The Summer Session consists of three course modules. You may register for them individually or take all three at a reduced price. (See Costs)

The Future of Unbelief (July 5–11)

Is unbelief undergoing a renaissance, or is it threatened by the forces of unreason and superstition?  In the past two years, books by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Victor Stenger and Christopher Hitchens have raised popular awareness of the strong tradition of skepticism and atheism that have fueled the western intellectual tradition since antiquity.  In this course, we will read and discuss the future direction of non-belief, agnosticism, and atheism as vital components of the modern understanding of the natural world, the moral universe, and human values. 

The course will feature some of the most prominent contributors to the discussion of these issues and will include media presentations of the religious Right's assault on secular philosophies.  Students will have an opportunity to debate and discuss their own views in planned forums on specific issues related to the theme.

Instructors: Paul Kurtz, Tom Flynn, Charles Echelbarger, Julian Baggini, Ophelia Benson (keynote)

The Immorality of Religious Ethics (July 12–16)

Is it moral to be religious?  Many secular persons would argue that religious doctrine is an obstruction to critical thinking, and thus actually inhibits our ability to make ethical decisions.  The role of church, synagogue and mosque in regulating individual and social behavior has been dominant in world history for the last two millennia.  Should those roles go unquestioned? In an exploration of positive humanist and secular alternatives to religious codes, this module traces the history of rule-based and religious ethics and uses contemporary cases to illustrate the need for reason-based approaches to the pressing moral dilemmas of our time. Is it moral to be religious? 

Instructors: John Shook, R. Joseph Hoffmann, David Koepsell, and guests

Honest Doubt: Science and Skepticism for Everyone (July 17–22)

Many humanists take the scientific paradigm for granted.  But for vast numbers of people in the United States and elsewhere, the skeptical way of looking at life, nature, and events is largely unknown or thought to be threatening. What are the building blocks of an adequate, scientific image of the universe and the place we inhabit within it? Doubt, evidence-based inquiry, and skepticism are the trademarks of critical and informed thinking. How do we practice the imperative to doubt and question without becoming cynical?

Instructors: Jeremy Stangroom, Joe Nickell, Mitchell Stephens