expressed, in Pali literature, a skeptical attitude toward the supernatural:[12]
Since neither soul nor aught belonging to soul can really and truly exist, the view which holds that this I who am 'world,' who am 'soul,' shall hereafter live permanent, persisting, unchanging, yea abide eternally: is not this utterly and entirely a foolish doctrine?
In China, Huangdi is regarded as the humanistic primogenitor. Sage kings such as Yao and Shun are humanistic figures as recorded. King Wu of Zhou has the famous saying: "Human is the ling (spirit, soul, god, or leader) in the world (among all)". Among them, Duke of Zhou, respected as an initial founder of Rujia (Confucianism), is especially prominent and pioneering in humanistic thought. His words were recorded in the Book of History as follows (translated into English):
What the people desire, Heaven certainly comply.
Heaven (God) is not believable. Our Tao (doctrine) is moral (from former sage kings and to be continued forward).
In the 6th century BCE, Taoist teacher Laozi held natural humanistic philosophy. Confucius also taught secular ethics. The silver rule of Confucianism from Analects XV.24, is an example of ethical philosophy based on human values rather than the supernatural. Humanistic thought is also contained in other Confucian classics, e.g., as recorded in Zuo Zhuan, Ji Liang says: "People is the zhu (master, lord, dominance, owner or origin) of gods. So, to sage kings, people first, gods second"; Neishi Guo says: "Gods, clever, righteous and wholehearted, comply with human.
Medieval Islam[link]
See also: Early Islamic philosophy
Many medieval Muslim thinkers pursued humanistic, rational and scientific discourses in their search for knowledge, meaning and values. A wide range of Islamic writings on love, poetry, history and philosophical theology show that medieval Islamic thought was open to the humanistic ideas of individualism, occasional secularism, skepticism and liberalism.[13]
According to Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, another reason the Islamic world flourished during the Middle Ages was an early emphasis on freedom of speech, as summarized by al-Hashimi (a cousin of Caliph al-Ma'mun) in the following letter to one of the religious opponents he was attempting to convert through reason:[14]
"Bring forward all the arguments you wish and say whatever you please and speak your mind freely. Now that you are safe and free to say whatever you please appoint some arbitrator who will impartially judge between us and lean only towards the truth and be free from the empery of passion, and that arbitrator shall be Reason, whereby God makes us responsible for our own rewards and punishments. Herein I have dealt justly with you and have given you full security and am ready to accept whatever decision Reason may give for me or against me. For "There is no compulsion in religion" (Qur'an 2:256) and I have only invited you to accept our faith willingly and of your own accord and have pointed out the hideousness of your present belief. Peace be with you and the blessings of God!"
According to George Makdisi, certain aspects of Renaissance humanism has its roots in the medieval Islamic world, including the "art of dictation, called in Latin, ars dictaminis," and "the humanist attitude toward classical language."[15]
Renaissance[link]
Main article: Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an intellectual movement in Europe of the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. The 19th-century German historian Georg Voigt (1827–91) identified Petrarch as the first Renaissance humanist. Paul Johnson agrees that Petrarch was "the first to put into words the notion that the centuries between the fall of Rome and the present had been the age of Darkness.” According to Petrarch, what was needed to remedy this situation was the careful study and imitation of the great classical authors. For Petrarch and Boccaccio, the greatest master was Cicero, whose prose became the model for both learned (Latin) and vernacular (Italian) prose.
Once the language was mastered grammatically it could be used to attain the second stage, eloquence or rhetoric. This art of persuasion [Cicero had held] was not art for its own sake, but the acquisition of the capacity to persuade others – all men and women – to lead the good life. As Petrarch put it, 'it is better to will the good than to know the truth.' Rhetoric thus led to and embraced philosophy. Leonardo Bruni (c.1369–1444), the outstanding scholar of the new generation, insisted that it was Petrarch who “opened the way for us to show how to acquire learning," but it was in Bruni’s time that the word umanista first came into use, and its subjects of study were listed as five: grammar, rhetoric, poetry, moral philosophy, and history.”[16]
The basic training of the humanist was to speak well and write (typically, in the form of a letter). One of Petrarch’s followers, Coluccio Salutati (1331–1406) was made chancellor of Florence, "whose interests he defended with his literary skill. The Visconti of Milan claimed that Salutati’s pen had done more damage than 'thirty squadrons of Florentine cavalry.'”[17] Contrary to a still widely current interpretation that originated in Voigt's celebrated contemporary, Jacob Burckhardt,[18] and which was adopted wholeheartedly, especially by those moderns calling themselves "humanists",[19] most specialists now do not characterize Renaissance humanism as a philosophical movement, nor in any way as anti-Christian or even anti-clerical. A modern historian has this to say:
Humanism was not an ideological programme but a body of literary knowledge and linguistic skill based on the “revival of good letters,” which was a revival of a late-antique philology and grammar, This is how the word “humanist" was understood by contemporaries, and if scholars would agree to accept the word in this sense rather than in the sense in which it was used in the nineteenth century we might be spared a good deal of useless argument. That humanism had profound social and even political consequences of the life of Italian courts is not to be doubted. But the idea that as a movement it was in some way inimical to the Church, or to the conservative social order in general is one that has been put forward for a century and more without any substantial proof being offered.
The nineteenth-century historian Jacob Burckhardt, in his classic work, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, noted as a “curious fact” that some men of the new culture were “men of the strictest piety, or even ascetics.” If he had meditated more deeply on the meaning of the careers of such humanists as Abrogio Traversari (1386–1439), the General of the Camaldolese Order, perhaps he would not have gone on to describe humanism in unqualified terms as “pagan,” and thus helped precipitate a century of infertile debate about the possible existence of something called “Christian humanism” which ought to be opposed to “pagan humanism.” --Peter Partner, Renaissance Rome, Portrait of a Society 1500–1559 (University of California Press 1979) pp. 14–15.
The umanisti criticized what they considered the barbarous Latin of the universities, but the revival of the humanities largely did not conflict with the teaching of traditional university subjects, which went on as before.[20]
Nor did the humanists view themselves as in conflict with Christianity. Some, like Salutati, were the Chancellors of Italian cities, but the majority (including Petrarch) were ordained as priests, and many worked as senior officials of the Papal court. Humanist Renaissance popes Nicholas V, Pius II, Sixtus IV, and Leo X wrote books and amassed huge libraries.[21]
In the high Renaissance, in fact, there was a hope that more direct knowledge of the wisdom of antiquity, including the writings of the Church fathers, the earliest known Greek texts of the Christian Gospels, and in some cases even the Jewish Kabbalah, would initiate an harmonious new era of universal agreement.[22] With this end in view, Renaissance Church authorities afforded humanists what in retrospect appears a remarkable degree of freedom of thought.[23][24] One humanist, the Greek Orthodox Platonist Gemistus Pletho (1355–1452), based in Mystras, Greece (but in contact with humanists in Florence, Venice, and Rome) taught a Christianized version of pagan polytheism.[25]
Back to the sources[link]
The humanists' close study of Latin literary texts soon enabled them to discern historical differences in the writing styles of different periods. By analogy with what they saw as decline of Latin, they applied the principle of ad fontes, or back to the sources, across broad areas of learning, seeking out manuscripts of Patristic literature as well as pagan authors. In 1439, while employed in Naples at the court of Alfonso V of Aragon (at the time engaged in a dispute with the Papal States) the humanist Lorenzo Valla used stylistic textual analysis, now called philology, to prove that the Donation of Constantine, which purported to confer temporal powers on the Pope of Rome, was an 8th-century forgery.[26] For the next 70 years, however, neither Valla nor any of his contemporaries thought to apply the techniques of philology to other controversial manuscripts in this way. Instead, after the fall of the Byzantine Empire to the Turks in 1453, which brought a flood of Greek Orthodox refugees to Italy, humanist scholars increasingly turned to the study of Neoplatonism and Hermeticism, hoping to bridge the differences between the Greek and Roman Churches, and even between Christianity itself and the non-Christian world.[27] The refugees brought with them Greek manuscripts, not only of Plato and Aristotle, but also of the Christian Gospels, previously unavailable in the Latin West.
After 1517, when the new invention of printing made these texts widely available, the Dutch humanist Erasmus, who had studied Greek at the Venetian printing house of Aldus Manutius, began a philological analysis of the Gospels in the spirit of Valla, comparing the Greek originals with their Latin translations with a view to correcting errors and discrepancies in the latter. Erasmus, along with the French humanist Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples, began issuing new translations, laying the groundwork for the Protestant Reformation. Henceforth Renaissance humanism, particularly in the German North, became concerned with religion, while Italian and French humanism concentrated increasingly on scholarship and philology addressed to a narrow audience of specialists, studiously avoiding topics that might offend despotic rulers or which might be seen as corrosive of faith. After the Reformation, critical examination of the Bible did not resume until the advent of the so-called Higher criticism of the 19th-century German Tübingen school.
Consequences[link]
The ad fontes principle also had many applications. The re-discovery of ancient manuscripts brought a more profound and accurate knowledge of ancient philosophical schools such as Epicureanism, and Neoplatonism, whose Pagan wisdom the humanists, like the Church fathers of old, tended, at least initially, to consider as deriving from divine revelation and thus adaptable to a life of Christian virtue.[28] The line from a drama of Terence, Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto (or with nil for nihil), meaning "I am a man, I think nothing human alien to me", known since antiquity through the endorsement of Saint Augustine, gained renewed currency as epitomizing the humanist attitude.[29]
Better acquaintance with Greek and Roman technical writings also influenced the development of European science (see the history of science in the Renaissance). This was despite what A. C. Crombie (viewing the Renaissance in the 19th-century manner as a chapter in the heroic March of Progress) calls "a backwards-looking admiration for antiquity," in which Platonism stood in opposition to the Aristotelian concentration on the observable properties of the physical world.[30] But Renaissance humanists, who considered themselves as restoring the glory and nobility of antiquity, had no interest in scientific innovation. However, by the mid-to-late 16th century, even the universities, though still dominated by Scholasticism, began to demand that Aristotle be read in accurate texts edited according to the principles of Renaissance philology, thus setting the stage for Galileo's quarrels with the outmoded habits of Scholasticism.
Just as artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci — partaking of the zeitgeist though not himself a humanist – advocated study of human anatomy, nature, and weather to enrich Renaissance works of art, so Spanish-born humanist Juan Luis Vives (c. 1493–1540) advocated observation, craft, and practical techniques to improve the formal teaching of Aristotelian philosophy at the universities, helping to free them from the grip of Medieval Scholasticism.[31] Thus, the stage was set for the adoption of an approach to natural philosophy, based on empirical observations and experimentation of the physical universe, making possible the advent of the age of scientific inquiry that followed the Renaissance.[32]
It was in education that the humanists' program had the most lasting results, their curriculum and methods:
were followed everywhere, serving as models for the Protestant Reformers as well as the Jesuits. The humanistic school, animated by the idea that the study of classical languages and literature provided valuable information and intellectual discipline as well as moral standards and a civilized taste for future rulers, leaders, and professionals of its society, flourished without interruption, through many significant changes, until our own century, surviving many religious, political and social revolutions. It has but recently been replaced, though not yet completely, by other more practical and less demanding forms of education.[33]
From Renaissance to modern humanism[link]
The progression from the humanism of the renaissance to that of the 19th and 20th centuries came about through two key figures: Galileo and Erasmus. Cultural critic, Os Guinness explains that the word humanist during the renaissance initially only defined a concern for humanity, and many early humanists saw no dichotomy between this and their Christian faith. See Christian Humanism
"Yet it was from the Renaissance that modern Secular Humanism grew, with the development of an important split between reason and religion. This occurred as the church's complacent authority was exposed in two vital areas. In science, Galileo's support of the Copernican revolution upset the church's adherence to the theories of Aristotle, exposing them as false. In theology, the Dutch scholar Erasmus with his new Greek text showed that the Roman Catholic adherence to Jerome's Vulgate was frequently in error. A tiny wedge was thus forced between reason and authority, as both of them were then understood."[34]
19th and 20th centuries[link]
The phrase the "religion of humanity" is sometimes attributed to American Founding Father Thomas Paine, though as yet unattested in his surviving writings. According to Tony Davies:
Paine called himself a theophilanthropist, a word combining the Greek for "God", "love," and "man", and indicating that while he believed in the existence of a creating intelligence in the universe, he entirely rejected the claims made by and for all existing religious doctrines, especially their miraculous, transcendental and salvationist pretensions. The Parisian "Society of Theophilanthropy" which he sponsored, is described by his biographer as "a forerunner of the ethical and humanist societies that proliferated later" ... [Paine's book] the trenchantly witty Age of Reason (1793) ... pours scorn on the supernatural pretensions of scripture, combining Voltairean mockery with Paine's own style of taproom ridicule to expose the absurdity of a theology built on a collection of incoherent Levantine folktales.[35]
Davies identifies Paine's The Age of Reason as "the link between the two major narratives of what Jean-François Lyotard[36] calls the narrative of legitimation": the rationalism of the 18th-century Philosophes and the radical, historically based German 19th-century Biblical criticism of the Hegelians David Friedrich Strauss and Ludwig Feuerbach. "The first is political, largely French in inspiration, and projects 'humanity as the hero of liberty'. The second is philosophical, German, seeks the totality and autonomy of knowledge, and stresses understanding rather than freedom as the key to human fulfillment and emancipation. The two themes converged and competed in complex ways in the 19th century and beyond, and between them set the boundaries of its various humanisms.[37] Homo homini deus est ("Man is a god to man" or "god is nothing [other than] man to himself"), Feuerbach had written.[38]
Victorian novelist Mary Ann Evans, known to the world as George Eliot, translated Strauss's Das Leben Jesu ("The Life of Jesus", 1846) and Ludwig Feuerbach's Das Wesen Christianismus ("The Essence of Christianity"). She wrote to a friend:
the fellowship between man and man which has been the principle of development, social and moral, is not dependent on conceptions of what is not man ... the idea of God, so far as it has been a high spiritual influence, is the ideal of goodness entirely human (i.e., an exaltation of the human).[39]
Eliot and her circle, who included her companion George Henry Lewes (the biographer of Goethe) and the abolitionist and social theorist Harriet Martineau, were much influenced by the positivism of Auguste Comte, whom Martineau had translated. Comte had proposed an atheistic culte founded on human principles—a secular Religion of Humanity (which worshiped the dead, since most humans who have ever lived are dead), complete with holidays and liturgy, modeled on the rituals of a what was seen as a discredited and dilapidated Catholicism.[40] Although Comte's English followers, like Eliot and Martineau, for the most part rejected the full gloomy panoply of his system, they liked the idea of a religion of humanity. Comte's austere vision of the universe, his injunction to "vivre pour altrui" ("live for others", from which comes the word "altruism"),[41] and his idealization of women inform the works of Victorian novelists and poets from George Eliot and Matthew Arnold to Thomas Hardy.
The British Humanistic Religious Association was formed as one of the earliest forerunners of contemporary chartered Humanist organizations in 1853 in London. This early group was democratically organized, with male and female members participating in the election of the leadership, and promoted knowledge of the sciences, philosophy, and the arts.[42]
In February 1877, the word was used pejoratively, apparently for the first time in America, to describe Felix Adler. Adler, however, did not embrace the term, and instead coined the name "Ethical Culture" for his new movement – a movement which still exists in the now Humanist-affiliated New York Society for Ethical Culture.[43] In 2008, Ethical Culture Leaders wrote: "Today, the historic identification, Ethical Culture, and the modern description, Ethical Humanism, are used interchangeably."[44]
Active in the early 1920s, F.C.S. Schiller labeled his work "humanism" but for Schiller the term referred to the pragmatist philosophy he shared with William James. In 1929, Charles Francis Potter founded the First Humanist Society of New York whose advisory board included Julian Huxley, John Dewey, Albert Einstein and Thomas Mann. Potter was a minister from the Unitarian tradition and in 1930 he and his wife, Clara Cook Potter, published Humanism: A New Religion. Throughout the 1930s, Potter was an advocate of such liberal causes as, women’s rights, access to birth control, "civil divorce laws", and an end to capital punishment.[45]
Raymond B. Bragg, the associate editor of The New Humanist, sought to consolidate the input of Leon Milton Birkhead, Charles Francis Potter, and several members of the Western Unitarian Conference. Bragg asked Roy Wood Sellars to draft a document based on this information which resulted in the publication of the Humanist Manifesto in 1933. Potter's book and the Manifesto became the cornerstones of modern humanism, the latter declaring a new religion by saying, "any religion that can hope to be a synthesizing and dynamic force for today must be shaped for the needs of this age. To establish such a religion is a major necessity of the present." It then presented 15 theses of humanism as foundational principles for this new religion.
In 1941, the American Humanist Association was organized. Noted members of The AHA included Isaac Asimov, who was the president from 1985 until his death in 1992, and writer Kurt Vonnegut, who followed as honorary president until his death in 2007. Gore Vidal became honorary president in 2009. Robert Buckman was the head of the association in Canada, and is now an honorary president.[citation needed]
After World War II, three prominent Humanists became the first directors of major divisions of the United Nations: Julian Huxley of UNESCO, Brock Chisholm of the World Health Organization, and John Boyd-Orr of the Food and Agricultural Organization.[46]
In 2004, American Humanist Association, along with other groups representing agnostics, atheists, and other freethinkers, joined to create the Secular Coalition for America which advocates in Washington, D.C. for separation of church and state and nationally for the greater acceptance of nontheistic Americans. The Executive Director of Secular Coalition for America is Sean Faircloth, a long-time state legislator from Maine.
Attitudes toward religion and atheism[link]
The original signers of the first Humanist Manifesto of 1933, declared themselves to be religious humanists. Because, in their view, traditional religions were failing to meet the needs of their day, the signers of 1933 declared it a necessity to establish a religion that was a dynamic force to meet the needs of the day. However, this "religion" did not profess a belief in any god. Since then two additional Manifestos were written to replace the first.[citation needed]
In the Preface of Humanist Manifesto II, the authors Paul Kurtz and Edwin H. Wilson (1973) assert that faith and knowledge are required for a hopeful vision for the future. Manifesto II references a section on Religion and states traditional religion renders a disservice to humanity. Manifesto II recognizes the following groups to be part of their naturalistic philosophy: “scientific,” “ethical,” “democratic,” “religious,” and “Marxist” humanism.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, members of Humanist organizations have disagreed as to whether Humanism is a religion. They categorize themselves in one of three ways. Religious Humanism, in the tradition of the earliest Humanist organizations in the UK and US, attempts to fulfill the traditional social role of religion.[47] Secular Humanism considers all forms of religion, including religious Humanism, to be superseded.[48] In order to sidestep disagreements between these two factions, recent Humanist proclamations define Humanism as a life stance; proponents of this view making up the third faction. Regardless of implementation, the philosophy of all three groups rejects deference to supernatural beliefs and addresses ethics without reference to them, attesting that ethics is a human enterprise. It is generally compatible with atheism[49] and agnosticism,[50] but being atheist or agnostic does not, itself, make one a Humanist. Nevertheless, humanism is diametrically opposed to state atheism.[51][52] According to Paul Kurtz, considered by some to be the founder of the American secular humanist movement,[53] one of the differences between Marxist-Leninist atheists and humanists is the latter's commitment to "human freedom and democracy" while stating that the militant atheism of the Soviet Union consistently violated basic human rights.[54] Kurtz also stated that the "defense of religious liberty is as precious to the humanist as are the rights of the believers."[54] Greg M. Epstein states that, "modern, organized Humanism began, in the minds of its founders, as nothing more nor less than a religion without a God."[55]
Knowledge[link]
Modern Humanists, such as Corliss Lamont or Carl Sagan, hold that humanity must seek for truth through reason and the best observable evidence and endorse scientific skepticism and the scientific method. However, they stipulate that decisions about right and wrong must be based on the individual and common good. As an ethical process, Humanism does not consider metaphysical issues such as the existence or nonexistence of supernatural beings. Humanism is engaged with what is human.[56]
Optimism[link]
Contemporary Humanism entails a qualified optimism about the capacity of people, but it does not involve believing that human nature is purely good or that all people can live up to the Humanist ideals without help. If anything, there is recognition that living up to one's potential is hard work and requires the help of others. The ultimate goal is human flourishing; making life better for all humans, and as the most conscious species, also promoting concern for the welfare of other sentient beings and the planet as a whole.[citation needed] The focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world a better place for those who come after. In 1925, the English mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead cautioned: "The prophecy of Francis Bacon has now been fulfilled; and man, who at times dreamt of himself as a little lower than the angels, has submitted to become the servant and the minister of nature. It still remains to be seen whether the same actor can play both parts."[57]
Humanism (life stance)[link]
Main article: Secular humanism
Humanism (when without "secular" as a qualifying adjective, written with a capital 'H')[58] is a comprehensive life stance or world view which embraces human reason, metaphysical naturalism, altruistic morality and distributive justice, and consciously rejects supernatural claims, theistic faith and religiosity, pseudoscience, and perceived superstition.[59][60][61] Many Humanists derive their moral codes from a philosophy of utilitarianism, ethical naturalism or evolutionary ethics, and some advocate a science of morality.[62]
The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is the world union of more than 100 Humanist, rationalist, irreligious, atheistic, Bright, secular, Ethical Culture, and freethought organizations in more than 40 countries. The "Happy Human" is the official symbol of the IHEU as well as being regarded as a universally recognised symbol for those who call themselves Humanists (as opposed to "humanists"). In 2002, the IHEU General Assembly unanimously adopted the Amsterdam Declaration 2002 which represents the official defining statement of World Humanism.[63]
All member organisations of the IHEU are required by IHEU bylaw 5.1[64] to accept the IHEU Minimum Statement on Humanism:
Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.
