The May 27 meeting is coming up soon — Zehrs Community Room, Big Bay Point Rd. and #11 at 7pm. Coffee tea and juice will be available for donations of $2 to cover costs.

And of course those who would like to meet that day for dinner at our usual Swiss Chalet — 85 Barrie View Drive — see you there at 5pm.

This month’s topic: Reinventing the Sacred

I will critically review the important and deeply provocative ideas contained in scientist-philosopher Stewart Kauffman’s latest book – Reinventing the Sacred. Dr. Kauffman was the first to mathematically show how the origin and evolution of life critically depends on nature’s myriad self-organizing processes. Now he convincingly demonstrates that the universe possesses a “ceaseless creativity” from which emerge such stunningly diverse phenomena as the biosphere, culture, economics, self-awareness, moral principles, and much much more. He also shows why science will never be able to predict the detailed unfolding of these phenomena. This unpredictable, stupendous creativity is the true source of mystery, and of the sacred. Indeed, Prof. Kauffman argues that it is a natural notion of God worthy of superseding all others. Food for secular humanist rumination, indeed!

Bonus: I will also summarize my discussions with Stewart in which we agree to disagree about the nature of mind. Copies of Reinventing the Sacred will be available for a donation.

Download the audio for the May edition of this presentation: MP3

Download the slides for the November edition of this presentation: PPT

Paul
President, COHA