My Last Post

SCIENCE is from the Latin for 'knowledge', which philosophically means 'true, justified belief'. It is the ONLY epistemological system that justifies its beliefs. It informs wisdom, reason, and humanism, which maximizes the well-being of individuals and society.

- - - - - - -

The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, with global influences and effects. It included a range of ideas centered on the value of human happiness, the pursuit of knowledge obtained by means of reason and the evidence of the senses, and ideals such as liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state (Wikipedia.com). It helped combat the excesses of the church, establish science as a source of knowledge, and defend human rights against tyranny. It also gave us modern schooling, medicine, republics, representative democracy, and much more (Historyhit.com).

- - - - - - -

The fruits of the Enlightenment are the main cultural forces in the USA against alternatives to medicine, conservatism, religion, and many other anti-science ideas today. CRITICAL THINKING AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT HAVE TO WIN!!!

"It is wrong always and everywhere for anyone to believe anything on insufficient evidence." ~ W, K. Clifford, Evidentialist

_ _ _ _ _

(Sporadically, I will continue to add content to this blog, but will not make new posts (see my Facebook page for that: https://www.facebook.com/thom.raff).) I will only add content here to the Pages above and on prior posts. I view this internet page as a collection of the wisdom I have accumulated over the last several decades that I wish to memorialize. Peace to all.)

Science Enlightens The Darkness

The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries with global influences and effects. It included a range of ideas centered on the value of human happiness, the pursuit of knowledge obtained by means of reason and the evidence of the senses, and ideals such as liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state (Wikipedia.com). It helped combat the excesses of the church, establish science as a source of knowledge, and defend human rights against tyranny. It also gave us modern schooling, medicine, republics, representative democracy, and much more (Historyhit.com).
- - - - - - -
The fruits of the Enlightenment are the main cultural forces in the USA against the Republican Party and conservative Christianity today. THEY HAVE TO WIN!!!

Thomas Paine: Founding Father, Science-Based Thinker

Thomas Paine was not one of the Founding Fathers that easily comes to mind for some people, especially if one is conservative and/or a Christian. As were many of the Founders, Paine was a Deist, which was reasonable prior to the work of Darwin and others regarding evolution. Ironically, Paine, like most traditional conservatives today, was not in favor of a powerful government. Below are a few samples of his quotes, with a link to many more:

https://www.google.com/search?q=thomas+paine+quotes

The Enlightenment Is Under Mortal Attack

Never in the history of the USA has The Enlightenment not been under attack. However, beginning in the 1980s and culminating with the election of Donald Trump, the ideals of it are on their deathbed. Below are some articles discussing this unfortunate condition:

The assault on Enlightenment values is a threat to us all

Progress is neither certain nor irreversible and Enlightenment values are under attack by extremists

The values of liberal arts and enlightenment are under attack

Donald Trump's Assault on the Enlightenment

Remember,