Polemics[link]
Polemics about humanism have sometimes assumed paradoxical twists and turns. Early 20th century critics such as Ezra Pound, T.E. Hulme, and T.S. Eliot considered humanism to be sentimental "slop" (Hulme) or overly feminine (Pound)[65] and wanted to go back to a more manly, authoritarian society such as (they believed) existed in the Middle Ages. Postmodern critics who are self-described anti-humanists, such as Jean-François Lyotard and Michel Foucault, have asserted that humanism posits an overarching and excessively abstract notion of humanity or universal human nature, which can then be used as a pretext for imperialism and domination of those deemed somehow less than human. Philosopher Kate Soper[66] notes that by faulting humanism for falling short of its own benevolent ideals, anti-humanism thus frequently “secretes a humanist rhetoric”.[67] In his book, Humanism (1997), Tony Davies calls these critics "humanist anti-humanists". Critics of antihumanism, most notably Jürgen Habermas, counter that while antihumanists may highlight humanism's failure to fulfill its emancipatory ideal, they do not offer an alternative emancipatory project of their own.[68] Others, like the German philosopher Heidegger considered themselves humanists on the model of the ancient Greeks, but thought humanism applied only to the German "race" and specifically to the Nazis and thus, in Davies' words, were anti-humanist humanists.[69] Such a reading of Heidegger's thought is itself deeply controversial, Heidegger includes his own views and critique of Humanism in Letter On Humanism. Davies acknowledges that after the horrific experiences of the wars of the 20th century "it should no longer be possible to formulate phrases like 'the destiny of man' or the 'triumph of human reason' without an instant consciousness of the folly and brutality they drag behind them." For "it is almost impossible to think of a crime that has not been committed in the name of human reason." Yet, he continues, "it would be unwise to simply abandon the ground occupied by the historical humanisms. For one thing humanism remains on many occasions the only available alternative to bigotry and persecution. The freedom to speak and write, to organize and campaign in defense of individual or collective interests, to protest and disobey: all these can only be articulated in humanist terms."[70]
Inclusive humanism[link]
Humanism increasingly designates an inclusive sensibility for our species, planet and lives. While retaining the definition of the IHEU with regard to the life stance of the individual, inclusive Humanism enlarges its constituency within homo sapiens to consider humans' broadening powers and obligations.
This accepting viewpoint recalls Renaissance Humanism in that it presumes an advocacy role for Humanists towards species governance, and this proactive stance is charged with a commensurate responsibility surpassing that of individual Humanism. It identifies pollution, militarism, nationalism, sexism, poverty and corruption as being persistent and addressable human character issues incompatible with the interests of our species. It asserts that human governance must be unified and is inclusionary in that it does not exclude any person by reason of their collateral beliefs or personal religion alone. As such it can be said to be a container for undeclared Humanism, instilling a species credo to complement the personal tenets of individuals.
Dwight Gilbert Jones writes that Humanism may be the only philosophy likely to be adopted by our species as a whole – it is thus incumbent on inclusive Humanists to not place unwarranted or self-interested conditions on its prospective adherents, nor associate it with religious acrimony.[71]
See also[link]
- Natural rights
- Post-theism
- Extropianism
- Materialism
- Objectivity (philosophy)
- Community organizing
- Unitarian Universalism
- Misanthropy
- Social psychology
- Ten Commandment Alternatives – Secular and humanist alternatives to the Ten Commandments
Notes[link]
- ^ Esptein, Greg M. (2010). Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe. New York: HarperCollins. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-06-167011-4.
- ^ "Genesis of a Humanist Manifesto". http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/edwin_wilson/manifesto/ch2.html. Retrieved 14 May 2006.
- ^ Compact Oxford English dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2007. "humanism n. 2 a Renaissance cultural movement that turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interest in ancient Greek and Roman thought."
- ^ Nicholas Mann (1996). The Origins of Humanism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–2. "The term umanista was used, in fifteenth century Italian academic jargon to describe a teacher or student of classical literature and the arts associated with it, including that of rhetoric. The English equivalent 'humanist' makes its appearance in the late sixteenth century with a similar meaning. Only in the nineteenth century, however, and probably for the first time in Germany in 1809, is the attribute transformed into a substantive: humanism, standing for devotion to the literature of ancient Greece and Rome, and the humane values that may be derived from them."
- ^ As J. A. Symonds remarked, “the word humanism has a German sound and is in fact modern” (See The Renaissance in Italy Vol. 2:71n, 1877). Vito Giustiniani writes that in the German-speaking world “Humanist” while keeping its specific meaning (as scholar of Classical literature) “gave birth to further derivatives, such as humanistisch for those schools which later were to be called humanistische Gymnasien, with Latin and Greek as the main subjects of teaching (1784). Finally, Humanismus was introduced to denote ‘classical education in general' (1808) and still later for the epoch and the achievements of the Italian humanists of the fifteenth century (1841). This is to say that ‘humanism’ for ‘classical learning‘ appeared first in Germany, where it was once and for all sanctioned in this meaning by Georg Voigt (1859)", Vito Giustiniani, "Homo, Humanus, and the Meanings of Humanism", Journal of the History of Ideas 46 (vol. 2, April–June, 1985): 172.
- ^ “L’amour général de l’humanité ... vertu qui n’a point de nom parmi nous et que nous oserions appeler ‘humanisme’, puisqu’enfin il est temps de créer un mot pour une chose si belle et nécessaire"; from the review Ephémérides du citoyen ou Bibliothèque raisonée des sciences morales et politiques, (chapter 16, Dec, 17, 1765): p.247, quoted in V. Giustiniani, op. cit., p. 175n.
- ^ Although Rousseau himself devoutly believed in a personal God, his book, Emile: or, On Education, does attempt to demonstrate that atheists can be virtuous. It was publicly burned. During the Revolution, Jacobins instituted a cult of the Supreme Being along lines suggested by Rousseau. In the 19th-century French positivist philosopher Auguste Comte (1798–1857) founded a "religion of humanity", whose calendar and catechism echoed the former Revolutionary cult. See Comtism
- ^ The Oxford English Dictionary. VII (2nd ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. pp. 474–475.
- ^ "Ma conviction intime est que la religion de l’avenir sera le pur humanisme, c’est-à-dire le culte de tout ce qui est de l’homme, la vie entière santifiée et éléve a une valeur moral.”, quoted in Giustiniani, op. cit.
- ^ An account of the evolution of the meaning of the word humanism from the point of view of a modern secular humanist can be found in Nicolas Walter's Humanism – What's in the Word (London: Rationalist Press Association, 1997 ISBN 0-301-97001-7). From the same perspective, but somewhat less polemical, can be found in Richard Norman's On Humanism (Thinking in Action) (London: Routledge: 2004). For a historical and philologically oriented view see Vito Giustiniani, "Homo, Humanus, and the Meanings of Humanism" (1985), cited above.
- ^ Potter, Charles (1930). Humanism A new Religion. Simon and Schuster. pp. 64–69.
- ^ "Lesson 1: A brief history of humanist thought". Introduction to Humanism: A Primer on the History, Philosophy, and Goals of Humanism. The Continuum of Humanist Education. http://humanisteducation.com/class.html?module_id=1&page=1. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
- ^ Lenn Evan Goodman (2003), Islamic Humanism, p. 155, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-513580-6.
- ^ Ahmad, I. A. (3 June 2002). "The Rise and Fall of Islamic Science: The Calendar as a Case Study" (PDF). Faith and Reason: Convergence and Complementarity. Al-Akhawayn University. http://images.agustianwar.multiply.com/attachment/0/RxbYbQoKCr4AAD@kzFY1/IslamicCalendar-A-Case-Study.pdf. Retrieved 31 January 2008
- ^ Makdisi, George (April–June 1989). "Scholasticism and Humanism in Classical Islam and the Christian West". Journal of the American Oriental Society (Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 109, No. 2) 109 (2): 175–182. DOI:10.2307/604423. JSTOR 604423
- ^ Johnson, Paul (2000). The Renaissance. New York: The Modern Library. pp. 32–34 and 37. ISBN 0-679-64086-X.
- ^ Johnson, Paul (2000). The Renaissance. New York: The Modern Library. p. 37.
- ^ The influence of Jacob Burckhardt's classic masterpiece of cultural history, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (1860) on subsequent Renaissance historiography is traced in Wallace K. Ferguson's The Renaissance in Historical Thought: Five Centuries of Historical Interpretation (1948).
- ^ For example the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, adhering to the tenacious 19th-century narrative (or myth) of the Renaissance as a complete break with the past established in 1860 by Jacob Burckhardt, describes the liberating effects of the re-discovery of classical writings this way:
Here, one felt no weight of the supernatural pressing on the human mind, demanding homage and allegiance. Humanity—with all its distinct capabilities, talents, worries, problems, possibilities—was the center of interest. It has been said that medieval thinkers philosophized on their knees, but, bolstered by the new studies, they dared to stand up and to rise to full stature."Humanism". "The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Second Edition. Cambridge University Press. 1999.
- ^ "The term umanista was associated with the revival of the studia humanitatis "which included grammatica, rhetorica, poetics, historia, and philosophia moralis, as these terms were understood. Unlike the liberal arts of the eighteenth century, they did not include the visual arts, music, dancing or gardening. The humanities also failed to include the disciplines that were the chief subjects of instruction at the universities during the Later Middle Ages and throughout the Renaissance, such as theology, jurisprudence, and medicine, and the philosophical disciplines other than ethics, such as logic, natural philosophy, and metaphysics. In other words, humanism does not represent, as often believed, the sum total of Renaissance thought and learning, but only a well-defined sector of it. Humanism has its proper domain or home territory in the humanities, whereas all other areas of learning, including philosophy (apart from ethics), followed their own course, largely determined by their medieval tradition and by their steady transformation through new observations, problems, or theories. These disciplines were affected by humanism mainly from the outside and in an indirect way, though often quite strongly."Paul Oskar Kristeller, Humanism, pp. 113–114, in Charles B. Schmitt, Quentin Skinner (editors), The Cambridge History of Renaissance Philosophy (1990).
- ^ See their respective entries in Sir John Hale's Concise Encyclopaedia of the Italian Renaissance (Oxford University Press, 1981).
- ^ To later generations, the Dutch humanist, Desiderius Erasmus, epitomized this reconciling tendency). According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Enlightenment thinkers remembered Erasmus (not quite accurately) as a precursor of modern intellectual freedom and a foe of both Protestant and Catholic dogmatism." Erasmus himself was not much interested in the Kabbalah, but several other humanists were, notably Pico della Mirandola. See Christian Kabbalah.)
- ^ Bergin, Thomas; Speake, Jennifer (1987). The Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. Oxford: Facts On File Publications. pp. 216–217.
- ^ "Only thirteen of Pico della Mirandola's nine hundred theses were thought theologically objectionable by the papal commission that examined them.... [This] suggests that, in spite of his publicly expressed contempt in his Apologia for their intellectual inadequacies, the Curial authorities hardly saw these theses as the work of a dangerous theological modernist like Luther or Calvin. Unorthodox though they were, most of the issues raised in them had been the subject of theological dispute for centuries and the commission ... condemned him not for innovations but for 'reviving several of the errors of gentile philosophers which are already disproved and obsolete.'” Davies (1997), p 103.
- ^ Richard H. Popkin (editor), The Columbia History of Western Philosophy (1998), p. 293 and p. 301.
- ^ More than 100 years earlier, Dante in the Divine Comedy (c. 1308–1321) had pinpointed the Donation of Constantine (which he accepted as genuine) as a great mistake and the cause of all the political and religious problems of Italy, including the corruption of the Church. Although Dante had thunderously attacked the idea that the Church could have temporal as well as spiritual powers, it remained to Valla to conclusively prove that the legal justification for such powers was spurious.
- ^ Ironically, it was a humanist scholar, Isaac Casaubon, in the 17th century, who would use philology to show that the Corpus Hermeticum was not of great antiquity, as had been asserted in the 4th century by Saint Augustine and Lactantius, but dated from the Christian era. See Anthony Grafton, Defenders of the Text: The Traditions of Scholarship in an Age of Science, 1450–1800 (Harvard University Press, 1991).
- ^ "Humanism". Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion. F-N. Corpus Publications. 1979. pp. 1733. ISBN 0-9602572-1-7. "Renaissance humanists rejoiced in the mutual compatibility of much ancient philosophy and Christian truths", M. A. Screech, Laughter at the Foot of the Cross (1997), p. 13.
- ^ The statement, in a play modeled or borrowed from a (now lost) Greek comedy by Menander, may have originated in a lighthearted vein – as a comic rationale for an old man's meddling – but it quickly became a proverb and throughout the ages was quoted with a deeper meaning, by Cicero and Saint Augustine, to name a few, and most notably by Seneca. Richard Bauman writes: "Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto., I am a man: and I deem nothing pertaining to man is foreign to me.' The words of the comic playwright P. Terentius Afer reverberated across the Roman world of the mid-2nd century BC and beyond. Terence, an African and a former slave, was well placed to preach the message of universalism, of the essential unity of the human race, that had come down in philosophical form from the Greeks, but needed the pragmatic muscles of Rome in order to become a practical reality. The influence of Terence’s felicitous phrase on Roman thinking about human rights can hardly be overestimated. Two hundred years later Seneca ended his seminal exposition of the unity of mankind with a clarion-call:
There is one short rule that should regulate human relationships. All that you see, both divine and human, is one. We are parts of the same great body. Nature created us from the same source and to the same end. She imbued us with mutual affection and sociability, she taught us to be fair and just, to suffer injury rather than to inflict it. She bid us extend or hands to all in need of help. Let that well-known line be in our heart and on our lips: Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto." --Bauman, Human Rights in Ancient Rome, Routledge Classical Monographs, 1999, page 1).
- ^ A. C. Crombie, Historians and the Scientific Revolution, p. 456 in Science, Art and Nature in Medieval and Modern Thought (1996).
- ^ Gottlieb, Anthony (2000). The Dream of Reason: a history of western philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 410–411.
- ^ Alleby, Brad (2003). "Humanism". Encyclopedia of Science & Religion. 1 (2nd ed.). Macmillan Reference USA. pp. 426–428. ISBN 0-02-865705-5.
- ^ P.O. Kristeller (op cit.), p. 114.
- ^ Os Guinness – The Dust of Death (Intervarsity Press 1973) p. 5
- ^ Tony Davies, Humanism (Routledge, 1997) p. 26-27.
- ^ In La Condition postmoderne
- ^ Davies (1997), p. 27.
- ^ ibid, p 28
- ^ quoted in Davies (1997), p. 27.
- ^ "Comte's secular religion is no vague effusion of humanistic piety, but a complete system of belief and ritual, with liturgy and sacraments, priesthood and pontiff, all organized around the public veneration of Humanity, the Nouveau Grand-Être Suprême (New Supreme Great Being), later to be supplemented in a positivist trinity by the Grand Fétish (the Earth) and the Grand Milieu (Destiny)" According to Davies (p. 28-29), Comte's austere and "slightly dispiriting" philosophy of humanity viewed as alone in an indifferent universe (which can only be explained by "positive" science) and with nowhere to turn but to each other, was even more influential in Victorian England than the theories of Charles Darwin or Karl Marx.
- ^ ibid p. 29
- ^ Morain, Lloyd and Mary (2007). Humanism as the Next Step. Washington, D.C.: Humanist Press. p. 109. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/978-0-931779-16-2|978-0-931779-16-2]]. http://www.americanhumanist.org/publications/Hum_as_the_Next_Step.pdf.
- ^ "History: New York Society for Ethical Culture". New York Society for Ethical Culture. 2008. http://www.nysec.org/sitemap/about-ethical-culture/history/. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
- ^ "Ethical Culture". American Ethical Union. http://aeu.org/library/articles/Ethical_Culture.pdf. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
- ^ Stringer-Hye, Richard. "Charles Francis Potter". Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography. Unitarian Universalist Historical Society. http://wWorldWarII5.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/charlesfrancispotter.html. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
- ^ American Humanist Association
- ^ Wilson, Edwin H. (1995). The Genesis of a Humanist Manifesto. Amherst, NY: Humanist Press. This book quotes the constitution of the Humanistic Religious Association of London, founded in 1853, as saying, "In forming ourselves into a progressive religious body, we have adopted the name 'Humanistic Religious Association' to convey the idea that Religion is a principle inherent in man and is a means of developing his being towards greater perfection. We have emancipated ourselves from the ancient compulsory dogmas, myths and ceremonies borrowed of old from Asia and still pervading the ruling churches of our age."
- ^ Kurtz, Paul (1995). Living Without Religion: Eupraxophy. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. p. 8.
- ^ Baggini, Julian (2003). Atheism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 3–4. ISBN 0-19-280424-3. "The atheist's rejection of belief in God is usually accompanied by a broader rejection of any supernatural or transcendental reality. For example, an atheist does not usually believe in the existence of immortal souls, life after death, ghosts, or supernatural powers. Although strictly speaking an atheist could believe in any of these things and still remain an atheist... the arguments and ideas that sustain atheism tend naturally to rule out other beliefs in the supernatural or transcendental."
- ^ Winston, Robert (Ed.) (2004). Human. New York: DK Publishing, Inc. p. 299. ISBN 0-7566-1901-7. "Neither atheism nor agnosticism is a full belief system, because they have no fundamental philosophy or lifestyle requirements. These forms of thought are simply the absence of belief in, or denial of, the existence of deities."
- ^ Paul Kurtz, Vern L. Bullough, Tim Madigan (19 October 2009). Toward a New Enlightenment: the Philosophy of Paul Kurtz. Transaction Books. ISBN 978-1-56000-118-8. http://books.google.com/?id=e9OJSW5dkM8C&pg=PA250&dq=militant+atheist+deaths#v=onepage&q&f=false. "In the past, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union waged unremitting warfare against religion. It persecuted religious believers, confiscated church properties, executed or exiled tens of thousands of clerics, and prohibited believers to engage in religious instruction or publish religious materials. It has also carried on militant pro-atheist propaganda campaigns as part of the official ideology of the state, in an effort to establish a "new Soviet man" committed to the ideals of Communist society. Mikhail Gorbachev is dismantling such policies by permitting greater freedom of religious conscience. If his reforms proceed unabated, they could have dramatic implications for the entire Communist world, for the Russians may be moving from militant atheism to tolerant humanism."
- ^ Paul Kurtz, Vern L. Bullough, Tim Madigan (19 October 2009). Toward a New Enlightenment: the Philosophy of Paul Kurtz. Transaction Books. ISBN 978-1-56000-118-8. http://books.google.com/?id=e9OJSW5dkM8C&pg=PA250&dq=militant+atheist+deaths#v=onepage&q&f=false. "Ranged against the true believer are the militant atheists, who adamantly reject the faith as false stupid, and reactionary. They consider all religious believers to be gullible fools and claim that they are given to accepting gross exaggerations and untenable premises. Historic religious claims, they think, are totally implausible, unbelievable, disreputable, and controvertible, for they go beyond the bounds of reason. Militant atheists can find no value at all to any religious beliefs or institutions. They resist any effort to engage in inquiry or debate. Madalyn Murray O'Hair is as arrogant in her rejection of religion as is the true believer in his or her profession of faith. This form of atheism thus becomes mere dogma."
- ^ The New Atheism and Secular Humanism. Center for Inquiry. 19 October 2009. http://www.pointofinquiry.org/paul_kurtz_the_new_atheism_and_secular_humanism/. "Paul Kurtz, considered by many the father of the secular humanist movement, is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo."
- ^ a b Paul Kurtz, Vern L. Bullough, Tim Madigan (19 October 2009). Toward a New Enlightenment: the Philosophy of Paul Kurtz. Transaction Books. ISBN 978-1-56000-118-8. http://books.google.com/?id=e9OJSW5dkM8C&pg=PA250&dq=militant+atheist+deaths#v=onepage&q&f=false. "There have been fundamental and irreconcilable differences between humanists and atheists, particularly Marxist-Leninists. The defining characteristic of humanism is its commitment to human freedom and democracy; the kind of atheism practiced in the Soviet Union has consistently violated basic human rights. Humanists believe first and foremost in the freedom of conscience, the free mind, and the right of dissent. The defense of religious liberty is as precious to the humanist as are the rights of the believers."
- ^ Esptein, Greg M. (2010). Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-167011-4.
- ^ Lamont, Corliss (1997). The Philosophy of Humanism, Eighth Edition. Humanist Press: Amherst, New York. pp. 252–253. ISBN 0-931779-07-3. "Conscience, the sense of right and wrong and the insistent call of one's better, more idealistic, more social-minded self, is a social product. Feelings of right and wrong that at first have their locus within the family gradually develop into a pattern for the tribe or city, then spread to the larger unit of the nation, and finally from the nation to humanity as a whole. Humanism sees no need for resorting to supernatural explanations, or sanctions at any point in the ethical process."
- ^ Science and the Modern World (New York: Simon and Schuster, [1925] 1997) p. 96.
