EVOLUTION OF ETHICS DEBATE: Science vs. Faith
Although scientists, philosophers, religious and atheist scholars have debated the nature of ethics for hundreds of years, developments in genetic research have unleashed a firestorm of questions concerning human control of creation and its impact on society. Given that society ideals change over time, how can we determine what is morally right or wrong?
Join Humanist Canada for a lively symposium on the evolution of ethics. Five prominent speakers, from both the Christian and Humanist communities, will discuss and debate some of the hottest issues today including abortion, gender, homosexuality, animal rights and biotechnology.
SATURDAY APRIL 18, 2009
6:30 pm
Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave *
Tasty appetizers, desserts, and drinks included. Speaker profiles below. Click on button to order tickets. Seating is limited.
EVENT TICKETS
Innis Town Hall is a fully-equipped cinema which hosts film festivals and other cultural events. It is located in Innis College on U of T’s downtown campus, at the NW corner of St George St and Sussex Ave, just south of Bloor St W. It is a five minute walk from St George subway. Click HERE for press release.
Dr Christopher diCarlo
An outspoken advocate for critical thinking and Humanism, diCarlo gives entertaining and thought-provoking talks at international conferences and universities and has written many scholarly papers ranging from bioethics to cognitive evolution. In 2008, he was honoured as Lecturer of the Year by TV Ontario and Humanist of the Year by Humanist Canada during its 40th anniversary convention. In 2002, while teaching at the University of Guelph, he was awarded the College of Arts Teaching Excellence Award. DiCarlo is a professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology cross-appointed in the Faculties of Health Sciences and Criminology and a past Visiting Research Scholar at Harvard University and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. He has published three notable books: “The Comparative Brain: The Evolution of Human Reasoning”; “The Evolution of Religion: Why Many Need to Believe in Deities, Demons and the Unseen”; and the newly-released “How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass: A Practical Guide to Thinking Critically”. His compelling lecture tour “We Are All African” has been presented across North America and has raised awareness of evolutionary theory and funding for the Masai for Africa, an HIV awareness program in Lesotho, Africa.
Michael Coren
A prominent television and radio personality, author, and public speaker, Coren is an alumnus of Nottingham University in England, where he studied Politics. He is host of the nightly “Michael Coren Show” on Crossroads Television and co-hosts “Two Bald Guys With Strong Opinions” every weekday with former Liberal Party President Stephen LeDrew on CFRB 1010 radio. He is also a weekly columnist with various newspapers, including the Toronto Sun, the Ottawa Sun, and The London Free Press, and is a regular contributor to The National Post, Catholic Insight, and Reader’s Digest. He is the best-selling author of twelve books, including biographies of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. Coren has received honourary doctorates and awards for his writing and television show including The Ed Murrow Award for Radio Broadcasting in 2005, the RTNDA Radio Broadcasting Award in 2006, and the Communicator Award in Hollywood in 2007. Coren is staunchly against abortion and refers to himself as a social conservative.
George Dvorsky
A Canadian futurist, environmentalist, ethical vegetarian, and animal rights activist, Dvorsky has written and spoken extensively about the impacts of cutting-edge science and technology, particularly as they pertain to the improvement of human performance and experience. He is concerned with the ethical and sociological impacts of “human enhancement” technologies and promotes open discussion for the purposes of education and foresight. Dvorsky is the co-founder and president of the Toronto Transhumanist Association, serves on the board of directors for HumanityPlus and the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies and is the author of the award-winning blog “Sentient Developments”. In 2006, he presented an argument for non-human animal biological uplift at the IEET Human Enhancement Technologies and Human Rights conference at Stanford University and has appeared on the popular “The Hour” television show hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos.
Tony Costa
An ordained minister and popular speaker for Campus for Christ, Costa is working on his PhD with the University of Pretoria in New Testament studies. He is a member of several Christian associations, including the Society of Biblical Literature and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. His area of expertise is biblical and systematic theology, cults, New Age, and comparative world religions. Costa has been a guest on faith-based television programs such as 100 Huntley Street and the Michael Coren Show. He has also been a radio guest on CFRB 1010 and Huntley Street Radio. As a Christian apologist, Costa has engaged in debates with Muslims, Mormons, Atheists and other groups that challenge Christian faith. He has lectured at Ontario universities defending his belief in Christianity and Jesus Christ.
Jean Saindon
Award-winning professor, Dr Saindon, teaches Natural Science and Science Technology and Society in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at York University. Over the past ten years he has been an innovator at York University in technology-enhanced learning and has taught over twenty internet courses. His areas of interest include critical thinking and argumentation, social, ethical and philosophical issues in modern biology, sex and gender, applied ethics, and the philosophy of science. Dr Saindon’s book “Argument and Argumentation” was recently released by Thomson Publishing. Dr Saindon has been honoured with the University Wide Teaching Award at York University and the Alumni Association Teaching Award from Atkinson College.
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