Paul Winter Kurtz (21 December 1925 – 20 October 2012) was an American philosopher, scientific sceptic, and secular humanist, widely called "the father of secular humanism." He was the founder and longtime chair of the organisation now known as the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), formerly the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP).[1]
Early life and war service
Kurtz was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Martin and Sarah Kurtz. He enrolled briefly at Washington Square College of New York University before enlisting in the U.S. Army during the Second World War, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and serving with a unit that liberated the Dachau concentration camp.[1] He carried a copy of Plato's Republic with him throughout the war, an experience he later credited with solidifying his lifelong commitment to philosophy.[2] After being demobilised, he resumed his studies at New York University, where an encounter with pragmatic naturalist philosopher Sidney Hook — a student of John Dewey — became what Kurtz called "his most important intellectual experience."[2] He went on to complete an MA and PhD at Columbia University.[3]
Academic career
Kurtz taught philosophy at Vassar, Trinity, and Union colleges and the New School for Social Research before joining the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1965, where he remained until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1991.[2]
Founding CSICOP
In April 1976, Kurtz and others founded the world's first organisation dedicated solely to the scientific investigation of paranormal claims at a conference at SUNY Buffalo, attended by Isaac Asimov, Martin Gardner, and James Randi among others. Originally named the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), the word "Scientific" and the organisation's broader framing were partly intended to distinguish its work from ideological or politically motivated scepticism.[1] CSICOP launched Skeptical Inquirer as its flagship magazine the same year.
Secular humanism and the Center for Inquiry
Kurtz founded the independent publishing house Prometheus Books in 1969, which went on to issue over 1,000 titles critiquing pseudoscience and supernatural claims.[4] In 1980, he founded the Council for Secular Humanism and its magazine Free Inquiry, for which he served as editor-in-chief, and helped draft A Secular Humanist Declaration the same year.[4] In 1991, Kurtz founded the Center for Inquiry (CFI) as an umbrella organisation bringing together CSICOP, the Council for Secular Humanism, and his other institutions, with the stated goal of promoting and defending "science, reason, and free inquiry in all aspects of human endeavor."[5] He also served as co-chair of the International Humanist and Ethical Union from 1986 to 1994.[3]
Later years
Kurtz departed from the Center for Inquiry in 2010, going on to found the Institute for Science and Human Values. He authored more than fifty books over his career, many translated into multiple languages.[2]
Death
Kurtz died on 20 October 2012 in Amherst, New York, aged 86.[1] The American Humanist Association described the loss of "one of secular humanism's most prominent advocates."[6]
See also
- Skepticism
- Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
- Martin Gardner
- James Randi
- Ray Hyman
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Paul Kurtz (1925-2012)."Free Inquiry.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Paul Kurtz, Father of Secular Humanism, dies aged 86."The Skeptic (UK).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Paul Kurtz."HandWiki.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Paul Kurtz."Grokipedia.
- ↑ "Legacy."Kurtz Institute.
- ↑ "Memories of Paul Kurtz."Center for Inquiry.