- ^ Doerr, Edd (November/December 2002). "Humanism Unmodified". The Humanist. http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/articles/DoerrND02.htm. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ Edwords, Fred (1989). "What Is Humanism?". American Humanist Association. http://www.americanhumanist.org/who_we_are/about_humanism/What_is_Humanism. Retrieved 19 August 2009. "Secular Humanism is an outgrowth of eighteenth century enlightenment rationalism and nineteenth century freethought... Secular and Religious Humanists both share the same worldview and the same basic principles... From the standpoint of philosophy alone, there is no difference between the two. It is only in the definition of religion and in the practice of the philosophy that Religious and Secular Humanists effectively disagree."
- ^ Compact Oxford English dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2007. "humanism n. 1 a rationalistic system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters."
- ^ "Definitions of humanism (subsection)". Institute for Humanist Studies. http://humaniststudies.org/humphil.html. Retrieved 16 January 2007.
- ^ Secular humanists John Shook and Sam Harris advocate, for example
- ^ "Amsterdam Declaration 2002". International Humanist and Ethical Union. http://www.iheu.org/amsterdamdeclaration. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ "IHEU's Bylaws". International Humanist and Ethical Union. http://www.iheu.org/bylaws. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ Fascist apologist Ezra Pound called sentimental humanism “an old bitch gone in the teeth". See Tony Davies, Humanism (Routledge, 1997) p. 48.
- ^ in Humanism and Anti-humanism (Problems of Modern European Thought) (La Salle, Illinois: Open Court Press, 1986, p. 128.
- ^ quoted in Davies (1997) p. 49.
- ^ Habermas accepts some criticisms leveled at traditional humanism but believes that humanism must be rethought and revised rather than simply abandoned.
- ^ "The antihhumanist Humanism of Heidegger and the humanist antihumanism of Foucault and Althusser" (Davies [1997]), p. 131.
- ^ Davies (1997), pp. 131–32
- ^ Jones, Dwight (2009). Essays in the Philosophy of Humanism. 17 (1). http://www.essaysinhumanism.org.
References[link]
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Constructs such as ibid., loc. cit. and idem are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. (March 2010) |
- Bauman, Richard. Human Rights in Ancient Rome. Routledge Classical Monographs, 1999 ISBN 0-415-17320-5
- Berry, Philippa and Andrew Wernick. The Shadow of Spirit: Post-Modernism and Religion. Routledge, (1992) 2006. ISBN 0-415-06638-7
- Burckhardt, Jacob, Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy' 1860.
- Davies, Tony. Humanism The New Critical Idiom. Drakakis, John, series editor. University of Stirling, UK. Routledge, 1997 ISBN 0-415-11052-1
- Ferguson, Wallace K. The Renaissance in Historical Thought. Five Centuries of Interpretation. New York: Nachdruck: AMS, 1981 (Boston: Mifflin, 1948)
- Gay, Peter. The Party of Humanity: Essays in the French enlightenment. New York: W. W. Norton (1971). OCLC 11672592
- Gay, Peter. Enlightenment: The Science of Freedom. New York: W. W. Norton & Co, 1996 ISBN 0-393-31366-2
- Giustiniani,Vito. "Homo, Humanus, and the Meanings of Humanism", Journal of the History of Ideas 46 (vol. 2, April – June, 1985): 167 – 95. [1] [2]
- Grafton, Anthony. Defenders of the Text: The Traditions of Scholarship in an Age of Science, 1450–1800. Harvard University Press, 1991
- Grafton, Anthony. Bring Out Your Dead: The Past as Revelation. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004 ISBN 978-0-674-00468-9
- Grendler, Paul F. '"Georg Voigt: Historian of Humanism", in: Humanism and Creativity in the Renaissance: Essays in Honor of Ronald G. Witt.
- Christopher S. Celenza und Kenneth Gouvens, Editors. Leiden 2006, pp. 295–326 ISBN 90-04-14907-4
- Guinness, Os. The Dust of Death Intervarsity Press 1973 ISBN 0-87784-911-0
- Hale, John. A Concise Encyclopaedia of the Italian Renaissance. Oxford University Press, 1981 ISBN 0-500-23333-0.
- Johnson, Paul. The Renaissance. Modern Library Chronicles. New York: Modern Library, 2002 ISBN 0-8129-6619-0
- Kristeller, Paul Oskar. The Renaissance Philosophy of Man. The University of Chicago Press, 1950.
- Kristeller, Paul Oskar. Renaissance Thought and its Sources. Columbia University Press, 1979 ISBN 0-231-04513-1
- Partner, Peter. Renaissance Rome, Portrait of a Society 1500–1559 University of California Press, 1979
- Proctor, Robert. Defining the Humanities. Indiana University Press, 1998 ISBN 0-253-21219-7
- Vernant, Jean-Pierre. Origins of Greek Thought. Cornell University Press, (1962) 1984 ISBN 0-8014-9293-9
- Schmitt, Charles B. and Quentin Skinner, Editors. The Cambridge History of Renaissance Philosophy. Cambridge, 1990.
- Wernick, Andrew. Auguste Comte and the Religion of Humanity: The Post-theistic Program of French Social Theory. Cambridge University Press, 2001 ISBN 0-521-66272-9
External links[link]
This audio file was created from a revision of the "Humanism" article dated 2008-11-06, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)
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Look up humanism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Humanism |
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Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Humanism. |
From classical humanism to the humanism of today[link]
- In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg. Humanism. BBC Radio discussion with Tony Davies, Department of English, University of Birmingham; Lisa Jardine, Professor of Renaissance Studies, Queen Mary College, University of London and Honorary Fellow of Kings College Cambridge; Simon Goldhill, Reader in Greek Literature and Culture at Kings College Cambridge.
Introductions to humanism[link]
- "Humanism: Why, What, and What For, In 882 Words". Web article about a Cuban humanist movement.
- Humanism at the Open Directory Project. A web portal to Humanist Societies.
Web articles[link]
- Barthelemy's conference – video and paper – about Gilbert Simondon, Bernard Stiegler and the "new French Enlightenment" : the question of a "difficult humanism" (a conference at Université de tous les savoirs). In French.
- Bisaha, Nancy. "Channeling the Ghosts of the Renaissance" ( a review of Anthony Grafton's Bring Out Your Dead: The Past as a Revelation). Humanities and Social Sciences Net Online, August 2004
Web books[link]
- The Philosophy of Humanism by Corliss Lamont
- A Guide for the Godless: The Secular Path to Meaning by Andrew Kernohan
- The New Humanism by Edward Howard Griggs
- Thinking and Moral Problems, Religions and Their Source, Purpose, and Developing a Universal Religion, four Parts of a Wikibook.
Primary Organizations[link]
- American Humanist Association
- International Humanist and Ethical Union
- The British Humanist Association
- Humanist Canada | Humaniste Canada
- Videos
- Humanistic Approach to Quality Teaching and Learning- Transformational Quality (TQ) Theory
- Humanistic Approach to Action Research
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| Richard Dawkins | |
|---|---|
 Dawkins in 2010 at Cooper Union in New York City |
|
| Born | Clinton Richard Dawkins (1941-03-26) 26 March 1941 (age 71) Nairobi, Kenya Colony |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | MA, DPhil (Oxon) |
| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Ethologist |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Employer | University of California, Berkeley University of Oxford |
| Organization | Fellow of the Royal Society Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature |
| Known for | Gene-centered view of evolution, concept of the meme, as well as advocacy of atheism and science. |
| Notable work(s) | The Selfish Gene (1976) The Extended Phenotype (1982) The Blind Watchmaker (1986) The God Delusion (2006) |
| Influenced by | Charles Darwin, Ronald Fisher, George C. Williams, W. D. Hamilton, Daniel Dennett, Bertrand Russell, Nikolaas Tinbergen, John Maynard Smith, Robert Trivers |
| Spouse | Marian Stamp Dawkins (m. 1967–1984) Eve Barham (m. 1984–?) Lalla Ward (m. 1992–present) |
| Children | Juliet Emma Dawkins (born 1984) |
| Parents | Clinton John Dawkins Jean Mary Vyvyan (née Ladner) |
| Awards | ZSL Silver Medal (1989) Faraday Award (1990) Kistler Prize (2001) |
| Website | |
| The Richard Dawkins Foundation | |
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL (born 26 March 1941), known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford,[1] and was the University of Oxford's Professor for Public Understanding of Science from 1995 until 2008.[2]
Dawkins came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, which popularised the gene-centered view of evolution and introduced the term meme. In 1982 he introduced an influential concept into evolutionary biology, presented in his book The Extended Phenotype, that the phenotypic effects of a gene are not necessarily limited to an organism's body, but can stretch far into the environment, including the bodies of other organisms.[3]
Dawkins is an atheist, a vice president of the British Humanist Association, and a supporter of the Brights movement.[4] He is well known for his criticism of creationism and intelligent design. In his 1986 book The Blind Watchmaker, he argued against the watchmaker analogy, an argument for the existence of a supernatural creator based upon the complexity of living organisms. Instead, he described evolutionary processes as analogous to a blind watchmaker. He has since written several popular science books, and makes regular television and radio appearances, predominantly discussing these topics. In his 2006 book The God Delusion, Dawkins contends that a supernatural creator almost certainly does not exist and that religious faith is a delusion—"a fixed false belief."[5] As of January 2010 the English-language version has sold more than two million copies and had been translated into 31 languages.[6]
Contents |
Biography[link]
Dawkins was born in Nairobi, Kenya.[7] His father, Clinton John Dawkins (1915–2010),[8] was an agricultural civil servant in the British colonial service, in Nyasaland (now Malawi). Dawkins has a younger sister.[9] His father was called up into the King's African Rifles during World War II,[10][11] returning to England in 1949, when Dawkins was eight. His father had inherited a country estate, Over Norton Park, which he turned into a commercial farm.[8] Both his parents were interested in natural sciences; they answered Dawkins' questions in scientific terms.[12]
Dawkins describes his childhood as "a normal Anglican upbringing".[13] He was confirmed, and embraced Christianity until his mid-teens, at which point he concluded that the theory of evolution was a better explanation for life's complexity, and ceased believing in a god.[9] Dawkins states: "the main residual reason why I was religious was from being so impressed with the complexity of life and feeling that it had to have a designer, and I think it was when I realised that Darwinism was a far superior explanation that pulled the rug out from under the argument of design. And that left me with nothing."[9]
He attended Oundle, a Church of England school,[9] from 1954 to 1959. He studied zoology at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was tutored by Nobel Prize–winning ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen, graduating in 1962. He continued as a research student under Tinbergen's supervision, receiving his M.A. and D.Phil. degrees by 1966, and remained a research assistant for another year.[7] Tinbergen was a pioneer in the study of animal behaviour, particularly in the areas of instinct, learning and choice.[14] Dawkins' research in this period concerned models of animal decision-making.[15]
From 1967 to 1969, he was an assistant professor of zoology at the University of California, Berkeley. During this period, the students and faculty at UC Berkeley were largely opposed to the ongoing Vietnam War, and Dawkins became heavily involved in the anti-war demonstrations and activities.[16] He returned to the University of Oxford in 1970 taking a position as a lecturer, and in 1990, as a reader in zoology. In 1995 he was appointed Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, a position that had been endowed by Charles Simonyi with the express intention that the holder "be expected to make important contributions to the public understanding of some scientific field",[17] and that its first holder should be Richard Dawkins.[18]
Since 1970 he has been a fellow of New College.[19] He has delivered a number of inaugural and other lectures, including the Henry Sidgwick Memorial Lecture (1989), first Erasmus Darwin Memorial Lecture (1990), Michael Faraday Lecture (1991), T. H. Huxley Memorial Lecture (1992), Irvine Memorial Lecture (1997), Sheldon Doyle Lecture (1999), Tinbergen Lecture (2004) and Tanner Lectures (2003).[7] In 1991 he gave the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures for Children. He has also served as editor of a number of journals, and has acted as editorial advisor to the Encarta Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Evolution. He is a senior editor of the Council for Secular Humanism's Free Inquiry magazine, for which he also writes a column. He has been a member of the editorial board of Skeptic magazine since its foundation.[20]
He has sat on judging panels for awards as diverse as the Royal Society's Faraday Award and the British Academy Television Awards,[7] and has been president of the Biological Sciences section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2004 Balliol College, Oxford instituted the Dawkins Prize, awarded for "outstanding research into the ecology and behaviour of animals whose welfare and survival may be endangered by human activities".[21] In September 2008, he retired from his professorship, announcing plans to "write a book aimed at youngsters in which he will warn them against believing in 'anti-scientific' fairytales."[22]
Personal life[link]
On 19 August 1967, Dawkins married fellow ethologist Marian Stamp in Annestown, County Waterford, Ireland;[23] they divorced in 1984. Later that same year, on 1 June, he married Eve Barham (19 August 1951[24]–28 February 1999) in Oxford. They had a daughter, Juliet Emma Dawkins (born 1984, Oxford).[24] Dawkins and Barham also divorced[25] and she later died of cancer.[26][27] In 1992 he married actress Lalla Ward[25] in Kensington and Chelsea, London.[24] Dawkins met her through their mutual friend Douglas Adams,[28] who had worked with her on the BBC's Doctor Who.
Work[link]
Evolutionary biology[link]
Further information: Gene-centred view of evolution
In his scientific works, Dawkins is best known for his popularisation of the gene-centred view of evolution. This view is most clearly set out in his books The Selfish Gene (1976), where he notes that "all life evolves by the differential survival of replicating entities", and The Extended Phenotype (1982), in which he describes natural selection as "the process whereby replicators out-propagate each other".[29] In his role as an ethologist, interested in animal behaviour and its relation to natural selection, he advocates the idea that the gene is the principal unit of selection in evolution.
Dawkins has consistently been sceptical about non-adaptive processes in evolution (such as spandrels, described by Gould and Lewontin)[30] and about selection at levels "above" that of the gene.[31] He is particularly sceptical about the practical possibility or importance of group selection as a basis for understanding altruism.[32] This behaviour appears at first to be an evolutionary paradox, since helping others costs precious resources and decreases one's own fitness. Previously, many had interpreted this as an aspect of group selection: individuals were doing what was best for the survival of the population or species as a whole, and not specifically for themselves. British evolutionary biologist W. D. Hamilton had used the gene-centred view to explain altruism in terms of inclusive fitness and kin selection − that individuals behave altruistically toward their close relatives, who share many of their own genes.[33][a] Similarly, Robert Trivers, thinking in terms of the gene-centred model, developed the theory of reciprocal altruism, whereby one organism provides a benefit to another in the expectation of future reciprocation.[34] Dawkins popularised these ideas in The Selfish Gene, and developed them in his own work.[35]
He has also been strongly critical of the Gaia philosophy theory of the independent scientist James Lovelock.[36][37][38]
Critics of Dawkins' approach suggest that taking the gene as the unit of selection − of a single event in which an individual either succeeds or fails to reproduce − is misleading, but that the gene could be better described as a unit of evolution − of the long-term changes in allele frequencies in a population.[39] In The Selfish Gene, Dawkins explains that he is using George C. Williams' definition of the gene as "that which segregates and recombines with appreciable frequency."[40] Another common objection is that genes cannot survive alone, but must cooperate to build an individual, and therefore cannot be an independent "unit".[41] In The Extended Phenotype, Dawkins suggests that because of genetic recombination and sexual reproduction, from an individual gene's viewpoint all other genes are part of the environment to which it is adapted.
Advocates for higher levels of selection such as Richard Lewontin, David Sloan Wilson, and Elliot Sober suggest that there are many phenomena (including altruism) that gene-based selection cannot satisfactorily explain. The philosopher Mary Midgley, with whom Dawkins clashed in print concerning The Selfish Gene,[42][43] has criticised gene selection, memetics and sociobiology as being excessively reductionist[44] and suggests that the popularity of Dawkins' work is due to factors in the Zeitgeist such as the increased individualism of the Thatcher/Reagan decades.[45]
In a set of controversies over the mechanisms and interpretation of evolution (the so-called 'Darwin Wars'),[46][47] one faction was often named after Dawkins and its rival after the American palaeontologist Stephen Jay Gould, reflecting the pre-eminence of each as a populariser of pertinent ideas.[48][49] In particular, Dawkins and Gould have been prominent commentators in the controversy over sociobiology and evolutionary psychology, with Dawkins generally approving and Gould generally being critical.[50] A typical example of Dawkins' position was his scathing review of Not in Our Genes by Steven Rose, Leon J. Kamin and Richard C. Lewontin.[51] Two other thinkers on the subject often considered to be allied to Dawkins are Steven Pinker and Daniel Dennett; Dennett has promoted a gene-centred view of evolution and defended reductionism in biology.[52] Despite their academic disagreements, Dawkins and Gould did not have a hostile personal relationship, and Dawkins dedicated a large portion of his 2003 book A Devil's Chaplain posthumously to Gould, who had died the previous year.
