• Work
  • Blog
  • Media
  • About
  • Contact
Menu

Justin Clark

Public Historian & Digital Humanist
  • Work
  • Blog
  • Media
  • About
  • Contact

BLOG

Image: New York TImes

Image: New York TImes

The Exuberant Skepticism of Paul Kurtz

January 15, 2020

Paul Kurtz’s skepticism is so much more than debunking the supernatural or fact-checking dubious claims. It is a powerful tool used in the service of improving ourselves, the lives of others, our societies, and our planet. It is rooted in the Enlightenment tradition of Immanuel Kant, who encouraged us to “sapere aude,” or “dare to know.” We often focus on the “know” part of that phrase, as cliches abound on the importance of knowledge (“knowledge is power,” “knowledge is half the battle,” etc.). Yet, Kurtz’s skepticism also homes in on the value of daring, how seeking knowledge can not only give us the correct answer but can give us a better life. We should dare to know—with all of the successes and failures we’ll find along the way—because that’s what makes life worth living.

Read More
In Philosophy Tags Paul Kurtz, Skepticism, Philosophy, Atheism, Science
Comment

recent

Featured
The Joy of Finitude: Lessons from "The Bicentennial Man”
March 21, 2026
The Joy of Finitude: Lessons from "The Bicentennial Man”
March 21, 2026
March 21, 2026
A Gore Vidal Retrospective: Part 2: Playwright, Essayist, and Provocateur (1956-1974)
January 25, 2026
A Gore Vidal Retrospective: Part 2: Playwright, Essayist, and Provocateur (1956-1974)
January 25, 2026
January 25, 2026
America’s Biographer: A Gore Vidal Retrospective: Part 1: Early Years (1946-1954)
October 3, 2025
America’s Biographer: A Gore Vidal Retrospective: Part 1: Early Years (1946-1954)
October 3, 2025
October 3, 2025
The Politics of Humility: Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural
September 14, 2025
The Politics of Humility: Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural
September 14, 2025
September 14, 2025
Short Book Reviews: American History
July 29, 2025
Short Book Reviews: American History
July 29, 2025
July 29, 2025
Short Book Reviews: Science and Society II
April 16, 2025
Short Book Reviews: Science and Society II
April 16, 2025
April 16, 2025
Crypto and Financial Euphoria
March 17, 2025
Crypto and Financial Euphoria
March 17, 2025
March 17, 2025
Short Book Reviews: Presidential History
February 17, 2025
Short Book Reviews: Presidential History
February 17, 2025
February 17, 2025
Obsession and Desire: Stephen King and John Carpenter’s Christine
January 15, 2025
Obsession and Desire: Stephen King and John Carpenter’s Christine
January 15, 2025
January 15, 2025
Hope in the Machine: Towards a Humanistic Technology
November 1, 2024
Hope in the Machine: Towards a Humanistic Technology
November 1, 2024
November 1, 2024

Powered by Squarespace