2005 Meetings

Sunday, January 9, at 12 noon: Discussion topic: What Did We Learn from the Last Election? We will have a general discussion about the lessons learned from the last election. What did both sides do right, and what did they do wrong? Was any of the campaign unacceptable? Location: Olive & Sesame Restaurant, Towson, M D.

Friday, January 21, at 7:30 pm: Humanism and Philosophy, a Special Interest Group, continues. Tonight's topic is "Logical Positivism." Logical Positivism was a philosophical movement that began in Europe in the early twentieth century and spread quickly throughout Western academic philosophy. The motivating force was a desire to make philosophy as rigorous and successful as science. How ever, after about forty years the movement largely collapsed from internal problems and external attacks. We will explore this movement and what can be learned from it. For more information, call 410-521-6215.

Special Darwin Day Event on Sunday, February 13, 2005, 10:30 a.m. This will be a joint BSH/BES meeting to celebrate Darwin Day at the BES meeting room. Speakers will include Tony Hileman from AHA and Christine Miller, who will speak on "How the Creationist Mindset Could Influence Bioscience Research." As American secondary teachers continue to be confronted with the politics of teaching Darwin's Theory, their ability and willingness to convey its concepts are diminished. Join us in an exploration of what important experiments might not have been formulated had the Creationist viewpoint gained equal footing with evolutionary theory in the 20th century classroom. Directions: The Baltimore Ethical Society is located at 306 West Franklin Street. (Rt. 40 west) in the heart of Baltimore between Howard and Eutaw Streets, three blocks west of the main branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The light rail stops one-half block away on Howard Street, and the Metro is two blocks south on Eutaw Street. Take I-95 north, merge onto I-395 north via exit #53 toward Downtown, Inner Harbor. Take Martin Luther King Blvd. exit. Tu rn right onto W. Mulberry St. (US 40 East). Turn left onto Park Avenue Street. Turn left onto West Franklin Street, and proceed one block west (US 40 west). For more directions, look here.

Friday, February 18, 7:30 pm.: "Humanism and Philosophy" Special Interest Group continues. Tonight's topic is "Scripture: The Concept of the Holy Text." Virtually all religions in literate cultures venerate a "holy text" or "scripture" that defines for them the essence of their beliefs. This cross-cultural phenomenon and its perpetual attraction to the human species will be considered historically and philosophically.

Sunday, March 13, at 1:30 p.m.: Peter Ansoff on "The American Flag in History and Myth" Peter Ansoff, WASH Vice President, will repeat his talk from the July NVC meeting. The American Flag is a quasi-religious icon in the United States, and has become surrounded by an array of fables and legends that would have amazed the Founding Fathers. Peter will give a brief sketch of what is really known about the flag's early history, followed by a selection of those legends -- some simply amusing and so me downright creepy. Peter is a long-time member of the North American Vexillological Association (vexillology is the study of flags), and received NAVA's "Driver Award" for original contributions to vexillological scholarship in 2002. (Who was Driver? That's another interesting legend...). We will meet at 12 noon at the Akbar Palace for an Indian buffet lunch. The Akbar is about 2 blocks west of the library on Liberty Road. Members are invited to join us for lunch or just go straight to the library. Directions: from the Baltimore Beltway (Rt 695) take the Liberty Road West exit (Exit 18). Go approximately two miles, past Old Court Rd. Turn right to enter Liberty Court shopping center, and go to the right, behind the Wendy's, to the library. The meeting room entrance is on the left of the main entrance, and the room is downstairs.

Friday, March 18, 7:30 pm.: "Humanism and Philosophy" Special Interest Group continues. The topic will be "Logical Fallacies: Their Use and Misuse." Philosophers and others have often been quick to use the concept of logical fallacy as a weapon against their opponents, not always appropriately or with the desired effect. The classical logical fallacies will be reviewed and their usefulness examined.

Sunday, April 10, at 1:30 p.m.: Steven Goldberg on "The Ethical Considerations of Stem Cell Research." This talk will provide an overview of the issues underlying this controversy, including the nature of both embryonic and adult stem cells, their potential the rapeutic and research value, and the key ethical considerations involved in their use. We will meet at 12 noon at the Akbar Palace for an Indian buffet lunch. The Akbar is about 2 blocks west of the library, off Liberty Road on Brenbrook Drive. Members a re invited to join us for lunch or just go straight to the library. Directions: from the Baltimore Beltway (Rt 695) take the Liberty Road West exit (Exit 18). Go approximately two miles, past Old Court Rd. Turn right to enter Liberty Court shopping cent er, and go to the right, behind the Wendy's, to the library. The meeting room entrance is on the left of the main entrance, and the room is downstairs.

Friday, April 15, at 7:30 pm.: Special Interest Group "Humanism and Philosophy" Tonight's topic is "Hegel." If Western philosophy in general consists of "footnotes to Plato," much of Western philosophy since Hegel's time has consisted of footnotes to Hegel. Hegel and Hegelianism spawned both defenders and critics, and engagement with his ideas continues to be an important part of the Continental tradition in philosophy. We will explore some of Hegel's main ideas and address some of the myths about Hegel that have persisted amongst his friends and foes. For more information, call 410-521-6215.

Sunday, May 8, at 12 noon: Greg Paul on "Speaking of Faith under Fire" Broadcast talk programs on religion continue to grow, two recent additions being Speaking of Faith (NPR, WYPR/WETA 7 AM Sundays, funded by PR, PEW and Templeton) and once-atheist-now-intelligent-designer Lee Stroebel's Faith Under Fire (PAX, 10 PM Saturdays). Both programs have positive and negative aspects. FUF is a no-nonsense debate format in which diverse views from atheist to fundamentalist get air time, although Stroebel's evangelical bias comes through. SOF 's Krista Tibbet is also biased, her program rarely straying from middle of the road theists whose commentaries are adorned by religio us mood music. There are also serious questions about public radio funding and airing a blatently pro-faith program without providing equivalent secular programming. Raising concerns with WETA/WYPR is a potential issue for WASH to address. Attendees may wish to catch some broadcasts of the programs prior to the discussion.

Friday, May 20, 7:30 pm.: Special Interest Group "Humanism and Philosophy" The topic will be "Evolution and Ethics." Ever since Darwin's day, thinkers impressed by evolution, either positively or negatively, have sought to tie it to ethical theory. We will review some of these views with the goal of understanding the promises and pitfalls of linking biology with ethical theory.

Sunday, June 12, at 1:30 p.m., DVD of "The Control Room" We will show the DVD The Control Room. This documentary is about the Al Jazeera network TV coverage of the Iraq War. It is well balanced, and it is a good companion video with "Outfoxed," which we saw last year. We will discuss the DVD or show comme ntary by a U.S. Army press representative, if there is interest. Please bring a snack or drink to share.

Friday, June 17, 7:30 pm.: Special Interest Group "Humanism and Philosophy" Tonight's topic is "Supernatural Evil: Historical Perspectives on Witches and Demons." Virtually all cultures harbor beliefs in supernatural agencies of evil, and these beliefs pe rsist even in sophisticated modern cultures. We will provide a historical overview of these beliefs and the philosophical questions they raise. For more information, call 410-521-6215.

Sunday, July 10, at 12 noon.: Audiotape about The Illiad. The ancient Greek ideas about the afterlife and polytheism are presented in some detail in The Iliad. These ideas are distinctly different from the Christian ideas and may be an indication of human psychological needs that religions address. We will pl ay an audio tape from a course about the Greek gods in The Iliad. We can have a general discussion about the similarities and differences of the Greek gods to the Christian one, as well as to select Star Trek episodes. The audio tape is a Teaching Company tape by Prof. Elizabeth Vandiver. Location: Charles Village Pub, 19 W. Penna. Ave., Towson. Directions: Take Baltimore Beltway exit 26 (York Road or Dulaney Valley Road) through the traffic circle to York Road, and go right on Pennsylvania Ave., the first right after the circle. The restaurant is half a block on the left. Look for the entrance to the patio on the left inside the main entrance.

Friday, July 15, 7:30 pm.: Special Interest Group "Humanism and Philosophy" The topic will be "The Concept of Happiness." Ever since Plato, philosophers in the West have explored the concept of happiness: how to define it, whether it is an emotion or a state, whether it can justly be considered a goal of human life, and, if so, how to attain it. As we will argue, exploration of a philosopher\rquote s views on these matters provide a good window into both how philosophers think and how notions of happiness lie at the heart of the quest for the good life.

Sunday, August 14, at 12 noon: David Eller DVD on "Natural Atheism" We will play part of a DVD made by David Eller. Eller gave a similar talk at the American Atheists convention. He is a professor of anthropology from the University of Colorado. Location: The Orient Restaurant.

Friday, 19 August, 7:30 p.m.: Special Interest Group "Humanism and Philosophy" on Uses and Abuses of History. Historians always reflect their times, circumstances, and personal outlook when narrating or interpreting the past. Does this mean that all history is propaganda, or can we argue that in some sense history is "objective" -- that it can be judged by reasonable, scientific criteria? We will explore the pros and cons of this question and the consequences to which they lead. For more information, call 410-521-6215.

Sunday, September 11, at 1:30 p.m.: Alternative Energy Sources and BioDiesel fuel. Stuart Hirsch and Bill Creasy will talk about alternate energy sources and biodiesel fuel as an alternative to dependence on petroleum. With gasoline prices increasing, is there an alternative for transportation? Stuart will talk about some alternatives that are currently being developed, including fuel cells. Bill will talk about biodiesel, an alternative, renewable fuel that has been used for over a hundred years, but is only now becoming appreciated. He recently purchased a diesel Mercedes and has been commuting to work using biodiesel fuel for several months. Location: Elkridge Library.