Dawkins' book The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution expounds the evidence for biological evolution.[53] All of his previous works dealing with evolution had assumed its truth, and not explicitly provided the evidence to this effect. Dawkins felt that this represented a gap in his oeuvre, and decided to write the book to coincide with Darwin's bicentennial year.[54]
Meme[link]
Main article: Meme
Dawkins coined the word meme (the behavioural equivalent of a gene) as a way to encourage readers to think about how Darwinian principles might be extended beyond the realm of genes.[55] Indeed, it was intended as an extension of his "replicators" argument, but it took on a life of its own in the hands of other authors such as Daniel Dennett and Susan Blackmore. These popularisations then led to the emergence of the field of memetics, from which he has distanced himself.[56]
Dawkins' memes refer to any cultural entity that an observer might consider a replicator of a certain idea or a complex of ideas. He hypothesised that people could view many cultural entities as capable of such replication, generally through exposure to humans, who have evolved as efficient (although not perfect) copiers of information and behaviour. Memes are not always copied perfectly, and might indeed become refined, combined or otherwise modified with other ideas, resulting in new memes, which may themselves prove more, or less, efficient replicators than their predecessors, thus providing a framework for a hypothesis of cultural evolution, analogous to the theory of biological evolution based on genes.[57]
Although Dawkins invented the specific term meme independently, he has not claimed that the idea itself was entirely novel,[58] and there have been other expressions for similar ideas in the past. For instance, John Laurent has suggested that the term may have derived from the work of the little-known German biologist Richard Semon.[59] In 1904 Semon published Die Mneme (which appeared in English in 1924 as The Mneme). This book discussed the cultural transmission of experiences, with insights parallel to those of Dawkins. Laurent also found the term mneme used in Maurice Maeterlinck's The Life of the White Ant (1926), and has highlighted the similarities to Dawkins' concept.[59] Author James Gleick describes Dawkins’ concept of the meme as "his most famous memorable invention, far more influential than his selfish genes or his later proselytizing against religiosity".[60]
Criticism of creationism[link]
Dawkins is a prominent critic of creationism (the religious belief that humanity, life and the universe were created by a deity,[61] without recourse to evolution[62]). He has described the Young Earth creationist view that the Earth is only a few thousand years old as "a preposterous, mind-shrinking falsehood",[63] and his 1986 book, The Blind Watchmaker, contains a sustained critique of the argument from design, an important creationist argument. In the book, Dawkins argued against the watchmaker analogy made famous by the 18th-century English theologian William Paley in his book Natural Theology. Paley argued that, just as a watch is too complicated and too functional to have sprung into existence merely by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Dawkins shares the view generally held by scientists that natural selection is sufficient to explain the apparent functionality and non-random complexity of the biological world, and can be said to play the role of watchmaker in nature, albeit as an automatic, nonintelligent, blind watchmaker.[64]
In 1986 Dawkins participated in an Oxford Union debate, in which he and English biologist John Maynard Smith debated Young Earth creationist A. E. Wilder-Smith and Edgar Andrews, president of the Biblical Creation Society.[b] In general, however, Dawkins has followed the advice of his late colleague Stephen Jay Gould and refused to participate in formal debates with creationists because "what they seek is the oxygen of respectability", and doing so would "give them this oxygen by the mere act of engaging with them at all". He suggests that creationists "don't mind being beaten in an argument. What matters is that we give them recognition by bothering to argue with them in public."[65]
In a December 2004 interview with American journalist Bill Moyers, Dawkins said that "among the things that science does know, evolution is about as certain as anything we know." When Moyers questioned him on the use of the word theory, Dawkins stated that "evolution has been observed. It's just that it hasn't been observed while it's happening." He added that "it is rather like a detective coming on a murder after the scene... the detective hasn't actually seen the murder take place, of course. But what you do see is a massive clue... Huge quantities of circumstantial evidence. It might as well be spelled out in words of English."[66]
Dawkins has ardently opposed the inclusion of intelligent design in science education, describing it as "not a scientific argument at all, but a religious one".[67] He has been referred to in the media as "Darwin's Rottweiler",[68] a reference to English biologist T. H. Huxley, who was known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's evolutionary ideas. He has been a strong critic of the British organisation Truth in Science, which promotes the teaching of creationism in state schools, and he plans—through the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science—to subsidise the delivery of books, DVDs and pamphlets to schools, in order to counteract what he has described as an "educational scandal".[69]
Advocacy of atheism[link]
Dawkins is an outspoken atheist and a prominent critic of religion. In an interview with Thomas Bass for a book published in 1994 he described himself as a "fairly militant atheist".[70] In 1996, when asked if he would prefer to be known as a scientist or a militant atheist, he replied "Bertrand Russell called himself the Passionate Sceptic. It's aiming high, but I'll shoot for that."[71] Dawkins is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society,[72] a vice-president of the British Humanist Association (since 1996),[7] a Distinguished Supporter of the Humanist Society of Scotland,[73] a member of the Secular Coalition for America advisory board,[74] a Humanist Laureate of the International Academy of Humanism,[75] and a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.[76] In 2003 he became a signatory of the humanist manifesto Humanism and Its Aspirations, published by the American Humanist Association.[77] As a result of his advocacy of atheism, Dawkins has sometimes been described as a vocal, militant rationalist,[78][79] and as "the UK's Chief Atheist".[80]
Dawkins believes that his own atheism is the logical extension of his understanding of evolution[81] and that religion is largely incompatible with science.[82] In his 1986 book The Blind Watchmaker, Dawkins wrote:
An atheist before Darwin could have said, following Hume: "I have no explanation for complex biological design. All I know is that God isn't a good explanation, so we must wait and hope that somebody comes up with a better one." I can't help feeling that such a position, though logically sound, would have left one feeling pretty unsatisfied, and that although atheism might have been logically tenable before Darwin, Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.[83]
In his 1991 essay "Viruses of the Mind" (from which the term faith-sufferer originated), he suggested that memetic theory might analyse and explain the phenomenon of religious belief and some of the common characteristics of religions, such as the belief that punishment awaits non-believers. According to Dawkins, faith − belief that is not based on evidence − is one of the world's great evils. He claims it to be analogous to the smallpox virus, though more difficult to eradicate.[84] Dawkins is well known for his contempt for religious extremism, from Islamist terrorism[85] to Christian fundamentalism; but he has also argued with liberal believers and religious scientists, from biologists Kenneth Miller[86] and Francis Collins[87] to theologians Alister McGrath and Richard Harries.[88] Dawkins has stated that his opposition to religion is twofold, claiming it to be both a source of conflict and a justification for belief without evidence.[89] However, he describes himself as a "cultural Christian",[90] and proposed the slogan "Atheists for Jesus".[91]
Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, when asked how the world might have changed, Dawkins responded:
Many of us saw religion as harmless nonsense. Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people needed a crutch for consolation, where's the harm? September 11th changed all that. Revealed faith is not harmless nonsense, it can be lethally dangerous nonsense. Dangerous because it gives people unshakeable confidence in their own righteousness. Dangerous because it gives them false courage to kill themselves, which automatically removes normal barriers to killing others. Dangerous because it teaches enmity to others labelled only by a difference of inherited tradition. And dangerous because we have all bought into a weird respect, which uniquely protects religion from normal criticism. Let's now stop being so damned respectful![92]
Dawkins has especially risen to prominence in contemporary public debates relating science and religion since the publication of his 2006 book The God Delusion, which has achieved greater sales figures worldwide than any of his other works to date. Its success has been seen by many as indicative of a change in the contemporary cultural zeitgeist, central to a recent rise in the popularity of atheistic literature.[93][94] The God Delusion was praised by among others the Nobel laureates Sir Harold Kroto and James D. Watson and by psychologist Steven Pinker.[95] In the book, Dawkins suggested that atheists should be proud, not apologetic, because atheism is evidence of a healthy, independent mind.[96] He sees education and consciousness-raising as the primary tools in opposing what he considers to be religious dogma and indoctrination.[16][97][98] These tools include the fight against certain stereotypes, and he has adopted the term Bright as a way of associating positive public connotations with those who possess a naturalistic worldview.[98] Dawkins notes that feminists have succeeded in arousing widespread embarrassment at the routine use of "he" instead of "she". Similarly, he suggests, a phrase such as "Catholic child" or "Muslim child" should be considered just as socially absurd as, for instance, "Marxist child": children should not be classified based on their parents' ideological beliefs.[98] According to Dawkins, there is no such thing as a Christian child or a Muslim child, as children have about as much capacity to make the decision to become Christians or Muslims as they do to become Marxists.[96]
In January 2006 Dawkins presented a two-part television documentary The Root of All Evil?, addressing what he sees as the malignant influence of religion on society. The title itself is one that Dawkins disliked, noting that religion shouldn't be regarded as the root of all evil.[99] Critics have said that the programme gave too much time to marginal figures and extremists, and that Dawkins' confrontational style did not help his cause and exhibited similarities with the approaches of religious fundamentalists more than with the approaches of the dispassionate, analytic approach of 'hard' science;[100][101] Dawkins rejected these claims, citing the number of moderate religious broadcasts in everyday media as providing a suitable balance to the extremists in the programmes. He further remarked that someone who is deemed an "extremist" in a religiously moderate country may well be considered "mainstream" in a religiously conservative one.[102] The unedited recordings of Dawkins' conversations with Alister McGrath and Richard Harries, including material unused in the broadcast version, have been made available online by the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.[103]
Dawkins' work has been controversial, and a number of Christian thinkers have responded to it. For example, Oxford theologian Alister McGrath (author of The Dawkins Delusion and Dawkins' God) maintains that Dawkins is ignorant of Christian theology and therefore unable to engage religion and faith intelligently.[104] In reply, Dawkins asks "do you have to read up on leprechology before disbelieving in leprechauns?",[105] and − in the paperback edition of The God Delusion − he refers to the American biologist PZ Myers, who has satirised this line of argument as "The Courtier's Reply".[106] Dawkins had an extended debate with McGrath at the 2007 Sunday Times Literary Festival.[107]
Dawkins argues that "the existence of God is a scientific hypothesis like any other".[108] He disagrees with Stephen Jay Gould's principle of nonoverlapping magisteria. In an interview with Time magazine, Dawkins said:
I think that Gould's separate compartments was a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road religious people to the science camp. But it's a very empty idea. There are plenty of places where religion does not keep off the scientific turf. Any belief in miracles is flat contradictory not just to the facts of science but to the spirit of science.[109]
Astrophysicist Martin Rees, who has described himself as an unbeliever who identifies with Christianity from a cultural perspective, has suggested that Dawkins' attack on mainstream religion is unhelpful.[110] Regarding Rees' claim in his book Our Cosmic Habitat that "such questions lie beyond science", Dawkins asks "what expertise can theologians bring to deep cosmological questions that scientists cannot?"[111][112] Elsewhere, Dawkins has written that "there's all the difference in the world between a belief that one is prepared to defend by quoting evidence and logic, and a belief that is supported by nothing more than tradition, authority or revelation."[84] As examples of "good scientists who are sincerely religious", Dawkins names Arthur Peacocke, Russell Stannard, John Polkinghorne and Francis Collins, but says "I remain baffled ... by their belief in the details of the Christian religion."[113][114][115][116][117] He has said that the publication of The God Delusion is "probably the culmination" of his campaign against religion.[118]
In 2007 Dawkins founded the Out Campaign to encourage atheists worldwide to declare their stance publicly and proudly.[119] Inspired by the gay rights movement, Dawkins hopes that atheists' identifying of themselves as such, and thereby increasing public awareness of how many people hold these views, will reduce the negative opinion of atheism among the religious majority.[120][121]
In September 2008, following a complaint by Islamic creationist Adnan Oktar, a court in Turkey blocked access to Dawkins' website richarddawkins.net. The court decision was made due to "insult to personality".[122][123][124][125][126][127] As of 8 July 2011, richarddawkins.net is no longer blocked in Turkey.[128]
In October 2008, Dawkins officially supported the UK's first atheist advertising initiative, the Atheist Bus Campaign. Created by Guardian journalist Ariane Sherine and administered by the British Humanist Association the campaign aimed to raise funds to place atheist adverts on buses in the London area, and Dawkins pledged to match the amount raised by atheists, up to a maximum of £5,500. However, the campaign was an unprecedented success, raising over £100,000 in its first four days, and generating global press coverage.[129][130] The campaign, started in January 2009, features adverts across the UK with the slogan: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." Dawkins said that "this campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think—and thinking is anathema to religion."[131]
In 2010 Dawkins supported legal efforts to charge Pope Benedict XVI with crimes against humanity. Dawkins and fellow anti-religion campaigner Christopher Hitchens were believed to have explored the option of attempting to have the Pope arrested under the same legal principle that saw Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet arrested during a visit to Britain in 1998.[132]
Dawkins has given support to the idea of a "free thinking" school which he calls "Think for Yourself Academy".[133] The school would not "indoctrinate children in atheism, any more than in religion" but it would teach children to "ask for evidence, to be sceptical, critical, open-minded".[134][135]
On 15 September 2010, Dawkins, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the United Kingdom, while acknowledging his right to tour the UK as head of the Roman Catholic Church.[136]
Richard Dawkins Foundation[link]
Main article: Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
In 2006 Dawkins founded the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (RDFRS), a non-profit organisation. The foundation is in developmental phase. It has been granted charitable status in the United Kingdom and the United States. RDFRS plans to finance research on the psychology of belief and religion, finance scientific education programs and materials, and publicise and support secular charitable organisations. The foundation also offers humanist, rationalist and scientific materials and information through its website.[137]
Dawkins has said the "trend toward theocratic thinking in the United States is a danger not only for America but for the entire world."[138] Connected to this concern, Dawkins invited Sean Faircloth to serve as opening speaker on Dawkins' 2011 US book tour. Faircloth is author of the book Attack of the Theocrats, How the Religious Right Harms Us All and What We Can Do About It. The Richard Dawkins Foundation (United States branch) later hired Faircloth, who has ten years experience as a state legislator, as Director of Strategy and Policy.[138]
Other fields[link]
In his role as professor for public understanding of science, Dawkins has been a critic of pseudoscience and alternative medicine. His 1998 book Unweaving the Rainbow takes John Keats' accusation that, by explaining the rainbow, Isaac Newton had diminished its beauty, and argues for the opposite conclusion. He suggests that deep space, the billions of years of life's evolution, and the microscopic workings of biology and heredity contain more beauty and wonder than do "myths" and "pseudoscience".[139] Dawkins wrote a foreword to John Diamond's posthumously published Snake Oil, a book devoted to debunking alternative medicine, in which he asserted that alternative medicine was harmful, if only because it distracted patients from more successful conventional treatments and gave people false hopes.[140] Dawkins states that "there is no alternative medicine. There is only medicine that works and medicine that doesn't work."[141]
Dawkins has expressed concern about the growth of the planet's human population and about the matter of overpopulation.[142] In The Selfish Gene, he briefly mentions population growth, giving the example of Latin America, whose population, at the time the book was written, was doubling every 40 years. He is critical of Roman Catholic attitudes to family planning and population control, stating that leaders who forbid contraception and "express a preference for 'natural' methods of population limitation" will get just such a method in the form of starvation.[143]
As a supporter of the Great Ape Project – a movement to extend certain moral and legal rights to all great apes – Dawkins contributed the article "Gaps in the Mind" to the Great Ape Project book edited by Paola Cavalieri and Peter Singer. In this essay, he criticises contemporary society's moral attitudes as being based on a "discontinuous, speciesist imperative".[144]
Dawkins also regularly comments in newspapers and weblogs on contemporary political questions; his opinions include opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq,[145] the British nuclear deterrent and the actions of US President George W. Bush.[146] Several such articles were included in A Devil's Chaplain, an anthology of writings about science, religion and politics. He is also a supporter of the Republic campaign to replace the British monarchy with a democratically elected president.[147] Dawkins has described himself as a Labour voter in the 1970s[148] and voter for the Liberal Democrats since the party's creation.[149] In 2009 he spoke at the party's conference in opposition to blasphemy laws, alternative medicine and faith schools. In the UK general election of 2010, Dawkins officially endorsed the Liberal Democrats, in support of their campaign for electoral reform and for their "refusal to pander to 'faith'."[150]
In the 2007 TV documentary The Enemies of Reason,[151] Dawkins discusses what he sees as the dangers of abandoning critical thought and rationale based upon scientific evidence. He specifically cites astrology, spiritualism, dowsing, alternative faiths, alternative medicine and homoeopathy. He also discusses how the Internet can be used to spread religious hatred and conspiracy theories with scant attention to evidence-based reasoning.
Continuing a long-standing partnership with Channel 4, Dawkins participated in a five-part television series Genius of Britain, along with fellow scientists Stephen Hawking, James Dyson, Paul Nurse, and Jim Al-Khalili. The five-episode series was broadcast in June 2010.[152] The series focussed on major British scientific achievements throughout history.
Dawkins presented a More4 documentary entitled Faith School Menace? in which he argued for "us to reconsider the consequences of faith education, which... bamboozles parents and indoctrinates and divides children."[153][154]
In 1998 Dawkins expressed his appreciation for two books, famous for their criticism of postmodernism in US universities, in departments like literary studies, anthropology and other cultural studies; the two books are Higher Superstition: The Academic Left and Its Quarrels with Science (by Gross and Levitt) and Intellectual Impostures (by Sokal and Bricmont), both related to the Sokal affair hoax.[155] In the same occasion Dawkins also criticised Cambridge University for awarding philosopher Jacques Derrida an honorary doctorate.[155]
In 2011 Dawkins joined the professoriate of the New College of the Humanities, a new private university in London established by A. C. Grayling, which is scheduled to open in September 2012.[156]
Awards and recognition[link]
Dawkins was awarded a Doctor of Science by the University of Oxford in 1989. He holds honorary doctorates in science from the University of Huddersfield, University of Westminster, Durham University,[157] the University of Hull, the University of Antwerp, and the University of Oslo,[158] and honorary doctorates from the University of Aberdeen,[159] Open University, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel,[7] and the University of Valencia.[160] He also holds honorary doctorates of letters from the University of St Andrews and the Australian National University (HonLittD, 1996), and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1997 and the Royal Society in 2001.[7] He is one of the patrons of the Oxford University Scientific Society.
In 1987 Dawkins received a Royal Society of Literature award and a Los Angeles Times Literary Prize for his book, The Blind Watchmaker. In the same year, he received a Sci. Tech Prize for Best Television Documentary Science Programme of the Year, for the BBC Horizon episode The Blind Watchmaker.[7]
His other awards have included the Zoological Society of London Silver Medal (1989), Finlay innovation award (1990), the Michael Faraday Award (1990), the Nakayama Prize (1994), the American Humanist Association's Humanist of the Year Award (1996), the fifth International Cosmos Prize (1997), the Kistler Prize (2001), the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic (2001), the Bicentennial Kelvin Medal of The Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow (2002)[7] and the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest (2009).[161]
Dawkins topped Prospect magazine's 2004 list of the top 100 public British intellectuals, as decided by the readers, receiving twice as many votes as the runner-up.[162][163] He has been short-listed as a candidate in their 2008 follow-up poll.[164] In 2005 the Hamburg-based Alfred Toepfer Foundation awarded him its Shakespeare Prize in recognition of his "concise and accessible presentation of scientific knowledge". He won the Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science for 2006 and the Galaxy British Book Awards Author of the Year Award for 2007.[165] In the same year, he was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007,[166] and he was ranked 20th in The Daily Telegraph's 2007 list of 100 greatest living geniuses.[167] He was awarded the Deschner Award, named after German anti-clerical author Karlheinz Deschner.[168]
Since 2003, the Atheist Alliance International has awarded a prize during its annual conference, honouring an outstanding atheist whose work has done most to raise public awareness of atheism during that year. It is known as the Richard Dawkins Award, in honour of Dawkins' own work.[169]
In February 2010 he was named to the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Honorary Board of distinguished achievers.[170]
Media[link]
Selected publications[link]
Main article: List of publications by Richard Dawkins
- The Selfish Gene. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1976. ISBN 0-19-286092-5.
- The Extended Phenotype. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1982. ISBN 0-19-288051-9.
- The Blind Watchmaker. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. 1986. ISBN 0-393-31570-3.
- River Out of Eden. New York: Basic Books. 1995. ISBN 0-465-06990-8.
- Climbing Mount Improbable. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. 1996. ISBN 0-393-31682-3.
- Unweaving the Rainbow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1998. ISBN 0-618-05673-4.
- A Devil's Chaplain. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2003. ISBN 0-618-33540-4.
- The Ancestor's Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2004. ISBN 0-618-00583-8.
- The God Delusion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2006. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
- The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution. Free Press (United States), Transworld (United Kingdom and Commonwealth). 2009. ISBN 0-593-06173-X.
- The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True. Free Press (United States), Bantam Press (United Kingdom). 2011. ISBN 978-1-4391-9281-8. OCLC 709673132. [171]
Documentary films[link]
- Nice Guys Finish First (1986)
- The Blind Watchmaker (1987)[172]
- Growing Up in the Universe (1991)
- Break the Science Barrier (1996)
- The Root of All Evil? (2006)
- The Enemies of Reason (2007)
- The Genius of Charles Darwin (2008)
- Faith School Menace? (2010)
Other appearances[link]
- Doctor Who: "The Stolen Earth" (2008) – as himself
- Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008) – as himself
- The Purpose of Purpose (2009) – Lecture tour among American universities
- Beautiful Minds (April 2012) – BBC4 documentary
Notes[link]
a. ^ W. D. Hamilton hugely influenced Dawkins and the influence can be seen throughout Dawkins' book The Selfish Gene.[16] They became friends at Oxford and following Hamilton's death in 2000, Dawkins wrote his obituary and organised a secular memorial service.[173]
b. ^ The debate ended with the motion "That the doctrine of creation is more valid than the theory of evolution" being defeated by 198 votes to 115.[174][175]
References[link]
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- ^ Sheahen, Laura (October 2005). "The Problem with God: Interview with Richard Dawkins (2)". Beliefnet.com. http://www.beliefnet.com/story/178/story_17889_2.html. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ "Interview with Richard Dawkins". PBS. http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/transcript/dawk-frame.html. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (1986). The Blind Watchmaker. New York: Norton. p. 6. ISBN 0-393-31570-3.
- ^ a b Dawkins, Richard (January/February 1997). "Is Science a Religion?". American Humanist Association. http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/articles/dawkins.html. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (15 September 2001). "Religion's misguided missiles". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4257777,00.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ Hall, Stephen S. (9 August 2005). "Darwin's Rottweiler". Discover magazine. Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080404085931/http://www.discover.com/issues/sep-05/features/darwins-rottweiler/. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- ^ Biema, David Van (5 November 2006). "God Vs. Science". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1555132-1,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006). "The Root of All Evil?". Channel 4. http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/rootofevil.html. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Transworld Publishers. pp. 282–286. ISBN 0-593-05548-9.
- ^ "Dawkins: I'm a cultural Christian". BBC News. 10 December 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7136682.stm. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (11 April 2006). "Atheists for Jesus". RichardDawkins.net. Archived from the original on 31 March 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080331051321/http://richarddawkins.net/article,20,Atheists-for-Jesus,Richard-Dawkins. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (11 November 2001). "Has the world changed?". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/oct/11/afghanistan.terrorism2. Retrieved 2006-01-29.
