Over 50 books and 800 articles define the career of Paul Kurtz, a central figure in the development of secular humanism. Serving as a professor at the University at Buffalo, Kurtz spent decades organizing skepticism into an international movement, challenging paranormal claims while advocating for a human-centered ethical framework that operated independently of religious or supernatural oversight.
Academic Foundations and Ideological Shifts
Born in 1925 in Newark, New Jersey, Kurtz pursued his higher education at New York University before earning a master's degree and a doctorate from Columbia University. His early political leanings shifted during his service in the United States Army during World War II. Witnessing the liberation of the Buchenwald and Dachau concentration camps, alongside his encounters with Soviet laborers who refused to return to their home country, left him wary of rigid ideological systems. These experiences informed his eventual academic career, which included positions at Vassar, Trinity College, the New School for Social Research, and the University at Buffalo.
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Kurtz was instrumental in redefining humanism by stripping away its religious connotations. In 1969, he founded the publishing house Prometheus Books to disseminate secular ideas. His organizational work expanded significantly when he established the Council for Secular Humanism and the Center for Inquiry in 1991. He served as the editor in chief of Free Inquiry magazine and held a leadership role within the International Humanist and Ethical Union, serving as co-chair from 1986 until 1994. In 2010, following his departure from these institutions, he founded the Institute for Science and Human Values.
Skepticism and the Paranormal
The establishment of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, originally known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, marked a turning point in how academic skepticism approached fringe claims. Partnering with figures such as Marcello Truzzi, Kurtz promoted what he termed 'Skepticism of the Third Kind,' which required active investigation of paranormal assertions rather than mere questioning. His 1986 work, The Transcendental Temptation, analyzed the roots of magical thinking and provided a critical evaluation of religious founders and modern psychics, solidifying his role as a prominent critic of irrationalism.
Fast facts
- Born: 1925, Newark, United States
- Died: 2012, Amherst, United States
- Education: Columbia University, New York University
- Movement: Secular humanism
- Burial site: Forest Lawn Cemetery
- Known as: Father of secular humanism
- Primary employer: University at Buffalo
Questions readers ask
What was the primary goal of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry?
Founded in 1976, the committee was designed to foster critical thinking and investigate claims of the paranormal using scientific methods.
How did Paul Kurtz define secular humanism?
He advocated for a viewpoint that emphasized a positive, ethical life centered on the well-being of humans, explicitly rejecting supernatural and religious foundations.
Achievements
- Held posts at University at Buffalo
- Fields: philosophy
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