Scientific Spirit of American Humanism

The Scientific Spirit of American Humanism explores how liberal intellectuals reshaped American religious and secular institutions to promote a more democratic, science-centered society. It traces the development of humanism through the networks of friendships and institutional relationships, examining the conflict between religious conservatives and the secular culture of the academy. It also uncovers a less known story about the conflict within humanism between two different visions of science.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 06 October 2020
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

The story of how prominent liberal intellectuals reshaped American religious and secular institutions to promote a more democratic, science-centered society is a fascinating one. Recent polls show that a quarter of Americans claim to have no religious affiliation, identifying instead as atheists, agnostics, or nothing in particular. A century ago, a small group of American intellectuals who dubbed themselves humanists tread this same path, turning to science as a major source of spiritual sustenance. In The Scientific Spirit of American Humanism, Stephen P. Weldon tells the fascinating story of this group as it developed over the twentieth century, following the fortunes of a few generations of radical ministers, academic philosophers, and prominent scientists who sought to replace traditional religion with a modern, liberal, scientific outlook.

Weldon explores humanism through the networks of friendships and institutional relationships that underlay it, from philosophers preaching in synagogues and ministers editing articles of Nobel laureates to magicians invoking the scientific method. Examining the development of an increasingly antagonistic engagement between religious conservatives and the secular culture of the academy, Weldon explains how this conflict has shaped the discussion of science and religion in American culture. He also uncovers a less known—but equally influential—story about the conflict within humanism itself between two very different visions of science: an aspirational, democratic outlook held by the followers of John Dewey on the one hand, and a skeptical, combative view influenced by logical positivism on the other.

Putting America's distinctive science talk into historical perspective, Weldon shows how events such as the Pugwash movement for nuclear disarmament and the rise of the New Atheism in the 1990s helped to shape the debate over science and religion in American culture. He also explores the ways in which humanism has influenced other movements, such as the civil rights movement and the environmental movement, and how it continues to shape the way we think about science, religion, and society today.

In conclusion, The Scientific Spirit of American Humanism is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of science, religion, and society in America. Weldon's engaging and accessible style makes the story accessible to a wide range of readers, and his insights into the complex relationship between science and religion are thought-provoking and relevant to contemporary debates.

Weight: 502g
Dimension: 161 x 235 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421438580