Dale McGowan - The Death Problem

For our March 8 AFS meeting, join Dale McGowan to talk about the Death Problem.

That humans are afraid to die is not news. But an intriguing subfield of psychology has gone much further, finding mortality awareness at the root of a staggering array of human behaviors, from body art to social media fixation to religiosity to career ambition to pretty much everything about MAGA. Dale McGowan dusts off his anthropology degree to highlight the way in which our awareness of death casts a wider and deeper shadow on our lives than we tend to think.

Dale McGowan, Ph.D., is an author, educator, and philanthropist with a diverse background in both the arts and sciences. He holds a double major in anthropology and music theory from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory from the University of Minnesota. After a 15-year career as a college music professor, Dale shifted his focus to writing and advocacy, becoming a leading voice in the nonreligious community.

Dale is best known for editing and co-authoring Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers, as well as writing Atheism for Dummies for the popular For Dummies book series. In 2008, he was named Harvard Humanist of the Year for his work in nonreligious parenting education. Dale also founded Foundation Beyond Belief (later renamed GO Humanity), a nonprofit that became the world’s largest humanist charity.

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There is a potluck lunch starting at 11, before the event, and below are suggestions for what to bring, according to the first letter of your last name:

A-G: Bring a main dish
H-P: Bring a dessert
Q-Z: Bring a side dish
AFS will provide drinks, plates, and silverware.