Humanists have looked to the best knowledge available in their time to try to understand their world and to imagine and work toward a better one. For the past two generations, the greatest scientific advances have been in biology and in the latest generation, neurobiology has begun to shed light on human experience and the human condition. However, modern humanism has not integrated these sciences.
In the first class we will discuss how Humanist principles naturally integrate with ecology. We will explore what humanism might say about conflicts between the needs of wildlife and the demands of an expanding human population with higher expectations.
In the second class we will discuss how the unusual ecological niche of humans over the last three million years selected for an unusual capacity for social cooperation and happiness. We will discuss what modern brain science shows about the diversity of human thought patterns and about the importance of early childhood development and education.
In the final class we will talk about how integrating these biological insights can guide us in practical matters of social organization and change and growing toward a just society.
Course Details
- A three-part series on Thursday evenings
- February 13th, 20th, and 27th, 2025
- 7:00pm – 8:30pm ET / 4:00pm – 5:30pm PT
- Course fee: $75
Instructor
Dr. Mark Reimers is a quantitative neuroscientist at Michigan State University, whose research aims to elucidate how dynamic brain activities give rise to thoughts and feelings in people and animals. Dr. Reimers has worked at the US National Institutes of Health, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, at the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics and at Michigan State University. His broader aim is to ground our understanding of feeling and thought in the facts of biology.
Dr. Reimers was the leader of the Richmond Humanists in Virginia for five years, and now leads the UU Forum in Lansing, and speaks frequently at humanist and science outreach events in Michigan.
Our Further Reflection series brings open dialogue on topics of interest brought to you by the American Humanist Association’s Center for Education