The Transcendental Temptation

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher : Prometheus Books
ISBN 13 : 1616148284
Total Pages : 606 pages
Book Rating : 4.87/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Transcendental Temptation written by Paul Kurtz and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2013-09-10 with total page 606 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this landmark work, Paul Kurtz examines the reasons why people accept supernatural and paranormal belief systems in spite of substantial evidence to the contrary. According to Kurtz, it is because there is within the human species a deeply rooted tendency toward magical thinking—the “transcendental temptation”—which undermines critical judgment and paves the way for willful beliefs. Kurtz explores in detail the three major monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—finding striking psychological and sociological parallels between these religions, the spiritualism of the nineteenth century, and the paranormal belief systems of today. This acclaimed and controversial book includes sections on mysticism, belief in the afterlife, the existence of God, reincarnation, astrology, and ufology. Kurtz concludes by explaining and advocating rational skepticism as an antidote to belief in the transcendental.

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher : Prometheus Books
ISBN 13 : 1615926402
Total Pages : 282 pages
Book Rating : 4.04/5 ( download)

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Download or read book In Defense of Secular Humanism written by Paul Kurtz and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2010-09-09 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A spirited defense of secular humanism against fundamentalist critics.

Author : Paul Schrader
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520969146
Total Pages : 292 pages
Book Rating : 4.48/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Transcendental Style in Film written by Paul Schrader and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2018-05-18 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a new introduction, acclaimed director and screenwriter Paul Schrader revisits and updates his contemplation of slow cinema over the past fifty years. Unlike the style of psychological realism, which dominates film, the transcendental style expresses a spiritual state by means of austere camerawork, acting devoid of self-consciousness, and editing that avoids editorial comment. This seminal text analyzes the film style of three great directors—Yasujiro Ozu, Robert Bresson, and Carl Dreyer—and posits a common dramatic language used by these artists from divergent cultures. The new edition updates Schrader’s theoretical framework and extends his theory to the works of Andrei Tarkovsky (Russia), Béla Tarr (Hungary), Theo Angelopoulos (Greece), and Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey), among others. This key work by one of our most searching directors and writers is widely cited and used in film and art classes. With evocative prose and nimble associations, Schrader consistently urges readers and viewers alike to keep exploring the world of the art film.

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 172 pages
Book Rating : 4.34/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Living Without Religion written by Paul Kurtz and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paul Kurtz was one of America's foremost expositors of humanist philosophy. In Living without Religion he introduced a new word to describe humanism - eupraxophy. Derived from the Greek roots eu (good), praxis (practice), and sophia (philosophical and scientific wisdom), eupraxophy means literally "good conduct and wisdom in living." Eupraxophy draws upon the disciplines of the sciences, philosophy, and ethics - yet it is more than these. Not simply an intellectual position, eupraxophy expresses convictions about the nature of the universe and how to live one's life with commitment and dedication. It thus combines both a cosmic outlook and a life stance. Kurtz maintains that the eupraxopher can lead a meaningful life and help create a just society, and he offers concrete recommendations for the development of the humanism of the future. An entire section of this book is devoted to the careful definition of religion, which clearly demonstrates than an authentic moral life is possible without religious belief. Following Kurtz's Transcendental Temptation and Forbidden Fruit, Living without Religion completes a trilogy of humanist works that responds to theistic critics of modern secular humanism.

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher : Prometheus Books
ISBN 13 : 1616142790
Total Pages : 363 pages
Book Rating : 4.97/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Meaning and Value in a Secular Age written by Paul Kurtz and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2012-06-26 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The secular age has confronted human beings with a fundamental challenge. While the naturalistic worldview rooted in science has persuasively shown that traditional religious conceptions of the universe are unsustainable, it has so far offered no compelling secular narratives to replace the religious narratives so entrenched in civilization. In the absence of religion, how do thoughtful contemporary individuals find meaning in a secular world? In this book, philosopher Paul Kurtz argues for a new approach that he calls eupraxsophy. Kurtz first coined the term in 1988 to characterize a secular orientation to life that stands in contrast to religion. Derived from three ancient Greek roots, eupraxsophy literally means "good practice and wisdom." Drawing upon philosophy, science, and ethics, eupraxsophy provides a thoroughly secular moral vision, which respects the place of human values in the context of the natural world and presents an empirically responsible yet hopeful picture of the human situation and the cosmos in which we abide. Editor Nathan Bupp has conveniently gathered together Kurtz’s key writings about the theory and practice of eupraxsophy for the first time in this volume. Written with eloquence and scope, these incisive essays show how Kurtz's brand of humanism moves above and beyond the current "new atheism." Eupraxsophy successfully bridges the cultural divide between science and value and provides a genuine and constructive alternative to religion. Bupp’s informative introduction places the concept of eupraxsophy in historical perspective and shows why it is critically important, and relevant, today.

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 44 pages
Book Rating : 4.97/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Humanist Manifestos I and II written by Paul Kurtz and published by . This book was released on 1973 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Outlines a philosophy of survival, giving humanist views on religion ethics, the meaning of life, civil liberties, democracy - A plea for building a world community.

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351294385
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.86/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Toward a New Enlightenment written by Paul Kurtz and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paul Kurtz has been the dominant voice of secular humanism over the past thirty years. This compilation of his work reveals the scope of his thinking on the basic topics of our time and his many and varied contributions to the cause of free thought. It focuses on the central issues that have concerned Kurtz throughout his career: ethics, politics, education, religion, science, and pseudoscience. The chapters are linked by a common theme: the need for a new enlightenment, one committed to the use of rationality and skepticism, but also devoted to realizing the highest values of humanist culture. Many writings included here were first published in magazines and journals long unavailable. Some of the essays have never before been published. They now appear as a coherent whole for the first time. Also included is an extensive bibliography of Kurtz's writings. Toward a New Enlightenment is essential for those who know and admire Paul Kurtz's work. It will also be an important resource for students of philosophy, political science, ethics, and religion. Among the chapters are: "Humanist Ethics: Eating the Forbidden Fruit"; "Relevance of Science to Ethics"; "Democracy without Theology"; "Misuses of Civil Disobedience"; "The Limits of Tolerance"; "Skepticism about the Paranormal: Legitimate and Illegitimate"; "Militant Atheism vs. Freedom of Conscience"; "Promethean Love: Unbound"; "The Case for Euthanasia"; and "The New Inquisition in the Schools."

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780879755928
Total Pages : 292 pages
Book Rating : 4.2X/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Philosophical Essays in Pragmatic Naturalism written by Paul Kurtz and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kurtz (philosophy, SUNY at Buffalo; editor, Free inquiry; and president, Prometheus Books) collects his essays, articles, and contributions to books written over the past thirty-five years. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.40/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Science and Ethics written by Paul Kurtz and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents a unique collection of authors who generally maintain that science can help us make wise choices and that an increase in scientific knowledge can help modify our ethical values and bring new ethical principles into social awareness.

Author : Paul Kurtz
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 380 pages
Book Rating : 4.62/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The New Skepticism written by Paul Kurtz and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kurtz argues that there are objective standards for judging truth claims in science, ethics, and philosophy. Of special interest is the application of the new skepticism to paranormal claims such as reincarnation and faith healing, and to religious beliefs, ethics and politics.