- ^ Odoyo, Peter (16 July 2007). "The Death of Religion And Rise of Atheism in the West". The Nation. http://allafrica.com/stories/200707160152.html. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Burkowitz, Peter (16 July 2007). "The New Atheism". The Wall Street Journal. http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010341. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ "The God Delusion — Reviews". RichardDawkins.net. Archived from the original on 2 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080702000504/http://richarddawkins.net/godDelusionReviews. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
- ^ a b Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.. p. 3. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
- ^ Smith, Alexandra (27 November 2006). "Dawkins campaigns to keep God out of classroom". London: The Guardian. http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,1958138,00.html. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
- ^ a b c Dawkins, Richard (21 June 2003). "The future looks bright". London: The Guardian. http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,981412,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
- ^ Dawkins (2006: 23)
- ^ Jacobson, Howard (21 January 2006). "Nothing like an unimaginative scientist to get non-believers running back to God". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/howard-jacobson/howard-jacobson-nothing-like-an-unimaginative-scientist-to-get-nonbelievers-running-back-to-god-523917.html. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
- ^ Ferguson, Ron (19 January 2006). "What a lazy way to argue against God". The Herald. Archived from the original on 29 January 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080129021847/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/smgpubs/971452711.html?did=971452711&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Jan+19%2C+2006&author=RON+FERGUSON&pub=The+Herald&desc=What+a+lazy+way+to+argue+against+God. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (30 January 2006). "Diary — Richard Dawkins". New Statesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/200601300002. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
- ^ "Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath Root of All Evil? Uncut Interviews". RichardDawkins.net. 31 May 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071012023424/http://richarddawkins.net/article,1212,Richard-Dawkins-and-Alister-McGrath,Root-of-All-Evil-Uncut-Interviews. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ^ McGrath, Alister (2004). Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life. Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 1-4051-2538-1.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (17 September 2007). "Do you have to read up on leprechology before disbelieving in them?". RichardDawkins.net. http://richarddawkins.net/articleComments,1647,Do-you-have-to-read-up-on-leprechology-before-disbelieving-in-them,Richard-Dawkins-The-Independent,page27. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ^ Myers, PZ (24 December 2006). "The Courtier's Reply". Pharyngula. http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/12/the_courtiers_reply.php. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ^ Cole, Judith (26 March 2007). "Richard Dawkins at The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/podcasts/books/article1570989.ece. Retrieved 2008-03-04. [dead link]
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.. p. 50. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
- ^ Van Biema, David (5 November 2006). "God vs. Science (3)". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1555132-3,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ Jha, Alok (29 May 2007). "Scientists divided over alliance with religion". London: The Guardian. http://books.guardian.co.uk/hay2007/story/0,,2089947,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006). "When Religion Steps on Science's Turf". Free Inquiry magazine. http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/dawkins_18_2.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.. pp. 55–56. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.. p. 99. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
- ^ Crace, John (10 January 2006). "Richard Dawkins: Beyond belief". London: The Guardian. http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/profile/story/0,11109,1682655,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ Ruse, Michael (2000). "Double-Dealing in Darwin". Beliefnet. http://www.beliefnet.com/story/7/story_762_1.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ "Belief — radio interview". BBC Radio. 2004. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/belief/scripts/dawkins.shtml. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ "The Atheist: interview with Gordy Slack". Salon.com. 28 April 2005. http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/04/30/dawkins/index.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ Bearder, Tim (24 March 2006). "BBC Oxford interview". FT Magazine. http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2006/03/24/dawkins.shtml. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
- ^ "The Out Campaign (original announcement)". RichardDawkins.net. 30 July 2007. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080430213003/http://richarddawkins.net/article,1471,The-Out-Campaign,Richard-Dawkins. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
- ^ Chittenden, Maurice; Waite, Roger (23 December 2007). "Dawkins to preach atheism to US". London: The Sunday Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article3087486.ece. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (24 October 2007). "Richard Dawkins speech at Atheist Alliance International Convention 2007". The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. RichardDawkins.net. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2936455252329399558&hl=en. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
- ^ Gledhill, Ruth (19 September 2008). "Dawkins website banned in Turkey". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4790039.ece. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^ Hooper, Rowan (19 September 2008). "Turkey bans evolutionist's website". New Scientist Blogs. http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2008/09/turkey-bans-dawkins-website.html. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ Butt, Riazat (19 September 2008). "Missing link: creationist campaigner has Richard Dawkins' official website banned in Turkey". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/19/religion.turkey. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ Staff writer (17 September 2008). "Evolutionist Dawkins' Internet Site Banned In Turkey". Bianet. http://bianet.org/english/kategori/english/109778/evolutionist-dawkins-internet-site-banned-in-turkey. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ Arpa, Yasemin (17 September 2008). "Evrimci yazarın sitesini Adnan Oktar kapattırdı" (in Turkish). NTV-MSNBC. http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/news/459522.asp. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ Ozimek, John (22 September 2008). "The Turkish court bans Dawkins' website". The Register. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/22/turkey_bans_dawkins_website/. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ "RD.net no longer banned in Turkey!". The Richard Dawkins Foundation. http://richarddawkins.net/articles/642074-rd-net-no-longer-banned-in-turkey. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ^ Ariane Sherine (22 October 2008). "All aboard the atheist bus campaign". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/21/religion-advertising. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ Ariane Sherine (23 October 2008). "'Probably' the best atheist bus campaign ever". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/23/atheist-bus-campaign-ariane-sherine. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ Riazat Butt (22 October 2008). "Arriving soon: atheist bus campaign gets off to a flying start". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/22/religion-atheist-dawkins-god. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ Marc Horne (11 April 2010). "'Richard Dawkins calls for arrest of Pope Benedict XVI' by UPDATE 4–12 Marc Horne – TimesOnline". Times Online. http://richarddawkins.net/articles/5415. Retrieved 2010-06-11. (also on Dawkins' blog)
- ^ Powell, Michael (19 September 2011). "A Knack for Bashing Orthodoxy". The New York Times: p. 4. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/science/20dawkins.html. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ^ Beckford, Martin (24 June 2010). "Richard Dawkins interested in setting up 'atheist free school'". London: Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7849563/Richard-Dawkins-interested-in-setting-up-atheist-free-school.html. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ^ Garner, Richard (2010-07-29). "Gove welcomes atheist schools – Education News, Education". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/gove-welcomes-atheist-schools-2037990.html. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ^ "Letters: Harsh judgments on the pope and religion". The Guardian (London). 15 September 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/15/harsh-judgments-on-pope-religion. Retrieved 16 September 2010. "...the pope, as ... the leader of a religion with many adherents in the UK, is of course free to enter and tour our country. However, as well as a religious leader, the pope is a head of state..."
- ^ "Our Mission". The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Archived from the original on 17 November 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061117150429/http://www.richarddawkins.net/foundation,ourMission. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
- ^ a b "Sean Faircloth joins RDFRS (US) as Director of Strategy and Policy". The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. http://richarddawkins.net/articles/643044-sean-faircloth-joins-rdfrs-us-as-director-of-strategy-and-policy. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (1998). Unweaving The Rainbow. United Kingdom: Penguin. pp. 4–7. ISBN 0-618-05673-4.
- ^ Diamond, John (2001). Snake Oil and Other Preoccupations. United Kingdom: Vintage. ISBN 0-09-942833-4.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2003). A Devil's Chaplain. United States: Houghton Mifflin. p. 58. ISBN 0-618-33540-4.
- ^ "The Selfish Green". RichardDawkins.net. 2 April 2007. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080501094048/http://richarddawkins.net/article,829,The-Selfish-Green,Jonathan-Dimbleby-David-Attenborough-Richard-Dawkins-Jane-Goodall-Richard-Leakey. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (1989). The Selfish Gene (2nd ed.). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 213. ISBN 0-19-286092-5.
- ^ edited by Paola Cavalieri and Peter Singer.; Paola Cavalieri, Peter Singer (1993). The Great Ape Project. United Kingdom: Fourth Estate. ISBN 0-312-11818-X.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (22 March 2003). "Bin Laden's victory". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/mar/22/iraq.usa. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (18 November 2003). "While we have your attention, Mr President...". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/nov/18/usa.politics1. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ "Our supporters". Republic. 24 April 2010. http://www.republic.org.uk/Who%20we%20are/Our%20Supporters%20Include/index.php. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (1989). "Endnotes. Chapter 1. Why are people?". The Selfish Gene (1st extra chapter) (2nd ed.). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-286092-5.
- ^ "Richard Dawkins: Keep Libel Laws OUT of Science". youtube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqVm-WmFzyU. Retrieved 2009-12-12. [dead link]
- ^ "Show your support – vote for the Liberal Democrats on May 6th. libdems.org.uk. Monday, 03 May 2010". Libdems.org.uk. http://libdems.org.uk/latest_news_detail.aspx?title=Show_your_support_-_vote_for_the_Liberal_Democrats_on_May_6th&pPK=9dd43be1-d11a-40b1-8ede-3acab3666d48. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ^ "The Enemies of Reason". Channel 4. August 2007. http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/E/enemies_of_reason/. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "C4 lines up Genius science series". Broadcast. 2009. http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2009/01/dawkins_to_front_c4_science_series.html. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ^ "Faith School Menace? – Faith School Menace?". Channel 4. 18 August 2010. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/faith-school-menace/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
- ^ Sutcliffe, Tom (19 August 2010). "Last Night's TV: Faith Schools Menace?/More 4 – Reviews, TV & Radio". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-nights-tv-faith-schools-menacemore-4-2056104.html. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
- ^ a b Dawkins, Richard. "Postmodernism Disrobed". http://physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/dawkins.html. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ^ New university to rival Oxbridge will charge £18,000 a year Sunday Telegraph 5-Jun-2011
- ^ "Durham salutes science, Shakespeare and social inclusion". Durham News & Events Service. 26 August 2005. http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/allnews/?itemno=3972. Retrieved 2006-04-11.
- ^ "Æresdoktorer i 2011 - Universitetet i Oslo" (in (Norwegian)). Uio.no. http://www.uio.no/om/tall-og-fakta/aresdoktorer/eresdoktorer-2011.html. Retrieved 2011-10-22. [dead link]
- ^ Best-selling biologist and outspoken atheist among those honoured by University, University of Aberdeen.
- ^ "Richard Dawkins, doctor 'honoris causa' per la Universitat de València". 31 March 2009. http://www.uv.es/~webuv/noticies/noticia.php?idnoticia=7165. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ Scripps Institution of Oceanography (7 April 2009). "Scripps Institution of Oceanography Honors Evolutionary Biologist, Richard Dawkins, in Public Ceremony and Lecture". Scripps Institution of Oceanography. http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/Releases/?releaseID=967. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ^ "Q&A: Richard Dawkins". BBC News. 29 July 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3935757.stm. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
- ^ Herman, David (2004). "Public Intellectuals Poll". Prospect magazine. http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2004/08/publicintellectualspoll/. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
- ^ "The Top 100 Public Intellectuals". Prospect magazine. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4262. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
- ^ "Galaxy British Book Awards — Winners & Shortlists 2007". Publishing News. 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927130727/http://www.britishbookawards.co.uk/pnbb_winners2007.asp?#3. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
- ^ Behe, Michael (3 May 2007). "Time Top 100". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1595329_1616137,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ "Top 100 living geniuses". The Daily Telegraph. 28 October 2007. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567544/Top-100-living-geniuses.html. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
- ^ Giordano Bruno Stiftung (28 May 2007). "Deschner-Preis an Richard Dawkins". Humanistischer Pressedienst. http://hpd-online.de/node/2010. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ Slack, Gordy (30 April 2005). "The atheist". Salon. http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/04/30/dawkins/index.html. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ^ "Honorary FFRF Board Announced". http://ffrf.org/news/releases/honorary-ffrf-board-announced/. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
- ^ ""The Magic of Reality - new book by Richard Dawkins this Fall" 10 May 2011". Richarddawkins.net. 10 May 2011. http://richarddawkins.net/articles/625578. Retrieved 2011-06-28.
- ^ Staff. "BBC Educational and Documentary: Blind Watchmaker". BBC. http://www.bbcactive.com/BroadCastLearning/asp/catalogue/productdetail.asp?productcode=207. Retrieved 2 December 2008. [dead link]
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (3 October 2000). "Obituary by Richard Dawkins". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 March 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080318185801/http://www.unifr.ch/biol/ecology/hamilton/hamilton.html#Dawkins. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- ^ Critical-Historical Perspective on the Argument about Evolution and Creation, John Durant, in "From Evolution to Creation: A European Perspective (Eds. Sven Anderson, Arthus Peacocke), Aarhus Univ. Press, Aarhus, Denmark
- ^ "1986 Oxford Union Debate: Richard Dawkins, John Maynard Smith". RichardDawkins.net. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071013161954/http://richarddawkins.net/article,721,1986-Oxford-Union-Debate,Richard-Dawkins-John-Maynard-Smith. Retrieved 2007-05-10. Debate downloadable as MP3 files.
External links[link]
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Book: Richard Dawkins |
| Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. | |
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Richard Dawkins |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Richard Dawkins |
General
- Official website
- The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
- Richard Dawkins at the Internet Movie Database
- Works by or about Richard Dawkins in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Richard Dawkins collected news and commentary at The Guardian
- Richard Dawkins collected news and commentary at The New York Times
Video
- National Geographic Interviews – A series of video interviews with National Geographic Channel with Richard Dawkins on Darwin, Evolution and God.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Richard Dawkins on Charlie Rose
- Richard Dawkins at TED Conferences
- Video interview with Riz Khan for Al Jazeera English
- Video interview at Big Think
Selected writings
- Viruses of the Mind (1993) – Religion as a mental virus.
- The Real Romance in the Stars (1995) – A critical view of astrology.
- The Emptiness of Theology at RDFRS.(1998) – A critical view of theology.
- Snake Oil and Holy Water (1999) – suggests that there is no convergence occurring between science and theism.
- What Use is Religion? (2004) – suggests that religion may have no survival value other than to itself.
- Race and Creation (2004) – On race, its usage and a theory of how it evolved.
- The giant tortoise's tale, The turtle's tale and The lava lizard's tale (2005) – A series of three articles written after a visit to the Galápagos Islands.
- Dawkins' Huffington Post articles
Audio
- 2011 Interview on io9's Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast
- Richard Dawkins on RadioLIVE's Weekend Variety Wireless – Richard Dawkins appears live on New Zealand's Radio Live, taking calls from the audience.
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dawkins, Richard |
| Alternative names | Dawkins, Clinton Richard |
| Short description | British evolutionary biologist, ethologist, atheist, humanist and sceptic |
| Date of birth | 26 March 1941 |
| Place of birth | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Richard_Dawkins
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Tim Minchin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Timothy David Minchin |
| Born | (1975-10-07) 7 October 1975 (age 36) Northampton, England, UK[1] |
| Nationality | Australian, British |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Genres | Comedy music |
| Spouse | Sarah Minchin 2001–present (2 children) |
| Website | timminchin.com |
| Musical achievements | |
|---|---|
| Instruments | vocals, piano, guitar, keytar and organ |
Timothy David "Tim" Minchin[2] (born 7 October 1975 in Northampton, England)[1] is an Australian-British comedian, actor, and musician.
Tim Minchin is best known for his musical comedy, which has featured in six CDs, three DVDs and a number of live comedy shows which he has performed internationally. He has also appeared on television in Australia, Britain and the United States. After growing up in Perth, Western Australia, he attended the University of Western Australia and WAAPA before moving to Melbourne in 2002. His breakout show, "Dark Side", launched him into the public eye, achieving critical success at the 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[3]
Minchin has a background in theatre and has appeared in various stage productions, in addition to some small acting roles on Australian TV. A documentary film about Minchin, Rock N Roll Nerd (directed by Rhian Skirving), was released theatrically in 2008 [4] and broadcast by ABC1 in 2009.[5] He is the co-writer of the Olivier Award winning hit musical Matilda the Musical, based on the Roald Dahl book Matilda.
Contents |
Personal life[link]
Minchin was born in Northampton, UK, to Australian parents[1] and raised in Perth, Western Australia.[6] He was educated at the private Christ Church Grammar School and started learning piano at the age of eight, but gave it up after three years because he did not enjoy the discipline. He redeveloped an interest in the instrument after he started writing music with his brother Dan Minchin, a guitarist, but still describes himself as a "hack pianist... a 'more you practise, the better you get' kind of guy".[7] Minchin graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre, and in 1998 completed an Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.[8]
He currently lives in London with his wife, Sarah.[9] They have two children: a daughter, Violet, and a son, Caspar.[10] Minchin often refers to his relationships in his songs and stand-up routines.
Musical comedy[link]
Minchin describes his act as a "funny cabaret show" and sees himself primarily as a musician and songwriter as opposed to a comedian; his songs, he says, "just happen to be funny."[11] His reasoning for combining the disciplines of music and comedy was revealed in one interview when he said "I'm a good musician for a comedian and I'm a good comedian for a musician but if I had to do any of them in isolation I dunno."[12]
He draws on his background in theatre for his distinctive onstage appearance and persona.[6] In his performances, he typically goes barefoot with wild hair and heavy eye makeup, which is juxtaposed with a crisp suit and tails, and a grand piano. According to Minchin, he likes going barefoot in his shows because it makes him feel more comfortable. He considers the eye makeup important because while he is playing the piano he is not able to use his arms and relies on his face for expressions and gestures; the eyeliner makes his features more distinguishable for the audience.[7] Much of his look and persona, he says, are about "treading that line between mocking yourself and wanting to be an iconic figure. Mocking the ridiculousness and completely unrealistic dream of being an iconic figure."[13] The eccentric appearance removes Minchin from reality somewhat, allowing him to make outrageous statements onstage "without annoying (most) people." [14]
The shows consist largely of Minchin's comedic songs and poetry, with subjects ranging from social satire to inflatable dolls, sex fetishes, and his own failed rock star ambitions. In between songs, he performs short stand-up routines.[11] Several of his songs deal with religion, a subject with which Minchin—an atheist and a fan of Richard Dawkins—says he is "a bit obsessed."[15] He argues that as one of the most powerful and influential forces in the world, religion should never be off-limits to satirists. He says that his favourite song to perform is "Peace Anthem for Palestine", which reflects his feelings about religious conflict.[16] In October 2010 he was made a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association. His comedy also deals with taboos more broadly.[17] A prime example of this is the song "Prejudice" which parodies the power awarded to something as simple as a word.
Early career (1998–2007)[link]
After completing an Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Music in 1998, Minchin started out composing music for documentaries and theatre. In 2000 he wrote and starred in the musical Pop at the Blue Room Theatre in Perth.[18] He released a CD titled Sit with his band Timmy the Dog in 2001, but achieved little success.[19] In 2002, after only one professional acting job, he moved from Perth to Melbourne to pursue work.[20] Minchin struggled initially; he could not get an agent for a year and had been unable to find any acting work.[19] While several record companies gave him positive feedback, they were not sure how his music—a mixture of satirical songs and more serious pop songs—could be marketed. He decided to compile all of his humorous songs into a single live show to "get the comedy stuff off [his] chest" before going back to more serious music.[21]
Minchin says he entered into comedy "naively", having never even attended a live comedy gig before performing one himself.[15] His break-out show, Darkside (co-produced by Laughing Stock Productions), achieved critical success at the 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where it won the inaugural Festival Directors' Award and attracted the notice of Karen Koren, the manager of the well-known Gilded Balloon venues.[22] Koren backed the show's run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where Minchin received the Perrier Comedy Award for Best Newcomer.[6][23] His 2006 show, So Rock, was nominated for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's top prize, the Barry Award, and in 2007 he was given the award for Best Alternative Comedian at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival.[11][24]
Live recordings of his 2005 and 2006 shows, Darkside and So Rock, have been released as CDs. In 2007, he released a DVD entitled So Live, featuring a live recording in the Sydney Opera House Studio with material from both of his previous shows.[13] As this DVD was only released in Australia, he released a DVD in 2008 entitled So F**king Rock Live in the UK, containing largely the same material as So Live.
[edit] Ready for This? (2008–2010)
In August 2008 Minchin debuted his third solo show, Ready for This?, at the Edinburgh Fringe and subsequently took it on tour across the UK. During the Edinburgh run, he contributed to The Guardian newspaper's podcasts,[25] despite his new show containing a song about a Guardian critic who once gave his show a negative review.[26][27]
A recording of this show, recorded live at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London was released as an album for download via iTunes on 20 July 2009. An Australian recording was released on DVD, solely in Australia on 9 September 2009[28] and a UK release in the second half of 2010.[29]
In December 2009, the track "White Wine in the Sun" was released as a downloadable single online. Fans on Minchin's official forum launched a campaign to get this festive track into the UK Christmas charts by purchasing it from various online download retailers.[30] A Facebook group was also launched to support the campaign[31] as well as a drive on Twitter in which celebrities were contacted about the campaign and a succession of e-mails to radio DJs in a bid to get them to play the song. It was later announced that 50% of the December profits from the song would be donated to The National Autistic Society.[32] The bid was ultimately unsuccessful.[33]
It was announced at the end of 2009 that one of Minchin's beat poems, Storm, was to be made into a short animated movie to be released in 2010.[dated info][34] A blog was launched to accompany the film-making process and a short trailer was released on 8 January 2010.[35] The full movie was launched on YouTube on 7 April 2011.[36]
He performed Ready for This? for what he envisages as the final time on 27 February 2010 in Sydney.[37] He did however perform a set at The Big Libel Gig on 14 March 2010 in protest at Britain's libel laws, along with other performers including Dara Ó Briain, Marcus Brigstocke, Shappi Khorsandi, Robin Ince and Ed Byrne. As well as this, he performed at Camp Bestival as part of the Jestival Sessions in July 2010.[38]
Minchin was the subject of the winning entry in the 2010 Archibald Prize, Australia's most important portraiture competition. The winning entry was painted by Sam Leach.[39][40]
[edit] Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra (2010–2011)
Minchin embarked on a new arena tour starting with Birmingham on Wednesday 8 December 2010. A departure from the structure of his previous live shows, his act has been scaled up to be performed with the Heritage Orchestra. It contains a mixture of material: there are new songs on the subject of prayer and of rationality — themes which often appear in his previous work. Minchin has stated that the aim of incorporating the orchestra into his act is to create a comedy show that would not be ruined by being performed in arenas, as stated in the special features of the DVD and Blu-ray. The show is touring the UK and Australia. It was filmed at the Royal Albert Hall in London for a Blu-ray and DVD that was released in November 2011.[41]
Television and radio[link]
Tim Minchin has made appearances on Australian TV shows, including the ABC's Spicks and Specks,[42] and The Sideshow,[43]. He has also made appearances on Network Ten's panel shows Good News Week (February 2010)[44] and Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation (March 2010).[45]
Minchin has also appeared on various British radio and television shows, including the BBC's Never Mind the Buzzcocks (four times, once as guest host),[46] BBC Radio 4's Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better[47] and two specials on BBC Radio 2. He often performs on his TV appearances, such as his spots on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in October 2009 and July 2010.[48] He performed a specially-written song entitled "Five Poofs and Two Pianos", a parody of the show's house band, 4 Poofs and a Piano. Minchin also appeared as a special guest on the 2009 edition of The Big Fat Quiz of the Year performing a song written for the show ("It's Like 1984") in reference to a question regarding Google Street View.[49] On Saturday 13 August 2011 Minchin hosted Prom 40: the first BBC Comedy Promenade Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He appeared on Desert Island Discs on 6 May 2012.[50]
A heavily cut-down version of the show released on DVD as So F**king Rock Live has aired several times on British TV channel E4, first on 23 July 2009.[51] It aired at the turn of 2011, forming E4's New Year's coverage.[52]
On 8 May 2010, Minchin's musical sitcom pilot Strings was broadcast on BBC Radio 2. Minchin plays the protagonist Jonny, who leaves Australia to live in the UK.[53] Well received as it was by Radio 2, he decided against creating a full series. [54]
In January 2011, Minchin made his American television debut on TBS's Conan, where he performed "Inflatable You".[55] On 12 May 2011, he performed "If I Didn't Have You" on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and on 7 June 2011 Minchin made his second appearance on Conan, singing "Prejudice".[56] Minchin made his third appearance on Conan on 9 April 2012, singing his "3-Minute Song".
