The film Synecdoche, New York has been released on DVD recently and I highly recommend it. I managed to catch the film while it was still on at cinemas and I was very impressed. Written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, who wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it is characteristically innovative and unusual. The film has polarised audiences and this doesn’t surprise me. Synecdoche, New York has a difficult theme and no clear resolution. Running throughout the tale of one man’s attempt to create his lifetime masterpiece is the context of death and the threat of obsolescence. It is a very powerful tale of human struggle and mortal frailty with the underlying questions: What has he done with his life? Was it a life worth living?

For the humanist, meaning is something that individuals create for themselves in their own life. The protagonist of Synecdoche, New York, Caden Cotard, is trying to create his own meaning and realisation through his work as a theatre director, as well as through the relationships with people in his personal life, but he is struggling with his own limits and his indecision and uncertainty. The narrative of the timeline and story is unconventional but very successful at what it attempts to convey. The film shows us the world as Caden Cotard sees it, what he perceives and what has significance for him. It illustrates very well how selective people are in their intake of the world. The things we notice or focus on, the things that have meaning for us and the things we don’t see because we’re not looking. Years fly by in an instant and circumstances change without any real understanding of how it all happened. People move in and out of his life and one gets the sense that our protagonist feels that he has remained the same while the lives of his friends and acquaintances have progressed and moved on. He feels left behind and confused.

How do we define a life well lived? Is it through success and ambition? Our protagonist is the recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant, a huge accolade which will enable him to realise his true artistic vision as a theatre director, yet he remains uncertain and dissatisfied. Surely, success cannot be the only measure of a life or a person’s worth? What about relationships? Cotard has various friends and lovers and children but still he struggles to connect with people. Is it our interactions with other people that make our lives meaningful? But, surely, we cannot place all our hopes and dreams on the idea of one relationship that will make our lives complete or the impossible idea of living in complete harmony with others? Relationships are complex and we cannot know the minds of others. While we must do the best we can to navigate our way through the world with respect and courtesy, we risk overlooking what we have if we are constantly seeking perfection. If it is not what we achieve, is it then whether we have achieved happiness or enlightenment? Is it more realistic to make our goals those of spreading joy and reaching a greater understanding of ourselves and our world? These may be more accessible goals than the previous ones but do we not also place a huge burden on ourselves if we demand of ourselves perfect contentment or a progression towards infinite wisdom?

Maybe we ask too much of ourselves if we develop the expectation that when our lives end we can do some calculation and hope that the total sum comes out positive. Was the life of Synedoche’s Caden Cotard a success or a failure? Was it worthwhile or did he waste too many opportunities, make too many mistakes or spend too much time worrying about it all? What about his achievements, his relationships and his personal development? I don’t think we can ever reduce someone’s life down to a single value judgment and then re-evaluate every moment of that life in accordance with that value. Lives are a profusion of moments and interwoven threads, and I’m not sure we can ever fully understand them or their meaning. Maybe all we can do is live them.

I have recently moved to a new neighbourhood and while taking advantage of the free wifi at my local library I also took the opportunity to dig around in their shelves. There I made the pleasant discovery of a small and somewhat random philosophy section where I unearthed a recent offering from the British philosopher Julian Baggini. Baggini is a member of the Humanist Philosophers Group and one whose work I had not yet read so I decided to check him out, literally. The book I selected was The Duck that Won the Lottery: and 99 Other Bad Arguments published in 2008 by Granta.

The book is laid out as one hundred little snippets of analysis each one starting with an example of a bad argument in action, a label identifying which type it is and a full discussion. The discussion is then followed by some questions and ideas to think about to put the reader’s new found analytical skills to use and there are cross references to other related arguments in the book. Baggini writes in a very accessible and modern style, taking his examples from across the board, catching out among others: atheists, theists, politicians (Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, USA Democrats, USA Republicans), scientists, celebrities (actors, musicians) vegetarians, pacifists, capitalists, anti-capitalists, intelligent design proponents, newspapers (Guardian, Independent, Observer, Telegraph, Times) and many more still.

