For many centuries scientists and philosophers believed that with the advance of scientific knowledge, literacy, and education, humankind could become liberated from ancient fears and superstitions so that a wiser and more humane ethical outlook could develop. It was believed that scientific inquiry could be applied to moral values and modify them in the light of their causes, rational consistency, and a regard for empirical consequences. This viewpoint is sympathetic to the classical attempt to apply reason to conduct, and it is consonant with the Enlightenment goal of achieving human progress. Many people were thus committed to using science to reconstruct the traditional sources of morality and to form entrenched socio-political-economic institutions.

First, many religionists hold that without belief in God and in absolute religious commandments, no moral standards are possible (a pre-modern view). Second, postmodernists, while skeptical of religious metaphysics, are likewise skeptical of science, believing that it offers its own mythology and that consequently no progressive emancipation agenda is possible for humanity. Third, many scientists and philosophers have in the past held that science deals with facts and that moral values are based on passions and feelings. Hence, it was held that science cannot help frame rational moral judgment.

This conference will challenge these assumptions and bring to the fore a renewed challenge to integrate the sciences and ethics as disciplines.

Speakers include Susan Jacoby, Vern Bullough, I. Louis Horowitz, John Novak, Owen Flanagan, Paul Kurtz, Barry Beyerstein, Bernard Patten, David B. Resnik, Christopher W. DiCarlo, Bill Rottschaefer, Sanal Edamaruku, Donald B. Calne, Wallace Sampson, Oliver Curry, Jillian Scott McIntosh, and James Alcock.

For more information, see http://www.centerforinquiry.net/conference-2004.html.
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Grants Available for Upcoming CFI Conference

CFA is pleased to announce that it will make available six grants of $350 each for students who wish to attend the Center for Inquiry's upcoming conference in Toronto entitled, Science and Ethics: How Scientific Inquiry Helps Frame Value Judgments being held May 13th through the 16th. The grants are intended to help defray the costs of attending the conference, such as travel expenses, registration and hotel accommodations.

Conference grants will be awarded to current CFA student members, and preference will be given to those who would be unable to attend the conference without financial assistance from CFA. Students wishing to apply for a CFA conference grant should send an e-mail with the following information to DJ Grothe at djgrothe@centerforinquiry.net: