War – The Moral Arc

Counter Refutation — Shermer responds to book reviews

By Michael Shermer|March 4th, 2015|Civil Rights, Gay Rights, Justice, Morality, Reason, Religion, Science, Terrorism, Violence, War|

The initial reviews of The Moral Arc are in and the author has completed his U.S. book tour, and in this article Michael Shermer replies to the criticisms and commentaries thus far leveled against his thesis that we are living in the most moral time in our species history and that one of the primary drivers bending the arc of the moral universe toward justice is science and reason. You will be astounded to learn that not only religious people, but some scientists and secularists themselves object to using science and reason to determine human values. Shermer challenges them to explain what they use, if not their rational brains, to solve moral issues!

Why Islam? Of the three great monotheistic religions only one did not go through the Enlightenment

By Michael Shermer|February 25th, 2015|Civil Rights, Morality, Reason, Religion, Science, Terrorism, Violence, War, Women’s Rights|

One of the central tenets of science is to define a problem to be studied with as much clarity as possible, and the key to clear communication is calling things what they really are. Unfortunately, both the American media and public intellectuals have failed to be honest in identifying what everyone in Europe knows is the primary source of terrorism in the world today: Islam.

A Moral Arc Party of Magic and Rap

By Michael Shermer|January 20th, 2015|Civil Rights, Crime, Justice, Morality, Reason, Religion, Science, Slavery, Terrorism, Violence, War, Women’s Rights|

At the book party to launch The Moral Arc on Monday night January 19 in New York City, the host Gerry Ohrstrom and the sponsor the Reason Foundation wanted to liven up the party so they brought in a couple of remarkable magicians and the famous science rap artist Baba Brinkman, famous for his “Rap Guide to Evolution” and, more recently, his “Rap Guide to Religion”, which is now an off-Broadway production in New York. To my utter surprise, before Steve Pinker and I launched into our “In Conversation” about science and moral progress, Baba got up and performed a rap song tribute to The Moral Arc, which, he said, he wrote on the drive over to the party! Now that’s creativity on the fly.