In December 2011 Minchin performed a specially written song called "Woody Allen Jesus" [57] on The Jonathan Ross Show. However, despite the show's producers and ITV's lawyers approving the composition for broadcast it was removed at the last minute. Responding on his blog, Minchin stated:[58] "[...] Someone got nervous and sent the tape to ITV's director of television, Peter Fincham. And Peter Fincham demanded that I be cut from the show. He did this because he's scared of the ranty, shit-stirring, right-wing press, and of the small minority of Brits who believe they have a right to go through life protected from anything that challenges them in any way."[59]
Acting and theatre[link]
Minchin's background is in theatre and he has appeared in various stage productions. His most recent dramatic theatrical performance was in the title role for the 2006 Perth Theatre Company production of Amadeus, a fictional play about the downfall of Mozart at the hands of the reigning court composer.[19] His other stage acting roles have included the title role in the 2004 Perth Theatre Company / Hoopla production of Hamlet, and The Writer in the original PTC production of Reg Cribb’s The Return. He has also acted for The Australian Shakespeare Company (Twelfth Night), the Black Swan Theatre Company (Cosi, One Destiny) and in various other plays, short films and TVC’s. Roles from his days in musical theatre include Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha and Pontius Pilate (and understudying Judas twice) in Jesus Christ Superstar. He has also appeared playing small parts on the ABC telemovie Loot and on the show Comedy Inc..[60]
Minchin also plays the role of Tom, in the contemporary family drama Two Fists, One Heart,[61] released 19 March 2009.[62] He also wrote the song Drowned for the film's soundtrack.[63]
He co-wrote an Olivier Award winning musical version of Roald Dahl's novel Matilda – entitled Matilda, A Musical – with Dennis Kelly and the Royal Shakespeare Company, which is produced by the RSC. It showed at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon running from 9 November 2010 to 30 January 2011[64] and began its West End run at the Cambridge Theatre on 25 October 2011 to great critical acclaim.[65][66]
Minchin has been cast to play Judas in the Summer 2012 UK tour of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.[67]
Atheism and skepticism[link]
In an interview with IIG member John Rael, Minchin explains that what upsets him most about paranormal beliefs is "special pleading" by people who say vague things such as "there is no harm in it". Minchin states that there is very little harm in something like reiki, but asks "where do you draw the line?" when it comes to needing real evidence if a therapy works or not. He states that he is an atheist as well as a skeptic, and cannot understand how someone can call themself a skeptic and still be religious. "If you apply doubt to anything...the whole religion thing is obviously a fantasy." [68]
In his beat poem, Storm, which centres on Minchin having an argument with a "hippie" who believes in various New Age alternatives in lieu of pharmaceutical medicine, he states: "Science adjusts its views based on what's observed. Faith is the denial of observation, so that belief can be preserved." [69]
Discography[link]
Albums[link]
- Sit (with band Timmy the Dog) (2001)
- Darkside (2005)
- So Rock (2006)
- Ready For This? (2009)
- Live at the O2 (2010)
- Tim Minchin and The Heritage Orchestra (2011)
Singles[link]
- "Drowned" (2008)
- "White Wine in the Sun" (2009)
- "The Pope Song" (2010) - As a free download from his website[70]
- "The Fence" (2011)
Compilations[link]
- Laugh-a-poolooza (featured artist) (2005)
DVD[link]
- So Live (2007) Australian DVD
- So F**king Rock Live (also known as So Fucking Rock Live)[71] (11 October 2008)
- So F**king Rock Live (Special Edition) (also known as So Fucking Rock Live (Special Edition)) (5 October 2009)
- Ready For This? (29 November 2010)
- Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra (14 November 2011)
Filmography[link]
Actor[link]
- 2008 – Two Fists, One Heart – Tom[72]
- 2010 – The Lost Thing – The Boy (Voice)[73]
- 2013 - Californication - Coked-up Rock Star(Guest)[74]
Awards[link]
- 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Directors' Choice Award for Dark Side[75]
- 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Perrier Comedy Award, Best Newcomer[23]
- 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Groggy Squirrel Critics' Award[76]
- 2007 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, Best Alternative Act[77]
- 2009 Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer [78]
- 2009 Green Room Awards, Cabaret: Best Original Songs[79]
- 2009 Green Room Awards, Cabaret: Best Artiste[79]
- 2010 Chortle Awards, Best Music or Variety Act [80]
- 2012 Olivier Awards: Best New Musical for Matilda The Musical [81]
References[link]
- ^ a b c "Birth Location". Twitter. 17 March 2010. http://twitter.com/timminchin/statuses/10627533559. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- ^ "Middle Name". Angry (Feet) Forum. 19 September 2008. http://www.angry-feet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=918. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
- ^ "Tim Minchin Online Shop: DARK SIDE AUDIO CD". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchinshop.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=tms&Product_Code=TM-CD-DARKSIDE&Attributes=Yes&Quantity=1. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
- ^ Pomeranz, Margaret: Rock N Roll Nerd, At the Movies (ABC1.
- ^ Rock + Roll Nerd: The Tim Minchin Story, ABC1, 30 April 2009.
- ^ a b c Millar, Anna (31 July 2008). "Tim Minchin – Looney tunes". The List. http://www.list.co.uk/article/10610-tim-minchin-looney-tunes/. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
- ^ a b Minchin, Tim (5 June 2007). "INTERVIEW: Tim Minchin". The Void. http://the-void.co.uk/interview/comedian-tim-minchin/. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ "About". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/about/. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
- ^ Chianta, Rosanna (3 August 2008). "A show worth a Minchin - Tim Minchin interview". The Scotsman. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sos-review/A-show-worth-a-Minchin.4350766.jp. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
- ^ Arthur, Tim (2 December 2010). "Tim Minchin: interview". Time Out. http://www.timeout.com/london/comedy/article/1792/tim-minchin-interview. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
- ^ a b c Maxwell, Tom (1 February 2008). "Tim's just funny that way". Edinburgh Evening News. http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/theguide/Tim39s-just--funny-that.3734007.jp. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
- ^ Linzy (15 March 2009). "Interview One – 11th October 2007 at Fagan's, Sheffield, UK". http://angry-feet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=114473#p114473. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
- ^ a b Low, Lenny Ann (8 November 2007). "Rock'n'roll nerd". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/rocknroll-nerd/2007/11/07/1194329300055.html. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
- ^ "FAQ". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/faq/. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
- ^ a b Arthur, Tim (1 September 2008). "Tim Minchin: interview". Time Out London. http://www.timeout.com/london/comedy/features/5586/Tim_Minchin-interview.html. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
- ^ Taylor, Darlene (12 February 2007). "Interview: Tim Minchin interview". The Groggy Squirrel. http://www.thegroggysquirrel.com/articles/2007/02/12/tim-minchin2/. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
- ^ Minchin, Tim (December 2007). "Interview". Angry (Feet). Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080625042656/http://www.angry-feet.com/fans/interview/11.php. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
- ^ Major survey of WA youth gets underway: Theatre
- ^ a b c Tucak, Layla (30 June 2006). "Tim Minchin taking on Mozart and the world". Stateline. http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/wa/content/2006/s1677328.htm. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
- ^ Saltmarsh, Abigail (22 August 2008). "Interview: Tim Minchin". Norwich Evening News. http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/GoingOut/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=GoingOutComedy&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=GoingOutComedy&itemid=NOED22%20Aug%202008%2011%3A40%3A27%3A820. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
- ^ Minchin, Tim (7 August 2006). "7 August Episode". Dig TV. http://www.abc.net.au/dig/tv/episodes/20060807_2100.htm. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
- ^ Woodhead, Cameron (19 April 2006). "Tim Minchin". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts-reviews/tim-minchin/2006/04/19/1145344122118.html. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
- ^ a b Reuters/AAP (29 August 2005). "Minchin best newcomer". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/minchin-best-newcomer/2005/08/28/1125167538808.html. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
- ^ Platt, Craig (1 April 2006). "Last Laugh: Barry Award nominees announced". The Age – Last Laugh blog. http://blogs.theage.com.au/lastlaugh/archives/2006/05/last_laugh_barr.html. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
- ^ The Guardian Live at the Gilded Balloon, with Tim Minchin
- ^ Brian Logan (14 August 2008). "Edinburgh festival: Tim Minchin". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/aug/13/edinburghfestival.timminchin. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ Phil Daoust (16 August 2005). "Tim Minchin, Gilded Balloon". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2005/aug/16/comedy. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ Linzy (29 July 2009). "'Ready For This?' DVD Release". Tim Minchin's Official Facebook Page. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=243810545610. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
- ^ Linzy (28 October 2009). ""Ready For This?" DVD – UK Version". Angry (Feet) Forum. http://angry-feet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=148679#p148679. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
- ^ Shell (13 December 2009). "Ready for a Christmas single with a difference?". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2009/12/13/ready-for-a-christmas-single-with-a-difference/. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
- ^ Kendal Tyne Love. "Tim Minchin for a top 20 place in the Christmas charts!". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=192054253371. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
- ^ Shell (17 December 2009). "50% of the proceeds from the December sales of ‘White Wine in the Sun’ are going to Autism research". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2009/12/17/50-of-the-proceeds-from-the-december-sales-of-white-wine-in-the-sun-are-going-to-autism-research/. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Tim Minchin (21 December 2009). "Gratuitous Gratitudity". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2009/12/21/gratuitous-gratitudity/. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Linzy (31 December 2009). "Cooking up a Storm!". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2009/12/31/cooking-up-a-storm/. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
- ^ Tracy King (8 January 2010). "Tim Minchin’s Storm – Official Trailer". Storm Production Blog. http://www.stormmovie.net/blog/2010/01/tim-minchins-storm-official-trailer/#content. Retrieved 11 January 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Tim Minchin's Storm the Animated Movie". 7 April 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGuXCuDb1U. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- ^ Tim Minchin (27 February 2010). "Twitter / Tim Minchin: In Sydney for (prob) my la ...". Twitter. http://twitter.com/timminchin/status/9705853799. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ Shell (26 March 2010). "Camp Bestival... festival". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2010/03/26/camp-bestival-festival/. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ Antonette Collins (28 March 2010). "Leach stares down Archibald competition". ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/26/2857006.htm?section=justin. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ Linzy (26 March 2010). "Archibald Winner". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2010/03/26/archibald-winner/. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ timminchin.com: A big, juicy Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra DVD announcement
- ^ "Full cast and crew for "Spicks and Specks"". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448300/fullcredits#cast. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ "Full cast and crew for "The Sideshow"". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007713/fullcredits#cast. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ Linzy (6 February 2010). "Good News for Aussies". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2010/02/06/good-news-for-aussies/. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ Linzy (24 March 2010). "T-talkin’ About Some Aussie Telly". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2010/03/24/t-talkin-about-some-aussie-telly/. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ Linzy (5 November 2009). "Third Time is the Buzzcocks Charm". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2009/11/05/third-time-is-the-buzzcocks-charm/. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ "Mark Watson Makes The World Substantially Better – Production Details". The British Comedy Guide. http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/radio/mark_watson_world_better/details/. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ "The Week's Guests BBC Week 42: 17–23 October 2009". BBC. 17 October 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/guests/wk42.shtml. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ "The Big Fat Quiz of the Year (2010)". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1574646/. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ BBC Radio 4 (2012). "Desert Island Discs: Tim Minchin". http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01h2kvd. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- ^ Tim Minchin (20 July 2009). "Twitter / Tim Minchin: My old live show, "So F**k...". http://twitter.com/timminchin/status/2736694929. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ Radio Times (31 December 2010). "Tim Minchin: Live - Friday 31 December 2010". radiotimes.com. http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=158&programmeId=155475858&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details_fullpage.jsp. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
- ^ Shell (26 April 2010). "Another ‘Strings’ to Tim’s Bow". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2010/04/26/another-%e2%80%98strings%e2%80%99-to-tim%e2%80%99s-bow/. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ^ wit of the staircase (19 January 2011). "Notes from a Wonderful Evening.". angry-feet.com. http://www.angry-feet.com/reviews.php?mode=view&id=107/. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- ^ "Missed Tim on Conan? Fear not!". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2011/01/14/missed-tim-on-conan-fear-not/. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ "Tim Minchin on Conan". TimMinchin.com. http://video.teamcoco.com/video/conan.jsp?oid=254198&eref=sharethisUrl. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ "WoodyAllenJesus". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SFdUJLebzU. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ "I'm NOT on the Jonathan Ross Show". http://www.timminchin.com/2011/12/22/im-not-on-the-jonathan-ross-show/. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ "Tim Minchin fumes over song cut from Jonathan Ross show". http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16307450. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ "Tim Minchin: Actor". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/actor. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ "Full Cast And Crew For Two Fists, One Heart". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1082881/fullcredits. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ "Release Dates For Two Fists, One Heart". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1082881/releaseinfo. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ "Drowned (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Two Fists One Heart") – Single". iTunes. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/drowned-from-original-motion-picture/id299970463. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ Linzy (28 March 2010). "Matilda: Date and Ticket Details". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/2010/03/28/matilda-date-and-ticket-details/. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ "Matilda the Musical". Time Out. Archived from the original on 2011-10-25. http://www.webcitation.org/62hsUuPOh.
- ^ "Matilda the Musical proves a hit with West End critics". BBC News. 25 November 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15886443. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
- ^ "Tim Minchin to play Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar". Metro. 06 May 2012. http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/898336-tim-minchin-to-play-judas-in-jesus-christ-superstar. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ^ "Tim Minchin Interview (Be Skeptical episode 1)". YouTube. 10 July 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YGbsQkeMsA. Retrieved 2011-07-10.
- ^ "Tim Minchin's Storm, quote at 345 secs". YouTube. 10 November 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGuXCuDb1U. Retrieved 2011-9-28.
- ^ "Tim Minchin · Holy fuck! FREE Pope Song Download – available now". Timminchin.com. 12 September 2010. http://www.timminchin.com/2010/09/12/holy-fuck-free-pope-song-download-available-now/. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
- ^ "FAQ - Can I play your DVDs where I live?". timminchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/faq/. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ^ "Two Fists, One Heart". IMDB. 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1082881/. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ "The Lost Thing". IMDB. 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1669698/. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
- ^ "Californication". timminchin. http://www.timminchin.com/2012/04/20/tim-to-guest-star-in-californication/. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ "Comedy Festival Awards". MICF Corporate Site. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/about/awards/#director. Retrieved 25 February 2009. [dead link]
- ^ Slattery, Annette (29 April 2007). "The Groggy Squirrel Critics' Award". The Groggy Squirrel. The Groggy Squirrel. http://www.thegroggysquirrel.com/articles/2007/04/29/the-groggy-squirrel-critics-award/. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
- ^ "Tim Minchin: About – Awards". TimMinchin.com. http://www.timminchin.com/about/#awards. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ "Winners of the 2009 Helpmann Awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 July 2009. http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/winners-of-the-2009-helpmann-awards/2009/07/28/1248546685672.html. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ a b "2009 Nominations and Recipients". Green Room Awards Association. http://www.greenroom.org.au/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=59#cabaret. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ "Chortle awards: Watch the video". Chortle. 23 March 2010. http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2010/03/23/10724/mcintyre_does_the_double. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ BBC (15 April 2012). "Matilda musical breaks Olivier awards record". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17721379. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
External links[link]
|
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tim Minchin |
- Official website
- Rock N Roll Nerd – The Tim Minchin Documentary website
- Tim Minchin's channel on YouTube
- Tim Minchin on Twitter
- Tim Minchin on Myspace
- YouTube Interview on Australian Sceptics vodcast, The TANK Vodcast, 2007
- Tim Minchin's song 'If I Didn't Have You' (Secret Policeman's Ball)
- Storm Movie Production Blog
|
||||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Minchin, Tim |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | 7 October 1975 |
| Place of birth | Northampton, United Kingdom |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
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Andrew Copson FRSA MCMI MCIPR is (since January 2010) Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association. He is a regular contributor to New Humanist Magazine, and has also written for The Guardian and New Statesman. Before becoming Chief Executive, he was responsible for education and public affairs at the BHA. He campaigns for an open society without faith schools, religious privilege or discrimination.
He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, an Associate of the Centre for Law and Religion at Cardiff University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has a first class degree in Ancient and Modern History from Oxford University where he attended Balliol College.
External links[link]
- http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/andrew_copson/profile.html Profile at Guardian
- http://www.humanism.org.uk/about/people/staff profile at the British Humanist Association
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Copson, Andrew |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | 19/11/1980 |
| Place of birth | Nuneaton |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
 |
This biographical article about a United Kingdom activist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
http://wn.com/Andrew_Copson
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Copson
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Seth MacFarlane | |
|---|---|
 Seth MacFarlane |
|
| Born | Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (1973-10-26) October 26, 1973 (age 38) Kent, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | Rhode Island School of Design (Bachelor of Fine Arts) |
| Occupation | Actor, voice actor, animator, writer, comedian, singer, producer, director |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Known for | Family Guy American Dad! The Cleveland Show The Winner Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Comedy Central Roasts Ted |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Parents | Ronald Wilton MacFarlane, Ann Perry (née Sager) (deceased) |
| Family | Rachael MacFarlane (sister) |
Seth Woobury MacFarlane (born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, voice actor, animator, screenwriter, comedian, producer, director and singer. He created the animated sitcom Family Guy and co-created American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.[1]
A native of Kent, Connecticut,[2] MacFarlane is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied animation, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He was an animator and writer for Hanna-Barbera for several television shows, including Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, Dexter's Laboratory and I Am Weasel, before creating his own series for 20th Century Fox entitled Family Guy in 1999. MacFarlane went on to co-create American Dad! in 2005, and The Cleveland Show in 2009 for Fox. He also went on to serve as executive producer on the Fox sitcom The Winner.
As an actor, he has made guest appearances on shows such as Gilmore Girls, The War at Home and FlashForward. MacFarlane's interest in science fiction and fantasy has led to cameo and guest appearances on Star Trek: Enterprise and voicing the character of Johann Kraus in Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army. In 2008, he created his own YouTube series entitled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. As a singer, MacFarlane has performed at several venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.
MacFarlane has won several awards for his work on Family Guy, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Annie Award. In 2009, he won the Webby Award for Film & Video Person of the Year. For several years, it has been the subject of criticism from television watchdog groups, such as the Parents Television Council, who regularly condemn it for its alleged indecency. Even fellow cartoonists such as The Ren & Stimpy Show's John Kricfalusi and South Park duo Trey Parker and Matt Stone have criticized MacFarlane's creation on numerous occasions. He occasionally speaks at universities and colleges throughout the United States, and is a supporter of gay rights.
On the February 10, 2011 episode of the TBS variety nighttime talk-show series Conan, MacFarlane announced he is directing his first feature-length comedy film, Ted. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as an adult who, as a child, wished his teddy bear would come to life. MacFarlane will be the voice and motion capture for the bear. It is currently in production and is scheduled for release July 13, 2012.[3][4] In September, 2011, MacFarlane released a debut album of American standards, Music Is Better Than Words. In 2011 MacFarlane began a revival of Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones for the Fox network. The first episode was due to air in the US in 2013,[5][6] but production has been indefinitely delayed due to MacFarlane's schedule.[7]
Contents |
Early life and education[link]
MacFarlane's parents, Ann Perry (née Sager) and Ronald Milton MacFarlane, were born in Newburyport, Massachusetts.[8] He is of Scottish, Irish, English and Welsh ancestry, partly by way of Canada, and his ancestors include William Brewster, who travelled to America on the Mayflower.[9][10] MacFarlane's parents met in 1970, when they both lived and worked in Boston, Massachusetts, and married later that year.[8] In 1972, the couple moved to Kent, Connecticut, where Ann Perry began working in the Admissions Office at South Kent School and later in the College Guidance and Admissions Offices at the Kent School, a selective college preparatory school where Ronald was also a teacher.[8][11] During his childhood, MacFarlane developed an interest in illustration and began drawing cartoon characters Fred Flintstone and Woody Woodpecker, as early as two years old.[12] By the age of five, MacFarlane knew that he would want to pursue a career in animation, and began by creating flip books, after his parents found a book on the subject.[13] Four years later, at nine, MacFarlane began publishing a weekly comic strip entitled "Walter Crouton" for The Kent Good Times Dispatch, the local newspaper in Kent, Connecticut, which paid him five dollars per week.[14][15] In one anecdote from the time, MacFarlane said in a 2011 interview he was "always like just weirdly fascinated by the Communion ceremony [so] I did a strip that had a guy kneeling at the altar taking Communion and saying 'Can I have fries with that?' And to my 11-year-old brain that was comedy ...." The paper printed it and he got "an angry letter from our local priest .... It created sort of a little mini-controversy in our little town." [16]
MacFarlane received his high school diploma in 1991 from the Kent School.[8][11] While there, he continued experimenting with animation, and was given an 8 mm camera by his parents.[17] MacFarlane went on to study film, video and animation at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.[14] As a student, he had originally intended to work for Disney, but changed his mind upon graduating.[18] At RISD, MacFarlane created a series of independent films, eventually meeting future Family Guy cast member Mike Henry, whose brother Patrick was MacFarlane's classmate. His senior year at RISD, MacFarlane created a thesis film entitled The Life of Larry, which would eventually become the inspiration for Family Guy.[14] MacFarlane's professor submitted his film to the animation studio Hanna-Barbera, where he was later hired.[19]
Early career[link]
After college MacFarlane was hired at Hanna-Barbera (then Hanna-Barbera Cartoons) based on the writing content of The Life of Larry, rather than on cartooning ability. He was one of few people hired to the company solely based on writing talent.[2] He worked as an animator and writer for Cartoon Network's Cartoon Cartoons series.[20] He described the atmosphere at Hanna-Barbera as resembling an "old fashioned Hollywood structure, where you move from one show to another or you jump from a writing job on one show to a storyboard job on another." MacFarlane worked on four television series during his tenure at the studio: Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, and Johnny Bravo.[21][22] Working as both a writer and storyboard artist, MacFarlane spent the most time on Johnny Bravo. He found it easier to develop his own style at Johnny Bravo through the show's process of scriptwriting, which Dexter, Cow and Chicken and I Am Weasel did not use.[2] As a part of the Johnny Bravo crew, MacFarlane met actors and voiceover artists such as Adam West and Jack Sheldon of Schoolhouse Rock! fame. Meeting these individuals later became significant to the production and success of his Family Guy series.
