The Center for Inquiry Transnational in Amherst N.Y. announces the Naturalism Research Project, a major new effort to develop the theoretical and practical applications of philosophical naturalism. CFI’s libraries, research facilities, and conference areas will be available to scientists and scholars to advance the understanding of science’s methodologies and conclusions about naturalism. Philosophical naturalism is a worldview based on reason and science, without appeal to religious mythology or mysticism, which can be intelligently applied to improve the human condition. The need for defending philosophical naturalism has never been greater, as the dogmatic forces of supernaturalism and superstition continue to exert excessive control over humanity. The Center for Inquiry is among the leaders of the crucial intellectual battle against these forces of ignorance and irrationality.
Activities of the Naturalism Research Project will include lectures and seminars by visiting fellows and scholars; academic conferences; and support CFI publications of important research. Among the central issues of naturalism include the exploration of varieties of naturalism; problems in philosophy of science; the methodologies of scientific inquiry; naturalism and humanism; naturalistic ethics; planetary ethics; and naturalism and the biosciences.
The Naturalism Research Project is directed by John Shook, Vice President for Research, and formerly a professor of philosophy at Oklahoma State University. Prominent scholars who have joined the Naturalism Research Project’s Advisory Committee include Mario Bunge (Philosophy, McGill University), Arthur Caplan (Bioethics, Univ. of Pennsylvania), David Chalmers (Australian National University), Paul Draper (Philosophy, Purdue University), Owen Flanagan (Philosophy, Duke University), Philip Kitcher (Philosophy, Columbia University), Paul Kurtz (Chairman, Center for Inquiry Transnational), Valerií Kuvakin (Philosophy, Moscow State University), Manuel A. Paz y Miño (Philosophy, Ricardo Palma University, Peru), Steven Pinker (Psychology, Harvard University), Huw Price (Philosophy, University of Sydney), Hilary Putnam (Philosophy, Harvard University), John Searle (Philosophy, Univ. of California, Berkeley), Stephen Weinberg (Physics, University of Texas), and E. O. Wilson (Zoology, Harvard University).
Conferences
The first large conference of the Naturalism Research Project will be on “The Future of Naturalism” on 20–22 September 2007 at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, N.Y. Prominent scholars who will speak include: John Peter Anton (University of South Florida), Akeel Bilgrami (Columbia University), Arthur Caplan (University of Pennsylvania), Randall Dipert (University at Buffalo), Paul Draper (Purdue University), Owen Flanagan (Duke University), Ronald Giere (University of Minnesota), James Gouinlock (Emory University), Adolf Grünbaum (University of Pittsburgh), Terry Horgan (University of Arizona), Hilary Kornblith (University of Massachusetts), Paul Kurtz (Center for Inquiry), John Lachs (Vanderbilt University), Brian Leiter (University of Texas), Isaac Levi (Columbia University), Joseph Margolis (Temple University), Lynn Hankinson Nelson (University of Washington), Laura Purdy (Wells College), Nicholas Rescher (University of Pittsburgh), David Rosenthal (City University of New York), John Ryder (State University of New York), Charlene Haddock Seigfried (Purdue University), Harvey Siegel (University of Miami), John E. Smith (Yale University), Ernest Sosa (Brown University), Victor J. Stenger (University of Hawaii), Michael Tye (University of Texas).
The 2007 Graduate Student Conference on "Philosophy of Science" was held on April 14, 2007 at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, New York. Keynote Address by Stephen Leeds, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Sponsored by The University at Buffalo Graduate Philosophical Association, The Charles S. Peirce Professorship and The Center for Inquiry.
Publications
The Center for Inquiry publishes 19 journals and newsletters. Several of these publications are concerned with the naturalistic worldview and its practical implications for life, including the following:
Philo: A Journal of Philosophy
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Center for Inquiry announces a call for papers for its popular magazine Free Inquiry or its philosophy journal Philo. The invited topic is “What is Naturalism?” as part of the Naturalism Research Project.
Specifically, we encourage authors to undertake any one, or combination of, the following questions: (1) What should be the most accurate and useful definition of philosophical naturalism? (2) Are there popular or philosophical understandings of philosophical naturalism or its implications which require substantial criticism and revision? (3) What are some important practical implications of philosophical naturalism? (4) How can we better understand the relationships between kinds of naturalisms, such as epistemological naturalism, methodological naturalism, ontological naturalism, and scientism? (5) What is the relationship between naturalism and physicalism? (6) Is there some variety of philosophical naturalism which deserves closer examination and possibly wider acceptance? (7) Does some criticism of philosophical naturalism deserve closer examination and development so it might seriously challenge the naturalistic worldview? (8) Do any recent developments in philosophy of science suggest a needed revision to commonly accepted understandings of philosophical naturalism?
Submission of a paper is understood to imply that it is original, has not already been published in whole or in substantial part elsewhere, and is not currently under consideration by any other journal. We are accepting submissions by e-mail attachment in .rtf or .doc format. Submissions are peer reviewed, so your paper should omit self-identifying information. An abstract of not more than 100 words should be placed at the start of the paper. There is no deadline for submissions, as we will be regularly publishing papers about naturalism in both journals during the coming years.
Papers for Free Inquiry, www.secularhumanism.org, may be between 1500 and 3000 words, should avoid a technical style, and not use footnotes (text references to items listed in a bibliography is ok). Submissions to Free Inquiry go to John Shook, jshook@centerforinquiry.net. Papers intended for Philo will be held to the usual standards of philosophical sophistication and contribution to advancing knowledge. Information for authors is at www.philoonline.org/submit.htm. Submissions to Philo go to Paul Draper, pdraper@purdue.edu.
Visiting Fellows and Scholars Program
The Center for Inquiry awards visiting research fellowships and scholarships in the areas of the borderlands of science; religion, ethics, and society; medicine and mental health. All relevant disciplines are welcome. While in residence at the Center for Inquiry's main branch at the State University of New York at Buffalo, fellows and scholars typically conduct research and publish in CFI or other journals; deliver public presentations; participate in conferences, seminars, and symposia; and interact with the university community.
