Concerns of Human Reality

What are the concerns of a human being s social reality? Are there, in other words, socially existential fears that humans must deal with? Definitely so, says scientist Nathan Tumazi. Human societies have dealt with these concerns through religion, belief in a God or many Gods, and in the idea of a gendered/sexed essential self. Contrary to popular belief, religion is not harmless, but is, claims the author, actually harmful. Likewise, the claims made for supernatural beings-- whether in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition or in Eastern mysticism--have undoubtedly been refuted by modern science. However, most humans still believe in supernatural agents and plan their lives accordingly. In a world increasingly dominated by advanced technology, including nuclear weapons, it is now more than ever necessary to analyze the claims of religious certainty. Still challenging the status-quo, the author takes up the task of dismantling the idea that the human body is a locus of gendered/sexed ontology and examines the harm this concept causes with examples from biology, language, and electronic media.

Autorentext

Nathan Tumazi is the President and Founder of The Evolutionary Biology Club at the University of California, Irvine where he is an undergraduate in International Studies and Biology. Tumazi also researches chemistry in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is a columnist and poet. He will attend graduate school for neuroscience in 2010.

Klappentext

What are the concerns of a human being's social reality? Are there, in other words, socially existential fears that humans must deal with? Definitely so, says scientist Nathan Tumazi. Human societies have dealt with these concerns through religion, belief in a God or many Gods, and in the idea of a gendered/sexed "essential" self. Contrary to popular belief, religion is not harmless, but is, claims the author, actually harmful. Likewise, the claims made for supernatural beings-- whether in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition or in Eastern mysticism--have undoubtedly been refuted by modern science. However, most humans still believe in supernatural agents and plan their lives accordingly. In a world increasingly dominated by advanced technology, including nuclear weapons, it is now more than ever necessary to analyze the claims of religious certainty. Still challenging the status-quo, the author takes up the task of dismantling the idea that the human body is a locus of gendered/sexed ontology and examines the harm this concept causes with examples from biology, language, and electronic media.