Jen McCreight's identification of “Third Wave Atheism” last August 2012 caused a storm in the atheist community. More commonly known as Atheism Plus, it resembles what was historically known as Freethought. Indeed, McCreight even blogs at the atheist community website called Freethought Blogs.
It is not the first rebrand by the internet focused atheist community having also described the contemporary advocates for secular humanism as “New Atheism”. The identification of these currents in terms of waves is a deliberate nod to currents of feminism over time. McCreight argues against sexism in the atheist community and as a feminist might point to the male composition of the atheist community. Third wave atheism concerns itself with social justice and arising from incidents prompting some women to feel less safe at atheist conferences.
As a party opposed to religion, the common ground with Atheism Plus is staggeringly extensive. Like McCreight we find first and second waves of atheism lacking. Rationalwiki.org's entry on Atheism Plus puts it succinctly “McCreight maintained that not all humanists are atheists or skeptical, and that not all skeptics are atheists or humanists.”. We would point to as a notable example arch-libertarian (in the US sense) and editor of Skeptic Magazine (US) Michael Shermer.
He has since become embroiled in the storm, writing a response to Free Inquiry magazine (Feminism Disconnected: A Response to Ophelia Benson and a Caution on Tribalism in Secularism) making some accurate criticisms of the feminism current, but going beyond with attempts to argue for unity (and against division per se) in a way familiar to how we are criticised by the British left. “Given this tribal propensity in human nature to divide people into In-Group/Out-Group and Us v. Them cohorts, we would be wise to not let our various affiliated movements (skeptical, atheist, humanist) be rent asunder.” Non-materialistic nonsense on human nature, of course, surprising from a skeptic but not so from a proprietarian “libertarian”.
Like McCreight we fully support equality and do not accept innate differences between races or genders. However we regard these as false divisions selectively used by the ruling-class. We would not seek to perpetuate these in the working-class movement but to positively facilitating the emancipation of all without distinction.
DJW
It is not the first rebrand by the internet focused atheist community having also described the contemporary advocates for secular humanism as “New Atheism”. The identification of these currents in terms of waves is a deliberate nod to currents of feminism over time. McCreight argues against sexism in the atheist community and as a feminist might point to the male composition of the atheist community. Third wave atheism concerns itself with social justice and arising from incidents prompting some women to feel less safe at atheist conferences.
As a party opposed to religion, the common ground with Atheism Plus is staggeringly extensive. Like McCreight we find first and second waves of atheism lacking. Rationalwiki.org's entry on Atheism Plus puts it succinctly “McCreight maintained that not all humanists are atheists or skeptical, and that not all skeptics are atheists or humanists.”. We would point to as a notable example arch-libertarian (in the US sense) and editor of Skeptic Magazine (US) Michael Shermer.
He has since become embroiled in the storm, writing a response to Free Inquiry magazine (Feminism Disconnected: A Response to Ophelia Benson and a Caution on Tribalism in Secularism) making some accurate criticisms of the feminism current, but going beyond with attempts to argue for unity (and against division per se) in a way familiar to how we are criticised by the British left. “Given this tribal propensity in human nature to divide people into In-Group/Out-Group and Us v. Them cohorts, we would be wise to not let our various affiliated movements (skeptical, atheist, humanist) be rent asunder.” Non-materialistic nonsense on human nature, of course, surprising from a skeptic but not so from a proprietarian “libertarian”.
Like McCreight we fully support equality and do not accept innate differences between races or genders. However we regard these as false divisions selectively used by the ruling-class. We would not seek to perpetuate these in the working-class movement but to positively facilitating the emancipation of all without distinction.
DJW
No comments:
Post a Comment