"A Manual for Creating Atheists", a talk by philosopher/author Peter Boghossian

"Faith is not a virtue." Opening a YouTube interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VBPw0jjjfs) with a provocative assertion like that, Dr. Peter Boghossian makes it clear from the outset about what he thinks of faith, specifically religious faith. In his new book, "A Manual for Creating Atheists", the philosopher and author introduces his reader the the techniques of what he calls "Street Epistemology", i.e., effective techniques for assisting the people of faith you know toward a life of reason. Currently the #2 book at Amazon in both Philosophy and Atheism, "A Manual for Creating Atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it. Peter Boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than twenty years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason."

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Dr. Peter Boghossian's main focus is bringing the tools of professional philosophers to people in a wide variety of contexts. Peter has a teaching pedigree spanning more than 20 years and 30 thousand students - in prisons, hospitals, public and private schools, seminaries, colleges and universities, Fortune 100 companies, and small businesses. His fundamental objective is to teach people how to think through what often seem to be intractable problems.

Dr. Boghossian's primary research areas are critical thinking and moral reasoning. His doctoral research studies, funded by the State of Oregon and supported by the Oregon Department of Corrections, consisted of using the Socratic method to help prison inmates to increase their critical thinking and moral reasoning abilities and to increase their desistance to criminal behavior. He is currently on the Philosophy faculty at Portland State University.

Join us to hear Peter Boghossian in a thought-provoking talk about the reasons behind and the basic techniques of his "Street Epistemology". After his talk, there will be a Q&A session, followed by refreshments in Forbes Hall. Copies of "A Manual for Creating Atheists" will be available for sale and signing by the author.As with other AAHS-sponsored events, this talk is open to the public (bring all your friends of faith!). Donations will be encouraged and greatly appreciated because this is what allows us to bring great speakers like Dr. Boghossian to Southern California.

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