Category Archives: Recent Discussions

The New Atheism

Posted by Dennis Hayes -

The next Salon will be on held at 7 PM on Wednesday 6 February, also in the Brunswick Inn, when Dolan Cummings will discuss ‘The New Atheism’ and ask ‘What’s the point?’ To register, email: MailTheSalon@aol.com

From the controversy over teaching ‘intelligent design’ in schools, to arguments over prayers at council meetings or religiously based opposition to euthanasia, abortion or gay marriage, atheists have crossed swords with religious believers over a number of issues in recent years. And the critique is not limited to mainstream religion: champions of science, reason and evidence have also sought to expose the pretences of clairvoyants and alternative-health charlatans. Continue reading …

I Will Survive!

Posted by Dennis Hayes -

“I WILL SURVIVE!” The rise of the ‘survivor identity’ and its dangers

At the next East Midlands Salon, author and academic Dr Ken McLaughlin will introduce a discussion of the themes in his controversial book ‘Surviving Identity’

Many individuals and groups today like to self-identify themselves as ‘survivors’ but they are only the more public voice of what Ken calls ‘the survivor ethos. The trends he identifies in his book affect us all. By lowering our expectations of ourselves and each other the prevailing mood is one in which we are all merely ‘survivors’.  Continue reading …

Are children moral?

Posted by Dennis Hayes -

Are children moral?

The next East Midlands Salon will be held on Wednesday 20 June at 7 PM in the Brunswick Inn, Derby, when Nina Powell (University of Birmingham) will present her controversial new research: “Some recent research argues that ground-floor and somewhat sophisticated moral cognition develops as early as 14 months of age. Using my recent research I will argue that the case for an innate moral understanding that expresses itself before the age of 6 or 7-years-old is at best, limited, and at worst, grossly misrepresented in the research. The implications of such misrepresentations of moral development are in misguided efforts to increase moral understanding in the early years through schooling and parenting interventions, as well as an overall problematic view that ignores the complexity and changeability of human beings and the way we think about morality.”