Dr. Berlinski’s book tour
| March 20, 2008 | Posted by scordova under Atheism |
Militant atheism is on the rise. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens have dominated best seller lists with books denigrating religious belief as dangerous foolishness. And these authors are merely the leading edge of a far larger movement – one that now includes much of the scientific community.
“If science stands opposed to religion, it is not because of anything contained in either the premises or the conclusions of the great scientific theories,” Berlinski writes in The Devil’s Delusion. “Confident assertions by scientists that… they have demonstrated that God does not exist have nothing to do with science, and even less to do with God’s existence.”
A secular Jew and agnostic, Berlinski nonetheless delivers a biting defense of religious thought. An acclaimed author who has spent his career writing about mathematics and the sciences, he turns the scientific community’s cherished skepticism back on itself, daring to ask and answer some rather embarrassing questions.
A great way to meet authors and commenters from the Uncommon Descent community is to attend Discovery Institute events like this one:
The Devil’s Delusion U.S. Book Tour with David Berlinski
I’m planning on being at the book release party at the Discovery Institute DC Office on April 1, 2008. Hope to see some of you there…
17 Responses to Dr. Berlinski’s book tour
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Sal, the link goes to a book on Chaos Theory.
Also, a very happy Easter to you and your family.
. . . and you spelled his name wrong in the headline. Details, details!
Thank you all for your editorial help, I made the corrections.
Looks like a much better book than “Devil in Dover.” I can expect actual science in “The Devil’s Delusion.” What? No crack-pot journalist writing your book? Oh darn.
That’s too bad too, because I thought everyone accepts journalists as credible when it comes to science and legal matters.
You can tell the other side is in bad shape when they have darwinian-fundamentalist journalists writing books for them.
Lauri Lebo…Her ancestors must be proud.
Everyone clap for Wesley Elsberry for taking the picture of Tammy Kitzmiller for the book title. Boy, those PandasThumb.org folks really are disconnected from reality.
Thanks Sal. Hope I was being too nitpicky.
You know the article says Dr. Berlinski is an agnostic, but if you read his papers, it seems (to me atleast) that he has a hunch that there is some underlying intelligence and purpose to everything.
In the Deniable Darwin article (a classic) he seems offer some possible clues as to who the designer is.
He mentions German Natural Philosophy and it’s immanent cosmic mind. This seems to be the approach Freeman Dyson supports. He refers to Henri Bergson’s Elan Vital or creative force driving the development of life towards greater complexity and diversity.
He also mentions special creation, which would mean God.
I live in Baltimore so Ill be there tues day night!
GUYS:
http://www.wired.com/science/d.....ction_0321
But what if PZ Meyers shows up?
Pannenberg
Agnostics can suspect anything. They just aren’t certain of anything.
Larry
That depends on if Myers is or isn’t wearing steel toed boots and brass knuckles.
I dunno but I am definely going. Is anyone who contributes to this web blog going to be at the first one in DC?
I meant other than you Scordova, obviously.
I think I’m the only one from the DC area…
But Logan Gage who contributes to evolutionnews weblog will be there. There are quite a number of ID folks whom I’ve seen the past who live in the DC area (or nearby).
People that I’ve seen in attendance in the past:
Edward Sisson, Caroline Crocker, Nancy Pearcy, Tom Bethel, Dan Petersen…[.even on two occasions PT contributor Jason Rosenhouse!] On one occasion I saw Marcus Ross there.
What would be nice is to have another Smithsonian event like a showing of Privileged Planet. That ends up bringing all the folks together in one place. That was the most memorable event: June 23, 2006. Guillermo Gonzalez, Jay Richards….
When these events happen there are also reporters from both sides of the issue. I’ll never forget when Nancy Pearcey pointed out a particular reporter with an enraged look on her face while attending the Privileged Planet event. “See that reporter. She’s from the New York Times. She’s really hostile.” The NY Times reporter practically had smoke coming out of her ears from rage…so much for impartial reporters reporting on ID.
But one of the most important Discovery Institute’s projects (perhaps the most important, imho) is also based in DC and out of the same office where the Dr. Berlinski’s book Release Party will be celebrated.
See: http://www.Disco-Tech.org
Regarding the DC DI office or events near the DC DI office, over the last 3 years, I’ve seen visiting there:
Rob Crowther, Mark Ryland, Casey Luskin, John West, Bruce Chapman, Guillermo Gonzalez, Jay Richards, Michael Behe, Jonathan Wells, Tom Woodward, Stephen Meyer, Pam Winnick, [I probably missed a few names]
So you never know who you might run into there!
Dave Scot,
True, good point.
Frost122585,
I wish I could go. I live too far away though. You should definantly go though! Let us all know how it went.
though, though!
I should really concentrate on my work. haha.
DaveScot, I don’t think PZM wears brass knuckles or any other weaponry. Anyway he probably won’t be there; DC is a far cry from Minnesota, where PZ lives and where he was expelled from an Expelled screening.