The Intelligent Inquiry Educational Society disbanded at the end of 2003, beginning of 2004, when the board decided not to renew its non-profit registration. A record of the meetings of the Society can be found below.
9 February 2004: Discussion: United Nations: In or Out?
12 January 2004: Wittgenstein's Poker by Kevin Delaney
David Hilbert called it a paradise. Jules Henri Poincaré called it a “disease waiting a cure.” Kevin Delaney expounded on the controversy that has dominated mathematics for the last hundred years.
Georg Cantor's transfinite theory is a foundational issue. It has had a profound impact on what is taught in schools. It is the source of “New Math.” The theory is also one of the major reasons that students are no longer taught logic in school.
A Glimpse of the Infinite discussed the history of infinity in western thought, including models of the diagonal method and the building of the power set.
The Founders of the United States held in common a well formed set of rational assumptions that endowed their discourse with admirable discernment and analysis. To a large extent, this was because they developed their ideas in surroundings where right reason was held in high regard and because the essentials of logic were taught in all layers of education. The idea of reason held by the U.S. Founders was a condition of their success, and a part of our heritage.
To learn more about the rational aspect of our U.S. Constitutional origins, Virginia explained conditions that helped establish the intellectual atmosphere of the late Colonial period in America. Virginia concentrated on the logical education the U.S. Founders received when they were young, and the impact this had, later in life, in their communications with each other, and the discourse that helped form our nation.
To learn more of Virginia's research visit The Faith of our Founding Fathers.
The advent of the internet and the world wide web, and its global access to the public, have allowed for the sharing of documents, art, and music on a scale never considered by the original promotion of copyright and patent law within the United States. World wide, copyright, patent, trademark, and servicemark powers have been broadened to an obnoxious degree, affecting the scientific progress of the computer industry, and inhibiting the rights of software programmers to write software. The original intent--the increase of general public use of artistic, scientific, and general knowledge--has been subverted by corporate and economic interest. David reviewed the history of free software communities, later embodied in the BSD and GNU communities, gave perspective on recent disputes over the Linux kernel, and outlined the basic philosophy of the GNU Project on copyrights.
David is a project administrator and a past chief webmaster for the GNU Project website, for this website, and was a founder of IIES. You can download Dr. Stallman's book Free Software, Free Society: selected essays of Richard M. Stallman (PDF, 2.9MB). Please support the GNU Project by purchasing this book. All the articles of the book can be found at gnu.org.
To quote from a full length article on Mike's presentation published in the Deseret News, “Mike Allen, a gay man who grew up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, explored ‘Homosexuality Within the Framework of Judeo-Christian Theology’ this week at the Midvale public library. Using a scholarly approach, Allen talked about biblical translations and the consequences they have wrought in today's churches and stimulated some heated discussion in his audience.
“As Allen described it, much of the debate over whether homosexuality is immoral stems from conflicting views of the Bible. Many conservative readers consider it to be a set of clear directives, while others use it as a guide containing basic themes of justice, love and caring.”
The Deseret News did an excellent job in covering the details of Michael's presentation. A plethora of handouts were made available:
Prof. Pamental's presentation elaborated on a subject that was of expressed interest the last time he was our guest. Prof. Pamental outlined Dewey's notion of democracy, and showed that rather than a set of political institutions such as voting, representative government, and the separation of governmental powers, Dewey saw democracy as an ideal of associated living, based in part on his theory of intelligent inquiry. Pamental examined the case of No More Homeless Pets in Utah, a grass roots organization that could represent (in part) Dewey's ideals for working out the problems encountered by society democratically.
Matthew Pamental, is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah. He specializes in John Dewey and Ethics, and is interested in Pragmatism, Environmental Ethics and Animal Rights.
Michael Yount, alumni of the University of Utah, is currently the editor of Salt Substitute, an exciting new 6 page section the Salt Lake Tribune. His background in anthropology and linguistics has helped him develop a fresh point of view for us to enjoy in the paper every Sunday.
Michael discussed linguistics, environment and religion from a philosophical point of view. He explored ideas involved in every problem we face, and how they affect the language we use.
Mormons for Equality and Social Justice (MESJ), a grassroots organization of Latter-day Saints “anxiously engaged” in working for peace, equality, justice and “wise stewardship of the earth,” gave a presentation on how some Mormons promote civil liberties, world peace, and environmental stewardship.
We were impressed with their presentation! MESJ can be found on the web at http://www.mesj.org.
Linda Reid discussed her experiences as an early resident (since July 1999) of Wasatch Commons Co-Housing. She was the first President of Wasatch Commons Condominium Association, and is currently on the Management Committee.
Wasatch Commons is the only co-housing community in Utah. There are over 100 such communities in the United States today, and it is a growing movement. Co-housing is an intentional community, architecturally and socially designed for interaction among residents valuing mutual support. They share resources and labor, dine together frequently, have social events, and learn together. All decisions are based on the consensus model.