The freshness of the material, the straight-forward writing and the well-structured chunks makes it perfect for those who appreciate the focus and impact of a well-written blog. I devoured this book while sitting on the tube, cooking pasta, waiting to meet friends and putting off other work. The stand alone sections make it really easy to dip into the book whenever you have a spare minute or want something stimulating. While it does mention the work of philosophers occasionally when relevant, the focus is on the argument at hand so the reader is not put off by the usual “Plato said…” style of philosophical writing which can make the reader feel ignorant before a concept has even been introduced. Nor is the author too arrogant or condescending. Baggini freely admits that we all make these errors at times and does not exclude himself from this at all. There is no sense that the author is using the book to taunt or condescend others as he chooses a wide range of sources from a number of view points and is careful always to assess the argument and not the overall position.

One thing that struck me as I read the book was that it would make a great resource for group discussions. In particular, I thought the length of a chapter might lend itself very well to a quick discussion after the register has been taken at school. This should not be taken to mean that I think it does not make suitable material for adults. On the contrary, I think these are great ways to kick start discussion on a variety of topics, be they new or old, and from a range of perspectives. With one hundred examples, there’s plenty to choose from and Baggini equips the reader with plenty of tools to use. It would be a great way to get a group to open up and start talking without necessarily having to navigate the minefield of well-entrenched, personally held views.

In summary, this is a very enjoyable thought provoking book which lets the reader think for themselves and maybe even gain a little humility. Try buying it for someone who enjoyed Ben Goldacre’s Bad Science and who thinks they know everything. There is something to be learned from the philosophers still. Now that I’ve returned it to the library, I’m going to keep an eye out for a copy for myself that I can dip into every now and then…

One of my favourite ways to define Humanism is to say that it’s the belief that we can live good lives based on reason and compassion. The British Humanist Association also refers to ’shared human values’ which adds another dimension to the discussion. While that’s a nice succinct description of the philosophy I use to live my life, it begs the question of how one lives a life based on reason and compassion. We’d all like to think that we’re perfectly rational and reasonable individuals with a clear idea of where to draw the lines but how should I hone my reasoning skills and open my mind to the perspectives and experiences of others?

Where can one learn about reason?

Philosophy – One of the realisations I have had since finding myself part of the current blossoming Humanist movement is that I really need to start reading philosophy. I need to know what the arguments are for my ethical positions and what the implications are for the different possible stances.

Science – I’d like to think that I have a good basic grounding in this one, but it is essential to learn how to explore and examine the world around us. Learning how to look at evidence and isolate problems helps us tease apart causation, coincidence and correlation. That, and advances in science and technology have benefited us greatly and it’s worth having at least a basic understanding.

Where can one learn about compassion?

Literature – Stories, poems and plays open our minds to new situations and perspectives. They fill us with descriptions of places unknown and sights unseen or provide new perspectives for things we thought we already knew. Readers and audiences identify with characters and experience the complexities and nuances which reason struggles to communicate.

Art & Music – Art can seek to be an  accurate representation or it can focus on expressing pure emotion. Likewise, music. If literature changes perspectives, art and music seek to communicate every shade and tone of emotion and experience. They are a feast for the senses, stretching human perception to its capacities and asking us to experience the world anew.

What about those ’shared human values’?

Law & Politics – One direct method of investigating the values of a community is to look at their laws. Which are the values they hold in common and share as a community? Throughout the world, societies consider it wrong to lie, steal, cheat and kill. Politics shows us how societies choose to organise themselves and distribute power. How do they decide who has representation and why? These areas do not offer a complete moral guide but they do give us a starting point to look at these issues.

Religious Education – For many societies, much of the education and debate about moral issues takes place in the realm of religious groups and discussions. In order to understand other people, it makes sense to learn about the different world views and beliefs that people hold. There is a strong tradition of moral and cultural values being passed through religious teachings and stories. Religious beliefs and instruction provide the moral framework for how many people live their lives and as such, it greatly benefits the humanist to learn about and discuss these ideas.

There are many other areas of knowledge and study that also contribute to our understanding of the world and ourselves which I could also mention but I feel these are good places to start.

What subjects or ideas are you thinking about or studying in order to develop your thinking about the world and your beliefs? Feel free to post links that you’ve found interesting or helpful.