Friday, 16 September, 7:30 p.m.: Special Interest Group on Humanism and Philosophy on Chaos and Complexity Theory. The study of chaotic and complex phenomena, especially complex evolving systems, has in the last thirty years engaged the attention of physicists, mathematicians, economists, computer scientists and philosophers. We will trace the history of this new discipline, outline its major principles, and consider its philosophical implications.

Sunday, October 9, at 1:30 p.m.: Sally Dworak-Fisher on "Baltimore City Detention Center's Hidden Health Crisis" Ms. Dworak-Fisher is an attorney from the Public Justice Center, a non-profit legal organization doing anti-poverty and anti-discrimination work. One of their projects is the Prisoners' Rights Project, which focuses heavily on the inhumane conditions at the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC). BCDC houses well over 40,000 per year, and is the 18th largest pretrial facility in the country. Despite its large size, few are familiar with the truly Dickensian conditions at the institution. These conditi on s are not only unconstitutional, they are a threat to public health, and represent costly public policy. In concert with the Megaphone Project, they have produced a 19-minute video, "Infected: The Baltimore City Detention Center's Hidden Health Crisis," as a means of spreading the word about the conditions at BCDC, and to spur discussion and analysis of Maryland's failure to remedy such dire conditions. The video highlights the experiences of former detainees from BCDC who suffered intolerably (and one wh o died) while simply awaiting trial. It premiered at the Creative Alliance in January, was screened at the American Film Institute, and was selected for the Maryland Film Festival. We will show the video and have a discussion. Location: Towson Library . Directions: Take Baltimore Beltway exit 26 or 27 (York Road or Dulaney Valley Road) through the traffic circle to York Road, and go three blocks on the left to the library. Take a left to the parking garage on Chesapeake. We will meet at noon for lunc h at the Orient Restaurant, across the street.

Friday, 21 October, 7:30 p.m.: Special Interest Group "Humanism and Philosophy" Evolution and Theology: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Evolution has generated conflicts with the three great monotheistic religions which persist today, most especially with Christianity. Why do many well-educated conservative Christians feel so threatened by evolution that they are willing to support pseudo science such as Creationism and Intelligent Design in its place? We will examine how evolution does entail, as some Creationists argue, a kind of theology, or "talk about God," insofar as its defenders claim (as some do) that "God would not have created or designed a world such as we observe." We will also examine how evolution, especially human evolution, demands adjustments to traditional religious beliefs that may be fatal to them.

Sunday, November 13, at 12 noon: Monthly Meeting Topic: Mike Stahl on "A Look at Ethics in the Computer Industry" The computer industry is made up of clever and fast paced individuals. More often than not they are under 40 and male. The field is shrinking and demands that the professionals are always on top of their game. Tech support is a major component of the industry and as it is exported over seas, the workers in the computer field are ever more desperate to keep their positions and maintain their life styles. Most realize that if their current job goes a way their next one will be for less money than their current one. This provides a dilemma. Does an individual maintain a sense of ethical integrity or do they use any means to maintain their lifestyles and provide some of the support for their family? Location: The Orient Restaurant. Directions: Take Baltimore Beltway exit 26 or 27 (York Road or Dulaney Valley Road) through the traffic circle to York Road, and go three blocks on the right to the Orient. Take a left to the parking garage on Chesapeake.

Friday, 18 November, 7:30 p.m.: Special Interest Group "Humanism and Philosophy" Topic: Christianity and Humanism: Originating as a syncretic sect combining features of Judaism and pagan cults, Christianity also was influenced by philosophical ideas we recognize today as humanistic, often seeking to incorporate these ideas into its theology, philosophy and practice. T he preservation and advancement of humanism in the West owes much to those Ch ristian thinkers who preserved humanistic ideas derived from the ancient Jewish, Greek and Roman world and found a place for them, sometimes uncomfortably, within the Christian framework. For more information, call 410-521-6215.

Sunday, December 11, at 12 noon.: Holiday Lunch: We will have our annual holiday dinner and general discussion at the Purim Oak Restaurant, a Korean/Japanese/Chinese restaurant at 321 York Road. Directions: Take Baltimore Beltway exit 26 or 27 (York Road or Dulaney Valley Road) through the traffic circle to York Road, and go three blocks on the right. The restaurant is next door to the Orient Restaurant. Take a left to the parking garage on Chesapeake.

Friday, 16 December, 7:30 p.m.: Special Interest Group on Humanism and Philosophy Topic: Natural Atheism: Anthropologist David Eller has advanced the idea that we are all born atheists, and that it is only our cultures which incline us towards belief in the supernatural. We will explore the issues involved in how humans acquire religious beliefs, and whether anything humans do can be justly considered "unnatural." This meeting was postponed to March 17.

For previous meetings, click here.