He also did freelance work for Walt Disney Television Animation, writing for Jungle Cubs and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Through strict observation of writing elements such as story progression, character stakes, and plot points, MacFarlane found the work for Disney was, from a writing standpoint, very valuable in preparation for his career (particularly on Ace Ventura).[2] MacFarlane also created and wrote a short titled Zoomates for Frederator Studios' Oh Yeah! Cartoons on Nickelodeon.[23] In 1996, MacFarlane created a sequel to The Life of Larry entitled Larry and Steve, which features a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. The short was broadcast as one of Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons. Executives at Fox saw both Larry shorts and negotiations soon began for a prime-time animated series.[24]
Although MacFarlane enjoyed working at Hanna-Barbera, he felt his real calling was for prime-time animation, which would allow a much edgier style of humor.[2] He first pitched Family Guy to Fox during his tenure at Hanna-Barbera. A development executive for Hanna-Barbera, who was trying to get back into the prime-time business at the time, introduced MacFarlane to Leslie Collins and Mike Darnell, heads of the alternative comedy department at Fox. After the success of King of the Hill in 1997, MacFarlane called Collins once more to ask about a possible second pitch for the series. The company offered the young writer a strange deal: Fox gave him a budget of $50,000 to produce a pilot that could lead to a series (most episodes of animated prime-time productions cost at least $1 million).[2][25] Recalling the experience in an interview with The New York Times, MacFarlane stated, "I spent about six months with no sleep and no life, just drawing like crazy in my kitchen and doing this pilot".[26]
After six months, MacFarlane returned to Fox with a "very, very simply, crudely animated film – with just enough to get the tone of the show across" to present to the executives, who loved the pilot and ordered the series immediately.[2] In July 1998, the Fox Broadcast Company announced the purchase of Family Guy for a January 1999 debut.[27] Family Guy was originally intended to be a series of shorts on MADtv, much in the same way The Simpsons had begun on The Tracey Ullman Show a decade earlier. Negotiations for the show's MADtv connection fell through early on as a result of budgetary concerns.[2] At age 24, MacFarlane was television's youngest executive producer.[12]
Further career[link]
[edit] Family Guy
Main article: Family Guy
Family Guy first aired January 31, 1999.[28] MacFarlane's work in animating Family Guy has been influenced by Jackie Gleason and Hanna-Barbera along with examples from The Simpsons and All in the Family.[29] In addition to writing three episodes, "Death Has a Shadow", "Family Guy Viewer Mail 1" and "North by North Quahog", MacFarlane voices Family Guy's main characters – Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin and Glenn Quagmire as well as Tom Tucker, his son Jake and additional characters. Bolstered by high DVD sales and established fan loyalty, Family Guy developed into a $1 billion franchise.[25] On May 4, 2008, after approximately two and a half years of negotiations, MacFarlane reached a $100 million agreement with Fox to keep Family Guy and American Dad until 2012. The agreement makes him the world's highest paid television writer.[30]
MacFarlane's success with Family Guy has opened doors to other ventures relating to the show. On April 26, 2005, he and composer Walter Murphy created Family Guy: Live in Vegas. The soundtrack features a Broadway show tune theme, and MacFarlane voiced Stewie in the track "Stewie's Sexy Party".[31] A fan of Broadway musicals,[24] MacFarlane comments on using musicals as a component to Family Guy:
| “ | "I love the lush orchestration and old-fashioned melody writing ... it just gets you excited, that kind of music", he said. "It's very optimistic. And it's fun. The one thing that's missing for me from popular music today is fun. Guys like [Bing] Crosby, or [Frank] Sinatra, or Dean Martin, or Mel Tormé [...] these are guys who sounded like they were having a great time".[32] | ” |
In addition, a Family Guy video game was released in 2006.[33] Two years later, in August 2007, he closed a digital content production deal with AdSense.[34] MacFarlane takes cast members on the road to voice characters in front of live audiences. Family Guy Live provides fans with the opportunity to hear future scripts. In mid-2007 Chicago fans had the opportunity to hear the then upcoming sixth season premiere "Blue Harvest". Shows have been played in Montreal, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.[35]
On July 22, 2007, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, MacFarlane announced that he may start working on a feature film, although "nothing's official".[36] In September 2007, Ricky Blitt gave TV.com an interview confirming that he had already started working on the script.[37] Then in TV Week on July 18, 2008, MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce a theatrically released Family Guy feature film sometime "within the next year".[38] He came up with an idea for the story, "something that you could not do on the show, which [to him] is the only reason to do a movie". He later went to say he imagines the film to be "an old-style musical with dialogue" similar to The Sound of Music, saying that he would "really be trying to capture, musically, that feel".[39]
Despite its popularity, Family Guy has not been immune to criticism.[40] The Parents Television Council frequently criticizes the show for its content, once organized a letter-writing campaign aimed at removing it from FOX's lineup,[41] and has filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission alleging that some episodes of the show contained indecent content.[42] MacFarlane has responded to the PTC's criticism by saying, among other things, "That's like getting hate mail from Hitler. They're literally terrible human beings."[43] Family Guy has been cancelled twice, although strong fan support and DVD sales have caused Fox to reconsider.[44] MacFarlane mentioned how these cancellations affected the lineup of writers each time Fox approved the show. "One of the positive aspects of 'Family Guy' constantly being pulled off [the air] is that we were always having to restaff writers".[32]
During the sixth season, episodes of Family Guy and American Dad! were delayed from regular broadcast due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike (which MacFarlane participated in to support the writers while FOX aired three Family Guy episodes without MacFarlane's permission). On February 12, 2008, the strike ended,[45] and the series resumed airing regularly, beginning with "Back to the Woods".
[edit] American Dad!
Main article: American Dad!
Seth co-created American Dad! with Matt Weitzman and Mike Barker. American Dad! was first shown after Super Bowl XXXIX as a sneak preview on February 6, 2005. The show began airing regularly on Fox on May 1, 2005.[46][47] MacFarlane describes the show being similar to All in the Family.[32]
American Dad! received its inspiration from President George W. Bush's policies.[48] The show focuses on Stan Smith, a straight-laced CIA officer and fanatical conservative. Stan's wife (Francine) and children, (Hayley and Steve), share a typical middle class home with Roger, an extraterrestrial rescued by Stan from Area 51, and Klaus, a goldfish who hosts the transplanted brain of an East German, 1986 Olympic skier.[49][50] Seth MacFarlane provides the voices of Stan and Roger, basing Roger's voice on Paul Lynde as he played Uncle Arthur in Bewitched.[12] His sister Rachael MacFarlane provides the voice of Hayley.[51]
[edit] The Winner
Main article: The Winner (TV series)
MacFarlane was the executive producer of a live-action sitcom starring Rob Corddry called The Winner. The show premiered on Fox on March 4, 2007.[52] The plot has a man named Glen discussing the time he matured at 32 and has him pursuing his only love after she moves in next door. Glen meets her son and both become good friends.[53]
After six episodes, the show was officially cancelled on May 16, 2007.[54] However, at Family Guy Live in Montreal on July 21, 2007, Seth MacFarlane stated, "It is looking like there could be a future life for The Winner".[55] After MacFarlane's statement neither Fox nor MacFarlane has released any details of plans for the show to return. The show was mentioned in the Family Guy episode "Family Gay" where all of the horses at a racing track are named after failed Fox shows, The Winner being one of them.
[edit] The Cleveland Show
Main article: The Cleveland Show
MacFarlane developed a Family Guy spin-off called The Cleveland Show, which focuses on the character of Cleveland Brown and his family. The idea for the show originated from a suggestion by Family Guy writer and voice of Cleveland, Mike Henry. Fox ordered 22 episodes and the series first aired on September 27, 2009. The show, which was picked up to air a first season consisting of 22 episodes,[56] was picked up by Fox for a second season, consisting of 13 episodes, bringing the total number to 35 episodes. The announcement was made on May 3, 2009 before the first season even premiered.[57] Due to strong ratings, Fox picked up the back nine episodes of season 2, making a 22-episode season and bringing the total episode count of the show to 44.[58]
[edit] Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
Main article: Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
On September 10, 2008, MacFarlane released a series of webisodes known as Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. These animated shorts were distributed by Burger King and released weekly.[59]
[edit] The Flintstones
In May 2011, it was reported that MacFarlane had signed a deal to revamp The Flintstones for airing in 2013.[60].Macfarlane also said that he will lend his voice to Barney.[61]
[edit] Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
In August 2011, Fox announced that they had ordered a 13-part updated series of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage which MacFarlane will co-produce with Ann Druyan and Steven Soter. The new series will be hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson and is expected to begin airing on the channel in 2013, with repeats airing on the National Geographic Channel on the same night.[62]
Untitled Animated Series[link]
Seth Macfarlane confirmed that he is working on what will be his fifth animated series with Alex Borstein and Gary Janetti.Currently not much is known about the series other than it will be about a family and will have a female lead role.[63].
Music career[link]
MacFarlane is a skilled pianist and singer who, in his early years, trained with Lee and Sally Sweetland, Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra's vocal coaches. He signed a record deal with Universal Republic Records and released a big band/standards album in 2011. MacFarlane's debut studio album, Music Is Better Than Words, was announced in 2010[64] and released on September 27, 2011, drawing on his training in and attraction to "the great American songbook and particularly the early- to late-'50s era of orchestration". The singer, asked about his experience with the music, said he did "old Nelson Riddle, Billy May charts [with] one of my composers, Ron Jones, [who] has a group called the Influence Jazz Orchestra that he performs with throughout L.A."[16] His album has been nominated in the "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category" at the 54th Grammy Awards.
Guest appearances[link]
MacFarlane has appeared in sitcoms, comedy and news programs, independent films, and other animated shows. In 2002, MacFarlane appeared in the Gilmore Girls episode "Lorelai's Graduation Day".[19] Four years later on November 5, 2006, MacFarlane guest starred on Fox's The War at Home as "Hillary's Date", an unnamed 33-year-old man who secretly dates teenaged Hillary in the episode "I Wash My Hands of You".[18][65] MacFarlane also appeared as the engineer Ensign Rivers on Star Trek: Enterprise in the third season episode "The Forgotten" and the fourth season episode "Affliction".[66] During 2006, MacFarlane had a role in the independent film Life is Short. He portrayed Dr. Ned, a psychologist who advises a short man (played by Freaks and Geeks star Samm Levine) to have relationships with taller women.[67] He is also a frequent guest on the radio talkshow Loveline, hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky.
MacFarlane appeared on the November 11, 2006 episode of Fox's comedy show MADtv and performed a live action re-enactment of a scene from the Family Guy episode "Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High". In the scene, Peter and Lois suspect Chris of murdering his teacher's husband. As a reaction, a terrified Meg jumps out the window. A version with MacFarlane as Peter, Nicole Parker as Kathy Griffin as Lois, Ike Barinholtz as Dane Cook as Chris, Nicole Randall Johnson as Queen Latifah as Meg, and Keegan-Michael Key as Snoop Dogg as Stewie was recorded over the original cartoon.[68] MacFarlane served as a host to the Canadian Awards for the Electronic & Animated Arts's Second Annual Elan Awards on February 15, 2008.[69]
MacFarlane has also appeared on news shows and late night television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live![70] and Late Show with David Letterman.[71] On January 19, 2007, MacFarlane appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC to discuss Stephen Colbert's appearance on The O'Reilly Factor and Bill O'Reilly's return appearance on The Colbert Report. MacFarlane introduced the segment by saying in Stewie's voice "Oh, wait Bill. Hold still, allow me to soil myself on you. Victory is mine!"[72] Three months later on March 24, 2007, MacFarlane was interviewed on Fox's Talkshow with Spike Feresten,[73] and closed the show by singing the Frank Sinatra song "You Make Me Feel So Young".[74] He also provided Stewie's voice when he appeared as a brain tumor-induced hallucination to Seeley Booth in an episode of Bones, writing his own dialogue for the episode.[75] On May 8, 2009, MacFarlane was a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher.[76]
Other than Family Guy and American Dad!, MacFarlane voices characters in other cartoon shows and movies. He voiced Wayne "The Brain" McClain in an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force.[77] He has also voiced various characters on Adult Swim's Robot Chicken, including a parody of Lion-O and Emperor Palpatine as well as Peter Griffin in the Season 2 premiere – he even parodied himself in the Season 4 premiere, in which he renewed the show simply by mentioning it in a Family Guy-like cutaway after its fictitious cancellation at the end of Season 3. He also played the villain "The Manotaur" in Bob Boyle's animated kids series Yin Yang Yo!.[78] In addition, MacFarlane voiced Johann Kraus in the 2008 film Hellboy II: The Golden Army.[79] He also had a guest appearance in the animated film Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder where he sings "That Was Then (And This is Too)", the opening theme.[80] He had also starred in a commercial for Hulu in which he plays an alien presenting Hulu as an "evil plot to destroy the world", progressively as his famous Family Guy and American Dad! characters. He also lent his voice to the series finale movie of the Comedy Central series, Drawn together.
On August 1, 2009, MacFarlane performed at The BBC Proms with John Wilson and his orchestra, singing a selection of songs from MGM musicals[81] alongside Kim Criswell, Sarah Fox, Sir Thomas Allen, and Curtis Stigers.[82][83] Three songs from High Society, Singin' in the Rain, and That's Entertainment were featured. Seth also repeated the MGM musicals show on tour in the UK with the John Wilson Orchestra during November and December 2010.[84] He made another appearance with the John Wilson orchestra in a BBC Two special, Swingin' Christmas, on December 25, 2010.[85]
Seth also played in a character named Ziggy in the 2010 film, Tooth Fairy. In August 2010, MacFarlane appeared as a guest voiceover in a sci-fi themed episode of Disney's Phineas and Ferb entitled "Nerds of a Feather".[86] MacFarlane was the roastmaster of the Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff in 2010 and then of the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in 2011, as well as the Roast of Charlie Sheen, also from 2011. He is the first (and currently the only) person to serve as roastmaster for more than one occasion of the Comedy Central Roasts.
Speaking engagements[link]
MacFarlane is a frequent speaking guest on college campuses.[87] On April 16, 2006, he was invited by Stanford University's ASSU Speakers' Bureau to address an audience of over 1,000 at Memorial Auditorium.[88] MacFarlane was invited by Harvard University's class of 2006 to deliver the "class day" address on June 7, 2006. He spoke as himself, and also as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin and Glenn Quagmire.[89] He has also delivered speeches at George Washington University,[87] Washington University in St. Louis,[21] the University of Texas,[90] the University of Missouri,[91] University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University[92] and Loyola Marymount University.[93]
Activism[link]
Political views[link]
MacFarlane is a supporter of the United States Democratic Party.[43] He has donated over $200,000 to various Democratic congressional committees and to the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama.[94] He has stated that he supports the legalization of cannabis.[95]
Gay rights support[link]
MacFarlane came to support gay rights and gay marriage after a family member wondered aloud whether his gay cousin's homosexuality could be "cured".[43] The incident angered MacFarlane, who said in a 2008 interview in The Advocate, that such a statement "was fucking horrifying to hear from somebody that you love".[43] He credits his parents for raising him to be a logical person, in reference to his support for gay rights.[43]
MacFarlane is passionate about his support for gay rights.[43] He said it is "infuriating and idiotic" that two gay partners "have to go through this fucking dog and pony act when they stop at a hotel and the guy behind the counter says, 'You want one room or two?'". He went on to say, "I'm incredibly passionate about my support for the gay community and what they're dealing with at this current point in time".[43] MacFarlane continued, "Why is it that Johnny Spaghetti Stain in fucking Georgia can knock a woman up, legally be married to her, and then beat the shit out of her, but these two intelligent, sophisticated writers who have been together for 20 years can't get married?"[43]
MacFarlane, in recognition for "his active, passionate commitment to Humanist values, and his fearless support of equal marriage rights and other social justice issues", was named the Harvard Humanist of the Year in 2011.[96]
Despite his position on gay rights, MacFarlane was criticized for his portrayal of transsexualism in the Family Guy episode "Quagmire's Dad". Gay novelist Brent Hartinger found the episode's inclusion of transphobic remarks from Peter and Lois Griffin — as well as a scene of Brian vomiting profusely upon discovering his new girlfriend to be transgendered — to be "shockingly insensitive". Hartinger continued, "Frankly, it's literally impossible for me to reconcile last night's episode with MacFarlane's words, unless I come to the conclusion that the man is pretty much a complete idiot".[97] The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, an LGBT media watchdog organization, shared "serious concerns being voiced from members of the community" about the episode.[98] MacFarlane said he was "surprised" by the negative reaction to "Quagmire's Dad", saying that "it seemed that [gay commentators] were not picking up on the fact that it was a very sympathetic portrayal of a transsexual character". He further added, "Look, Brian happens to be a heterosexual character, as I am. If I found out that I had slept with a transsexual, I might throw up in the same way that a gay guy looks at a vagina and goes, 'Oh, my God, that's disgusting.'"[99]
2008 Writers Guild of America strike[link]
During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, MacFarlane publicly sided with the Writers Guild, and fully participated in the strike.[100] Official production of Family Guy was halted for most of December 2007 and various periods afterwards. Fox continued producing episodes without MacFarlane's final approval, and although he refused to work on the show during the strike, his contract with Fox required him to contribute to any episodes it subsequently produced.[101] Rumors of continued production on Family Guy prompted the statement from MacFarlane that "...it would just be a colossal dick move if they did that".[101] The strike ended on February 12, 2008.[45]
Personal life[link]
MacFarlane identifies himself as a Star Wars, Star Trek and science fiction fan.[66][102] He appeared at a Star Wars convention to promote his new Family Guy episode "Blue Harvest" on May 26, 2007.[103] MacFarlane's interest in science fiction and music are regularly themes for his birthday and Christmas parties in Los Angeles. In 2009, he held a Star Wars-themed Christmas party.[104] In 2010, he held a Rat Pack-themed party for his birthday with a 60-piece orchestra and performance by Frank Sinatra, Jr.[105]
In a 2004 interview with The Daily Princetonian, MacFarlane noted his similarities to Brian Griffin on Family Guy, revealing, "I have some Brian type issues from time to time – looking for the right person – but I date as much as the next guy".[106] MacFarlane has also revealed that Brian is his favorite character from Family Guy, because he feels most comfortable when playing that role.[107]
In early 2007, fellow comedian Alex Borstein reported in an interview that MacFarlane is old-fashioned in several aspects of his life, in that "his pop culture knowledge is very retro. Seth doesn't have e-mail at home, doesn't own a computer and he doesn't really watch television. He doesn't understand MySpace and despises most new music.".[108]
On July 16, 2010, MacFarlane's mother, Ann Perry MacFarlane, died after a long battle with cancer. Her death was reported by Larry King on his show, Larry King Live, who acknowledged a conversation he had with her during an interview with her son in May 2010.[8][109] A brief opening scene from the first episode of the ninth season of Family Guy ("And Then There Were Fewer") mentions her lifespan, and dedicates the episode to her.
MacFarlane is an atheist,[110] but says that he has no problem with religious people in general.