Recently, I was reading Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet. It is the second in a series of graphic novels telling the story of a young woman, Aya, growing up on the Ivory Coast during the late 1970s. The joys and worries of the characters are themes universal among people growing up anywhere but the pages are rich with the colours, styles and sounds of the author’s childhood home. As an extra in the back of the book, Abouet includes some recipes, tips and explanations relating to the story and its environs. One part of this is an explanation of the attitude to raising children and the ritual that happens when a child is born. I thought the ritual sounded like a great example of a non-religious cultural ritual or ceremony so I’ve included an excerpt below.

The baby and you are promptly looked after.
Your mother heats some water and massages your whole body, especially the belly. Next she slathers you in shea butter and you go shower. Then she slathers you in shea butter again and wraps your belly (if you haven’t had a caesarian, of course). Afterward, she dresses you and does your hair (you couldn’t get better treatment at a spa).

During this time, a team made up of your grandmother (if you still have one) and great aunts takes care of your baby. They massage its head with a warm washcloth (so that it’s head becomes nice and round) and then its whole body (to make it nice and firm). When that’s done, the baby is washed, slathered in lotion and dusted with “Bebe d’Or” talcum powder or other things, then dressed in pretty clothes.

Meawhile, another team made up of female cousins, sisters-in-law and tanties makes a delicious meal, and then it’s time to sit down to eat! You come out of your room beautiful and glowing (thanks to the shea butter) and you enjoy the special meal (that you requested) under the happy gaze of your whole family.

When you have finished your meal, your beautiful baby is returned to you so you can nurse it (yup, that’s right you’ve got to work just a little bit). After it burps, you put it down to sleep, and you can take a well-deserved nap and rest easy because your baby is being watched over by dozens of people.

The author then goes on to describe the father’s part in all this and how the baby is welcomed into the community.

While the gender roles sound a little conventional and I’m not sure whether some might find that the company a little overwhelming it does sound like I lovely way to be surrounded and supported at a very important and slightly daunting time. It sounds here that with all their needs taken care of the new parents can just concentrate on the new arrival as well as taking a well-earned rest after the birth. Also, being slathered with shea butter before and after a hot shower also sounds pretty appealing!

If you’ve enjoyed reading about this, why not try the comics?

Today I would like to make one thing clear: there is no such thing as race. Join in with me this time. There is no such thing as race. ‘Race’ as we commonly refer to it in our current language usage only describes superficial differences in skin colour and other superficial physical features and not even consistently at that. In this post, I’m going to discuss points raised in a talk given by the science writer Kenan Malik this year as part of the British Humanist Association’s Voltaire lecture series. Finally, I will discuss the responsibility that a rational humanist community has to reject and fight racism.

The talk Kenan Malik gave was entitled The Guilt of Science? Race, Science and Darwin. He discusses the history of ‘race science’ and how it developed through the ages. I won’t aim to reproduce his lecture here but I will discuss some interesting points. As any researcher knows it’s not just the data that is important, it’s also the questions one asks. Scientific research is as much influenced by the attitudes and commonly held assumptions of the day as it is the idea of a logical progression from one piece of knowledge to the next. Early scientists used their limited tools of observation to categorise and rationalise their experiences of other cultures. It occurred to them that the Linnean system of biological classification could be applied to humans. Darwin’s theory that species arose from natural selection pressures during evolution meant that humans could be firmly placed in the animal kingdom among the other primates so why not classify different kinds of humans? Travellers to different continents found the people they encountered to be so strange and alien with their different cultures, languages and looks that they assumed them to be entirely different creatures. They were entirely mistaken.

As the adage goes, if you prick us, we all bleed the same. The discovery of DNA and the ongoing expansion in the understanding of the human genome demonstrates quite clearly that race is an entirely unsupportable concept. If you look at DNA samples taken from people from all over the world you will not find any clear boundaries or markers that separate one distinct group of humans from another. But, you may say, there are known differences between groups of people. For example, what about the predominance of sickle cell anaemia among the african population? This is an interesting case in point.