However, it is not a Utopia, and it is not a lifestyle for everyone, as our discussion showed. Participants were run through a mock simulation of a co-housing membership meeting. It became clear that many didn't agree with the way the majority decided, or didn't take the discussion format seriously. After the simulation was over, it also showed what happened commonly in the group. Members sometimes leave. So, what type of person will fit in well? The question still seems left open.
The question of effects of new technology, and population, on the environment is one in which everyone has an opinion. Art Roscoe shared with us the most recent information he recently presented to the Conference on Global Climate Change in Boston.
Art was raised on an Indian reservation in New York, graduated from Syracuse with a degree in Forestry and Environmental Science, and advanced degrees in electrical engineering and systems management. He was a nationally competitive ski jumper, and served in the U.S. Air Force (spending several years in the astronaut program), managing a successful international trading company, before retiring to devote his time, energy and intellect to protecting the environment.
During the last 40 years his ceaseless inquisitiveness about this living planet, its beauty and its mystery, have taken him around the world numerous times, from the rain forests of Africa and South America, to deserts and oceans, and the World's urban and rural regions. The changes he observed in the last 25 to 30 years have become the driving force behind his life as an activist.
Art retired to Utah, one of the richest and most beautiful states in the nation, in 1994. He is a founder and board member of the High Uinta Preservatiun Council, a member of SUWA, the Sierra Club, and a member of the Sale Lake City Green Team, a group appointed by the Mayor to serve in an advisory capacity on environmental issues.
Art has written several articles on global climate change and is a frequent speaker on the subject. He is a member of Greenhouse network, a grass roots effort to encourage public education and discussion on global climate change.
David, President of IIES, discussed whether Mormons specifically, and religious adherents in general, really believe the doctrines and theology espoused by their leaders, and organizations. David reviewed some of the basic beliefs of Mormonism, how they have changed into the theology taught today, and how people internalize what is said and practiced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and others based on Joseph Smith Jr's philosophy.
The social gospel has replaced much of true belief, and superstitions carry away many into odd reinforcements of Mormon theology. David shared many of his experiences as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, demonstrating the social reinforcement and nature of the religion, and introducing a general overview of conflicts in Mormon history and theology.
In her presentation, Dr. Sue Baker compared her experiences in Afghanistan this summer with her recent trips to Bosnia. Being familiar with the history of both areas, she evaluated current problems in context of the times. Since we in the U.S. often support intervention in other countries, it is important for us to know how our policies affect the lives of people who live there. Dr. Baker has seen the effects of assistance and gave us a first hand birds eye view.
Dr. Baker grew up in New Jersey and went to Colby College in Maine where she majored in American Literature. She spent some time in Europe, married, then went to graduate school at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland where she received her Ph.D. in history. She began her teaching career at the University of Utah. She also taught at Southwest Missouri State, Westminster College and many years at Weber State University where she moved up to teaching the Honors Program.
To gain experience and to test her ideas in practice, Dr. Baker left teaching and worked for Habitat for Humanity as Volunteer Coordinator, and with Utah Issues. She learned the ropes lobbying for low income issues at the legislature. Through OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) she made four trips to Bosnia in 1997 and 1998 to monitor elections. Back in the United States, working through the United Nations Association of Utah, she organized an Adopt-A-Minefield project and raised $38,000. She then spent 2 years at Columbia University furthering her education. Dr. Baker is now back in Salt Lake helping with another Adopt-a-Minefield project.
John Dewey's philosophy can be said to be centered around his theory of inquiry, both as a description of how human beings find their way in the world and as an ideal conception of individual and collective practical wisdom. Beginning with a discussion of the origins and features of Dewey's theory of Inquiry, Prof. Pamental made Dewey's case for inquiry as an ideal at both the individual (moral) and at the collective (political) level. He explored the implications of this ideal, first in the area of education, and second in the area of politics. In education, the implications for moral and civic education were described, with particular attention to standardized testing of books. In politics, the implications for conceptions of citizenship and collective decision-making were explored, especially considering his unique perspective of long years lived through the late 19th and mid-20th century.
Matthew Pamental graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving his B.A. in 1993. He completed a Ph.D. from Indiana University in December of last year in Philosophy and Education, specializing in John Dewey's character and moral development. He has taught at Indiana University from 1993-2001, and is currently Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah.
Deen Chatterjee is a member of the philosophy faculty at the University of Utah, teaching on subjects from political philosophy to applied ethics. He has taught at the New School University in New York, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Washington. He has also been a visiting fellow at Harvard, the University of Oregon and the University of Colorado. He is the Director of the Beas Foundation, and was the faculty advisor of the University of Utah's campus Freethought Society.
Professor Chatterjee spoke on the distinction between rationalism and reason, and the need for reasonable logic, not just rational logic, which can be both reasonable and unreasonable. Deen also informally endorsed our organization as compatible with the ideals and free inquiry of his campus Freethought Society.
IIES held regular socials 4 times a year on the Equinox and Solstice. However, there were extra socials, from time to time, as described below. The first social was 23 March 2002, celebrating the Vernal Equinox with the Atheists of Utah. The last meeting of IIES was the Spring 2004 Equinox. Below are listed the extra socials.