September 11, 2001 experience[link]
On the morning of September 11, 2001, MacFarlane was scheduled to return to Los Angeles on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston. Suffering from a hangover from the previous night's celebrations,[111] and with an incorrect departure time (8:15 a.m. instead of 7:45 a.m.) from his travel agent,[112] he arrived at Logan International Airport about ten minutes too late to board the flight as the gates had been closed.[112] Fifteen minutes after departure, American Airlines Flight 11 was hijacked,[113] and at 8:46 a.m. it was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, obliterating the airplane, and killing everyone on board.[114]
In an interview with TVShowsOnDVD.com, MacFarlane said the following about his close call:
| “ | The only reason it hasn't really affected me as it maybe could have is I didn't really know that I was in any danger until after it was over, so I never had that panic moment. After the fact, it was sobering, but people have a lot of close calls; you're crossing the street and you almost get hit by a car... this one just happened to be related to something massive. I really can't let it affect me because I'm a comedy writer. I have to put that in the back of my head.[115] | ” |
Lawsuits[link]
On October 3, 2007, Bourne Co. Music Publishers filed a lawsuit accusing Family Guy of infringing its copyright on the song "When You Wish upon a Star", through a parody song entitled "I Need a Jew" appearing in the episode "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein". Bourne Co., the sole United States copyright owner of the song, alleged the parody pairs a "thinly veiled" copy of their music with antisemitic lyrics. Named in the suit were MacFarlane, 20th Century Fox Film Corp., Fox Broadcasting Co., Cartoon Network, and Walter Murphy; the suit sought to stop the program's distribution and asked for unspecified damages.[116] Bourne argued that "I Need a Jew" uses the copyrighted melody of "When You Wish Upon a Star" without commenting on that song, and that it was therefore not a First Amendment-protected parody per the ruling in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.[117][118] On March 16, 2009, United States District Judge Deborah Batts held that Family Guy did not infringe on Bourne's copyright when it transformed the song for comical use in an episode.[119]
In December 2007, Family Guy was again accused of copyright infringement when actor Art Metrano filed a lawsuit regarding a scene in Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, in which Jesus performs Metrano's signature "magic" act involving absurd "faux" magical hand gestures while humming the distinctive tune "Fine and Dandy".[120] MacFarlane, 20th Century Fox, Steve Callaghan, and Alex Borstein were all named in the suit.[121] In July 2009 a federal district court judge rejected Fox's motion to dismiss, saying that the first three fair use factors involved—"purpose and character of the use", "nature of the infringed work", and "amount and substantiality of the taking"—counted in Metrano's favor, while the fourth—"economic impact"—had to await more fact-finding. In denying the dismissal, the court held that the reference in the scene made light of Jesus and his followers—not Metrano or his act.[122][123][124]
Filmography[link]
Films[link]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Life of Larry | Larry Cummings Steve Lois Cummings Various characters |
Voice Only Student Film |
| 2006 | Life is Short | Dr. Ned | Short Film |
| 2008 | Hellboy II: The Golden Army | Johann Kraus | Voice Only |
| 2009 | Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder | Mars Vegas Singer | Voice Only Direct-to-DVD Release |
| 2010 | The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! | I.S.R.A.E.L. (Intelligent Smart Robot Animation Eraser Lady) | Voice Only Direct-to-DVD Release |
| Tooth Fairy | Ziggy | ||
| 2012 | Ted | Ted | Voice Writer Director Producer Pre-production |
Television[link]
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show | Rhode Island Bug | Episode 2.3: "Bugging Out!" |
| 1996 | The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve | Larry Steve Various characters |
|
| 1999–2002 2005–present | Family Guy | Peter Griffin Stewie Griffin Brian Griffin Glenn Quagmire Various characters |
Longest-running role, Creator/Executive producer/Voice artist/Writer |
| 2002–2003 | Gilmore Girls | Zach Bob Merriam (Emily Gilmore's lawyer; on the phone) |
Episode 2.21: "Lorelai's Graduation Day" Episode 3.11: "I Solemnly Swear" |
| 2003 | Aqua Teen Hunger Force | Wayne the Brain | Episode 2.10: "Super Trivia" |
| The Pitts | Radio voice | Episode 1.3: "Squarewolves" | |
| 2003–2005 | Crank Yankers | Dick Rogers Arthur Johnson |
Appeared in four episodes |
| 2004 | Complete Savages | TV Announcer | Episode 1.4: "Nick Kicks Butt" |
| 2004–2005 | Star Trek: Enterprise | Engineer | Episodes 3.20: "The Forgotten" and 4.15: "Affliction" |
| 2005–2009 | Robot Chicken | Various characters | Appeared in 15 episodes |
| 2005–present | American Dad! | Stan Smith Roger Various characters |
|
| 2006 | The War at Home | Hillary's Date | Episode 2.5: "I Wash My Hands of You" |
| 2007 | Help Me Help You | Seth | Episode 1.13: "Moving On" |
| Robot Chicken: Star Wars | Emperor Palpatine | TV film | |
| 59th Primetime Emmy Awards | Stewie Griffin Brian Griffin |
TV special | |
| 2008 | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II | Emperor Palpatine Various characters |
TV film |
| 2008 | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III | Emperor Palpatine Various characters |
TV film |
| 2008–2009 | Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy | Various characters | Appeared in 19 episodes |
| 2009 | Bones | Stewie Griffin | Episode 4.25: "The Critic in the Cabernet" |
| 2009–2010 | FlashForward | Agent Jake Curdy FBI Agent |
Episode 1.1: "No More Good Days" and 1.15: "Queen Sacrifice"; |
| 2009–present | The Cleveland Show | Tim the Bear Various characters |
|
| 2010 | Phineas and Ferb | Jeff McGarland | Episode 2.33: "Nerds of a Feather" |
| Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff | Himself | Roastmaster of The Roast of David Hasselhoff | |
| 2010 | BBC Breakfast | Himself | Guest |
| 2010 | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III | Emperor Palpatine | TV film |
| 2011 | Comedy Central Roast of Donald J. Trump | Himself | Roastmaster of The Roast of Donald Trump |
| 2011 | Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen | Himself | Roastmaster of The Roast of Charlie Sheen |
| 2011 | Night of the Hurricane | Peter Griffin Stewie Griffin Brian Griffin Tom Tucker Stan Smith Roger Various characters |
|
| 2013 | The Flintstones |
Discography[link]
Studio albums[link]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Jazz |
||||||||
| Music Is Better Than Words |
|
111 | 2 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Awards[link]
| Year | Award | Category | Role | Series | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Award[125] | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance | Stewie Griffin | Family Guy | Won | [126] |
| 2002 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Music and Lyrics | Music and lyrics | Family Guy | Won | [126] |
| 2006 | Annie Award | Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production | Stewie Griffin | Family Guy | Won | [127] |
| 2009 | Webby Award | Film & Video Person of the Year 2009 | — | — | Won | [128] |
| Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance | Peter Griffin | Family Guy | Nominated | [129] | |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | Music and lyrics | Family Guy | Nominated | [130] |
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Animated Series | Creator | Family Guy | Won | [131] | |
| 2011 | Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Villain | Stewie Griffin | Family Guy | Nominated | [132] |
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Animated Series | Creator | Family Guy | Nominated |
References[link]
- ^ "The Flintstones: Profile of Seth MacFarlane". The Daily Telegraph (London). May 17, 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8519372/The-Flintstones-Profile-of-Seth-MacFarlane.html.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "An Interview with Seth MacFarlane: The creator of Family Guy discusses his career". IGN. 2003-07-21. p. 1. http://movies.ign.com/articles/429/429628p1.html. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ Seth MacFarlane guest stars on Conan; February 10, 2011.
- ^ "Ted Movie | Official Site for the Ted Film | In Theaters July 13, 2012". http://www.tedisreal.com. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
- ^ "BBC News - Flintstones set for yabba-dabba-do-over". BBC Online. BBC. 18 May 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13437084. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ^ Plunkett, John (17 May 2011). "Family Guy creator to revive Flintstones". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/17/family-guy-creator-flintstones. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (12 April 2012). "‘The Flintstones’ Reboot Put On Hold Due To Seth MacFarlane’s Overcrowded Schedule". Deadline.com. http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/the-flintstones-tv-series-reboot-on-hold-due-to-seth-macfarlanes-schedule/. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Obituaries - Ann Perry MacFarlane". Newburyport News. 2010-07-16. http://www.newburyportnews.com/obituaries/x2105968393/Ann-Perry-MacFarlane. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
- ^ Some other famous people descended from Brewster are Ashley Judd, Bing Crosby, Denise Crosby, Ted Danson, Julia Child and Sarah Palin
- ^ Child, Christopher. "Ancestry of Seth MacFarlane". http://www.wargs.com/other/macfarlane.html. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ a b "One-man campaign out for 'Family Guy'". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Associated Press. 1999-07-02. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF920E64F34493&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2008-02-13. "Seth MacFarlane has been out of prep school for eight years, but the headmaster is still on his case. The top administrator of the Kent School is leading a one-man campaign to get advertisers to drop The Family Guy, an animated TV comedy created by MacFarlane, a 1991 Kent alumnus."
- ^ a b c Levin, Gary (2005-02-02). "'Dad' joins 'Guy' for yuks". USA Today (Gannett Co. Inc.). http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-02-02-macfarlane_x.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
- ^ MacFarlane, Seth (2009). Inside the Actors Studio (Television production). Bravo. "I was two years old when I started drawing. [...] I knew by five that I wanted to get into animation, and there was just no [...] there was no information at the time. And I think my parents found one book on animation, that they scrounged up for me, and they got it from a library, you know, two towns over."
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- ^ a b "Seth MacFarlane: TV's 'Family Guy' Makes Music, Too", Fresh Air interview transcript, NPR, October 17, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-21. Interview audio.
- ^ MacFarlane, Seth (2009). Inside the Actors Studio (Television production). Bravo. "I didn't really take a hard crack at [animation] until I was in high school. My parents got me an 8 mm movie camera."
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- ^ a b "Family Guy Seth MacFarlane to speak at Class Day: Creator and executive producer of 'Family Guy' will headline undergraduate celebration. Harvard Gazette. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
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- ^ a b Broom, Caroline. "Creator of Family Guy to speak at Assembly Series". Record. Washington University in St. Louis. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
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- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (2008-05-05). "Family Guy creator seals megadeal". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN0435504220080505. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ Weinraub, Bernard (2007-07-07). "The Young Guy Of 'Family Guy'; A 30-Year-Old's Cartoon Hit Makes An Unexpected Comeback". The New York Times (The New York Times Company): p. 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/07/arts/young-guy-family-guy-30-year-old-s-cartoon-hit-makes-unexpected-comeback.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ Eric, Mink (1998-07-24). "Fox Fine-'Toons Its Midseason Lineup". Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/1998/07/24/1998-07-24_fox_fine-_toons_its_midseaso.html. Retrieved 2011-05-27. [dead link]
- ^ "Family Guy Returns to Production with an Initial Order of 22 New Episodes to Premiere in Early 2005". Business Wire. 2004-03-26. http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/information-services/5639961-1.html. Retrieved 2008-05-31. [dead link]
- ^ McLean, Thomas (2007-06-01). "Seth MacFarlane: Family Guy, American Dad!". Variety (Reed Business). http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117966166.html?nav=eproducer07. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- ^ Family Guy Creator Signs Lucrative Deal with Fox. BuddyTV. May 7, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Spence D. Family Guy Live In Vegas: Unnecessary gutter humor and pointless profanity drain the wit right outta this CD." (April 28, 2005) IGN. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
- ^ a b c Norton James."Seth MacFarlane's Third Act". Flak Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
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- ^ "Ypulse Essentials: Urban Disney, Marketing's Child, Teen Hackers". YPulse. August 20, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
- ^ Schneider, Michael. "Family Guy hits the road: MacFarlane and Co. to perform in Chicago". (August 13, 2007) Variety. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
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- ^ "Family Guy feature film is in the works!". TV.com. September 26, 2007. http://www.tv.com/family-guy-blog/family-guy-feature-film-is-in-the-works!/topic/76955-855406/show_blog_entry.html?topic_id=855406&msg_id=8875173&print=1. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ "TCA Video: Family Guy Spoilers; Movie Plans". TV Week. http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/07/tca_video_family_guy_spoilers.php. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ Dean, Josh. "Seth MacFarlane's $2 Billion Family Guy Empire". FastCompany.com. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/130/family-values.html?page=0%2C0. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ Fox's "Comedic Genius" by Brent Bozell. TownHall. April 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ Parents Television Council E-Alert. Vol. 4, No. 26. May 5, 2000. "In the two months since the show returned, creator Seth MacFarlane has aggressively sought to push the content envelope. Worse, Fox has permitted him to do so. Although Family Guy airs during the family hour, when children are likely to be watching, recent episodes have included animated nudity, vulgar references to genitalia, and references to pornography and masturbation." (Cited episode "Fifteen Minutes of Shame" as example)
- ^ Eggerton, John (November 12, 2009). "PTC Outraged Over 'Family Guy' Episode". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/189799-PTC_Outraged_Over_Family_Guy_Episode.php. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Voss, Brandon (February–March 2008). "BGF: Seth MacFarlane". The Advocate. http://www.advocate.com/printArticle.aspx?id=22202. "... They're literally terrible human beings. I've read their newsletter, I've visited their website, and they're just rotten to the core. For an organization that prides itself on Christian values—I mean, I'm an atheist, so what do I know?—they spend their entire day hating people."
- ^ McKinley, Jesse (2005-05-02). "Canceled and Resurrected, on the Air and Onstage". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/arts/television/02fami.html?_r=1&oref=slogin. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ a b "Strike over, Hollywood writers head back to work". CNN.com. 2008-02-13. Archived from the original on 2008-04-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20080413003541/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/13/writers.strike/index.html. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ "American Dad: Series Overview". MSN. Microsoft. http://tv.msn.com/tv/series/american-dad/. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
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- ^ Rogers, Troy. "Seth MacFarlane, American Dad Interview"[dead link]. Underground Online. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
- ^ Stanley, Alexandria (2005-02-04). "Dad Is a C.I.A. Operative, the Kids Have a Weird Pet". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/04/arts/04tvwk.html?_r=1&fta=y&oref=slogin. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
- ^ Goyette, Jay (2005-02-04). "Family Guys Seth MacFarlane's Speech Rescheduled". The View (University of Vermont). http://www.uvm.edu/theview/article.php?id=1561. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
- ^ "Rachael MacFarlane Biography"[dead link]. Fox. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ Matheson, Whitney. Sample The Winner[dead link]. USA TODAY Blog. Published February 19, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
- ^ Hooper, Barrett. "Winner's one big loser: Not all ex-Daily Show correspondents make great sitcom stars"[dead link]. Now Toronto. Published March 8, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
- ^ 2007 Canceled Shows: Fox Cancels Plenty of Series". TV Series Finale. 2007-05-16.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (2007-07-22). "Famref name="studio2">MacFarlane, Seth (2009). Inside the Actors Studio (Television production). Bravo. "Walter Crouton was a comic strip that I did for our local paper, and I started when I was about nine years old, and, I would do it every week for, you know, five bucks a pop." ref>[http://tv.msn.com/tv/series/american-dad/ "
- ^ Rice, Lynette (2008-11-10). "Fox orders full season of 'Family Guy' spin-off | Inside TV | EW.com". Hollywoodinsider.ew.com. http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/11/the-family-guy.html. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
- ^ "The Cleveland Show renewed before it begins". Tvsquad.com. http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/04/the-cleveland-show-renewed-before-it-begins/. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
- ^ "Fox orders second full season of The Cleveland Show". http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h/content_display/news/e3id8ce138992a53121b4b8137dc51ea285. [dead link]
- ^ Cheng, Jacqui (2008-09-10). "Family Guy creator opens Cavalcade of Comedy for business". Arstechnica.com. http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2008/09/family-guy-creator-opens-cavalcade-of-comedy-for-business.ars. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/news/ni10692328/
- ^ [[1]]
- ^ Mitchell, Gail (August,5,2011). "Fox Orders Seth MacFarlane's 'Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey'". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-orders-seth-macfarlanes-cosmos-219567. Retrieved October,14,2011.
- ^ [[2]]
- ^ "Seth MacFarlane On Leno, Announces Debut Album". Freakinsweetnews.com. 2010-08-06. http://www.freakinsweetnews.com/2010/08/06/seth-macfarlane-on-leno-announces-debut-album. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ The War at Home – "I Wash My Hands of You" Synopsis[dead link]. Variety. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b "Production Report: Klingon Discrepancy Addressed in 'Affliction'". Star Trek Online. Published December 16, 2004. Retrieved December 20, 2007.
- ^ Finley, Adam (2007-06-30). "Seth MacFarlane and Samm Levine in new short film – VIDEO". TV Squad (Webblogs (in partnership with AOL)). http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/06/30/seth-macfarlane-and-samm-levine-in-new-short-film-video/. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- ^ "MAD TV Gets More Animated on FOX". AWN Headline News. Published on November 2, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
- ^ "Seth MacFarlane Joins CAEAA Family to Host 2nd Annual Elan Awards". Market for Home Computing and Video Games (Intent Media). 2008-01-07. http://www.mcvuk.com/press-releases/34247/2008-Elans. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
- ^ ABC.com: Jimmy Kimmel Live Gallery. ABC. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
- ^ McIntee, Michael Z. "Monday, March 28, 2005: Show #2339". Late Show with David Letterman. CBS. Archived from the original on 2008-01-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20080110162643/http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/wahoo/index/php/20050328.phtml. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
- ^ ""Countdown with Keith Olbermann" for Jan. 19". MSNBC. 2007-01-19. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16753986/. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ Grossberg, Josh. "TALKSHOW with Spike Feresten". FOX. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20071215030309/http://fox.com/talkshow/showinfo/index.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
- ^ Seth MacFarlane sings "You Make Me Feel So Young". (Video) FOX. Hosted on Spike. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael. Exclusive: 'Bones' plots 'Family Guy' crossover! Entertainment Weekly. March 19, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-08-02.
- ^ MacIntyre, April. 'Family Guy' tips the hat to Stephen King Sunday, May 10 VIDEOS. Monsters and Critics. May 9, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-08-02.
- ^ Grossberg, Josh. "'Just Bring 'em In From Space': An Interview With the Creators of Aqua Teen Hunger Force". Flak Magazine. http://www.flakmag.com/features/aquateen.html. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
- ^ "American Dad and Family Guy Creator Seth MacFarlane Is Animated About Work and Play". The TV Tattler. AOL. 2007-05-11. http://television.aol.com/tv-celebrity-interviews/seth-macfarlane-2. Retrieved 2007-12-22. [dead link] p. 2.
- ^ "Hellboy 2's Psychic Entity Voiced By Family Guy". io9. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
- ^ Seth MacFarlane to Voice Next Futurama Movie. Sci-Fi TV Australia. November 14, 2008. Retrieved on 2009-08-02.
- ^ O'Connor, Stuart (July 31, 2009). "Seth MacFarlane: from cartoons to showtunes". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/31/seth-macfarlane-family-guy-singing-bbc-proms. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ BBC Proms Publicity (July 21, 2009). "BBC Proms celebrates 75 years of MGM film musicals". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/07_july/21/mgm.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ BBC Proms Publicity (August 1, 2009). "What's On / Proms by Day". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2009/whatson/0108.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra tour dates 2010". http://www.johnwilsonorchestra.com/dates.htm.
- ^ "Swingin' Christmas". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00wyltw/Swingin_Christmas/. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707588/
- ^ a b "Seth MacFarlane coming to George Washington Univ.!"[dead link] Adult Swim. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ Finley, Adam. "Seth McFarlane talks about South Park" TV Squad. Published April 20, 2006. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
- ^ "'Family Guy' Seth MacFarlane to speak at Class Day". The Harvard University Gazette. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
- ^ "'Family Guy' creator brings insights to UT". Archived from the original on 2007-07-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20070703204708/http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/04/16/TopStories/family.Guy.Creator.Brings.Insights.To.Ut-2842963.shtml. . The Daily Texan. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ Levy, Stephanie (2007-08-21). "DSA lines up fall entertainment". The Maneater. http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2007/8/21/dsa-lines-fall-entertainment/. Retrieved 2008-01-29. "MacFarlane and [Henry] Rollins were chosen because of their popularity with students and prevalence in pop culture."
- ^ Sullivan, Ryan (2008-10-06). "A 'voice' For Obama: 'Family Guy' Creator MacFarlane Speaks At Bowling Green State U.". Bowling Green News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/27/politics/uwire/main4546983.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ Oddis, Kyle (2010-02-08). "LMU reacts to First Amendment Week keynote choice". The Los Angeles Loyolan. http://www.laloyolan.com/news/lmu-reacts-to-faw-keynote-choice-1.2142020. Retrieved 2010-02-10. [dead link]
- ^ "Seth MacFarlane's Federal Campaign Contribution Report". newsmeat.com. http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Seth_MacFarlane.php. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ Seth MacFarlane on Legalizing Marijuana. Event occurs at 0:30. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avlA3d5xYgQ. Retrieved July 2, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ "Seth MacFarlane, Harvard Humanist of the Year 2011!". Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard. http://www.harvardhumanist.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=166:seth-macfarlane-harvard-humanist-of-the-year-2011&catid=6:latest-news&Itemid=38. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ Hartinger, Brent (May 10, 2010). "Is Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane a Complete Idiot?". AfterElton.com. http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2010/5/seth-macfarlane-complete-idiot. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
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- ^ Larsen, Peter. "'Star Wars' convention to attract thousands". Orange County Register. Published May 24, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
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- ^ Seth Macfarlane Emmy Award Winner
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External links[link]
Media related to Seth MacFarlane at Wikimedia Commons
- Seth MacFarlane at the Internet Movie Database
- Seth MacFarlane at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
- Seth MacFarlane's channel on YouTube
- Interview on IGN.com
- Seth MacFarlane on Twitter
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | MacFarlane, Seth |
| Alternative names | MacFarlane, Seth Woodbury |
| Short description | Television producer |
| Date of birth | October 26, 1973 |
| Place of birth | Kent, Connecticut, United States |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
br />Steve
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