Early studies in the USA showed that sickle cell anaemia was particularly common among African Americans. This led to the assumption that sickle cell was an especially african condition. This wasn’t the full story though. It turns out that a great proportion  of the African American population came (or more accurately, was taken) from certain regions of Africa. These were areas where malaria was a particular danger. Carrying a single sickle cell gene is a good defence against malaria, but carrying more than that creates a condition which shortens your life expectancy. In other areas of Africa where malaria is not a threat, the population does not carry this gene. Similarly, in areas on other continents where malaria is a problem, the population will tend to carry the sickle cell gene.

This illustrates an important point, we’re not looking at ‘races’, we’re looking at populations. There is no white race, or black race or any other hue or characteristic, there is only the observation that populations that settle in the same area will tend to develop genetic similarities if left long enough. We could have cut this entire article short if we’d just raised the question of what happens if a child has a parent deemed to be of one race and a parent deemed to be of another. What ‘race’ would that child be? And what does race mean exactly if you can mix it up and blur the lines completely so easily?

The answer is that race means nothing. It is a concept that derives from social prejudices against people from another culture or appearance from one’s own. If you’re going to discriminate on skin colour and slight differences in facial features then you may as well discriminate on eye colour or the shape of people’s ears. While there may be populations who share some characteristics after some relative geographical isolation, there is no real difference between one human being and another.

So how does this relate to Humanism? Humanism believes in using reason and compassion to guide our actions and create our world. Racism is an ignorant superstition that has no place in our world and causes great harm. We need to make clear that it is not acceptable, and to educate those who believe otherwise. Some of us are confronted with the fact of racism on a daily basis in our personal lives, and for those of us who are lucky enough not to be, we need to educate ourselves about the reality of racism. There is clear evidence for racism. Look at the data on victims of violence or harassment, the justice system, education, poverty, representation in business, the media and politics. Where we see discrepancies and irregularities, we need to stop, investigate why it is happening and think about what we can do to change it.

Superstitions aren’t always religious or obvious to everyone.

You may also wish to read posts by Greta Christina discussing racism and sexism in the Atheist community: Part 1, Part 2.

At the beginning of the year I spent three months volunteering at the British Humanist Association (BHA) as a part-time intern. The internship consisted of helping the campaigns team as a campaigns assistant, as well as helping with events and other tasks. I thought it might be useful to share my experiences and explain how it came about for anyone else who is curious or interested in working for a humanist organisation.

How did it come about?

I had just submitted my PhD and was thinking of approaching the BHA when my friend spotted that they were advertising for a part-time three month Campaigns Assistant internship. I prepared a CV and cover letter detailing my previous involvement with humanism (e.g. university societies) and explaining how much I would love to work for a humanist organisation. A couple of good friends read it over for me and made suggestions, then I sent it in and hoped it would be successful. A few weeks later, I received a phone call asking me if I would like to come to London for an interview. At the interview itself, I was asked a bit about myself, my skills and my interest in humanism. It was all quite friendly and pleasant but I was still quite nervous. Later, they phoned to offer me the position and I was delighted to accept.

What did it involve?

Assisting the campaigns team meant that I got to be at the heart of the campaigning work and see exactly what was involved. Part of my work involved monitoring press as well as keeping track of consultations and legislation in parliament. I helped research topics, prepare briefings and handle correspondence. That said, there were also plenty of other more mundane tasks that needed to be done. I also set my hand to some good old-fashioned envelope stuffing, photocopying, data entry, proof reading and sending out requested materials. Because the number of staff at the BHA is relatively small I was able to meet staff working in ceremonies and hear about their work too. Another perk was helping with the public lectures hosted by the BHA such as the Darwin Day Lecture. I had the opportunity to hear talks by Daniel Dennett, Kenan Malik and David King chaired by BHA president Polly Toynebee or vice president Richard Dawkins.

What did I get from it?

All in all, this has been a great experience. I learned lots about the BHA and helped a cause that is very important to me. It’s given me experience of working as part of a team in an office environment and it helped keep me sane while I was working on the corrections for my thesis. I would recommend it to anyone who is passionate about humanism and interested in working in a humanist organisation and making a contribution. If this appeals to you then I encourage you to prepare your CV, write a cover letter and get in touch with some of your favourite organisations. They might not be able to offer you an internship but there may well be a need for regular volunteers. Don’t forget that local groups nearly always need committed people to keep them up and running and invigorated. The best way to create the kind of humanist community that you’d like to see is to get involved and make it happen!

