Dan Savage,
Humanist of the Year
Greta Christina,
LGBT Humanist Pride
Richard Dawkins,
Special Guest
Katha Pollitt,
Humanist Heroine
Sean Carroll,
Keynote Speaker
Carl Coon,
Lifetime Achievement
Richard Leakey,
Isaac Asimov Science Award
Firstly, thanks in part to the great conference that the Humanist Association put on in 2011 that featured AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt, the American Humanist Association’s 72nd annual national convention is returning to San Diego (last one was 30 years ago). This year the conference will be held May 30th through June 2nd at the Bahia Resort in Mission Bay.
Speakers include public intellectual Richard Dawkins, columnist Dan Savage, theoretical physicist Sean Carroll, antrophologist Richard Leakey, Youtube dancer Matt Harding, blogger Greta Christina, myself (Jason Frye), and many more.
Early registration is $299 for all four days, but that rate is going fast (Early Registration ends May 1st). Though not explicitly advertised, there are one day registration rates available (but you must contact the AHA directly [800] 837-3792).
Go to http://conference.americanhumanist.org to register.
Thanks to the AHA doing the heavy lifting this year, we didn’t coordinate the Southern California Secular Humanist Conference. 2014 will mark the return of the fantastic 2011 event. The previous theme was activism at the local and national level, our upcoming theme is Humanist Ethics. We are considering a one-day, Saturday January 25th date in honor of Thomas Paine’s birthday. We have approached several awesome speakers, but would also like to know who you would like to see.
Humanism’s philosophical foundation is driven by the philosophy of Freethought. Freethought is more than just an umbrella-term for non-theism. Freethought is a philosophy of examining issues with reason, minimizing our biases of culture and convention, and challenging the hold of established and sacrosanct authority.
May’s books will be two classics from David Hume. As a thinker Hume laid the groundwork for our Western dependence on empiricism in thought. The first of these works (5/7) is An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1748). In Enquiry Hume examines philosophy and how to use it. On Tuesday the 21st, we will be conversing over Hume’s posthumously published Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779). Both of these works are crucial to understanding where our modern thought on epistemology and God come from. As always reading the texts is highly recommended, but if you don’t have time you should definitely attend to learn from those who have read the material. The way that it is presented offers enough of an overview for everyone to engage in meaningful conversation. Both of these meetings will be held at the T-Deli (First and Third Tuesdays 7pm, 1469 University Ave).
June’s Books will be H.L. Mencken’s Treatise on the Gods (6/4) and Christopher Hitchens’ God is Not Great (6/18).
