28 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
Do Not Extrapolate Macro-Philosophy from Quantum Phenomena
Many scientists have tried to make determinism and complementarity the basis of conclusions that seem to me weak and dangerous; for instance, they have used Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to bolster up human free will, though his principle, which applies exclusively to the behavior of electrons and is the direct result of microphysical measurement techniques, has nothing to do with human freedom of choice. It is far safer and wiser that the physicist remain on the solid ground of theoreti...People try to infer that the uncertainty principle means we have free will, but the principle only applies to the behavior of electrons.
10 AUG 2011 by ideonexus
The Eternal Conflict Between Enlightenment and Ignorance
‘There are two great powers,” the man said, “and they’ve been fighting since time began. Every advance in human life, every scrap of knowledge and wisdom and decency we have has been torn by one side from the teeth of the other. Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously between those who want us to know more and be wiser and stronger, and those who want us to obey and be humble and submit.A shaman describes a more sophisticated clash than between good and evil, knowledge versus totalitarian ignorance.
23 MAR 2011 by ideonexus
1973 Humanist Manifesto II - Democratic Society
Democratic Society SEVENTH: To enhance freedom and dignity the individual must experience a full range of civil liberties in all societies. This includes freedom of speech and the press, political democracy, the legal right of opposition to governmental policies, fair judicial process, religious liberty, freedom of association, and artistic, scientific, and cultural freedom. It also includes a recognition of an individual's right to die with dignity, euthanasia, and the right to suicide. W...Section on Democratic Society from the Humanist Manifesto.