The 42nd Humanist Symposium is ready to read over at The Greenbelt. I have an older piece in there on Diversity and there are contributions from authors all over the web on a wide range of topics from atheism to torture and sex to common sense. Is 42 really the answer to life the universe and everything? You’ll just have to see for yourself! Don’t forget that you can submit your articles to the Humanist Symposium blog carnival or offer to host an edition.

Enjoy!

It’s time I made some long overdue updates to my blogroll. there are some interesting folks I’d like you to meet.

Alms for Ashes is the new blog from another young british atheist who was a founding member of the National Federation for Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies (AHS). Under the name Mennochio he expounds his thoughts on atheism, skepticism and social critique. Enjoy.

Samantha Stein is the founder and director for Camp Quest UK. After volunteering for Camp Quest Michigan in 2007, Samantha decided it would be a good idea to bring the idea to the UK. The first Camp Quest UK successfully took place this year and attracted a lot of media interest. This is but the first step to atheist superstardom…

Andrew West was the man of the hour on the Atheist Plinth who taught a ragtag bunch of atheists, humanists and passersby the choreography to ‘Thriller’ as a celebration of atheism and dance. He studies photography and is currently the official photographer for the Brtish Humanist Association. Keep an eye out for his upcoming projects.

On Sunday 4th August, the Atheist Bus Campaign moved onto the next level. As part of the One and Other project, excellent photographer for the British Humanist Association and all around nice guy Andrew West took an original atheist bus sign onto the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square and taught the assembled crowd the choreography for the Michael Jackson song Thriller as a celebration of atheism and dance. I was lucky enough to be there and experience the thrill first-hand.

The weather that day was glorious with a clear blue sky, bright sunshine and some light breezes. I was there with a couple of friends and slowly but surely amidst the idle groups of tourists there emerged some familiar faces from the Central London Humanist Group and people with atheist bus campaign t-shirts. Finally, the cherry picker started carrying Andrew up to the Plinth and his supporters and backing troupe started assembling ourselves in front of the Plinth. Andrew introduced himself and then started carefully assembling his full size atheist bus campaign sign which stood proudly at the edge of the plinth. Back on the ground, we looked at each other nervously and started clearing a space for the dancing while trying to entice onlookers to join us. Then, the PA was ready, the space was ready and the dancers looked up to Andrew for our first instructions.

Andrew started off by showing the group the first few moves and introducing them to the timing. People looked on, dancers beckoned to reluctant friends to join and the first refrains of music started to play. Unfortunately, I missed the first few sections as I was weaving through the crowd handing out leaflets, explaining what was happening and encouraging more people to join in. After a while the dancing looked like too much fun so I took a deep breath and joined in with some other newcomers on the backrow and I started to learn the next section. It took a couple of goes to get into the swing of it but within five minutes I was ghouling and gurning with the rest of them joined by a small group of spanish teenage girls who were evidently on a school trip.

It was a fantastic event. We hadn’t learned all of it by the end of the hour but we had a respectable routine which went to the end of the chorus and a solid crowd of onlookers cheering, tapping their feet and shaking their hips. We raised awareness of atheism and humanism and showed that atheists and humanists do have a sense of fun and know how to have a good time.

The whole event can be viewed online at the One and the Other page for Krypto, and if you want to see the final run through of the dance it’s at 55 minutess and 14 seconds into the video. It is possible to learn the dance yourself by watching the whole thing and joining in. Bob Churchill from the British Humanist Association was there filming the event (as well as bringing the bus sign!) so there may well be something up on the BHA YouTube channel too in the future. Andrew West’s account of his experience up on the Plinth can be found here and here.

Today I was pleased to discover the appearance of the new humanist blog ‘Time Out of Mind‘. This latest offering comes from Stuart, former president of the Edinburgh University Humanist Society and Penicuik’s finest rock’n'roll skeptic. Stuart promises to apply his sparkling wit and skills of reasoning to any preposterous and mighty claims which come his way. Should be a good read.

Welcome Stuart!