Naturalistic Paganism

[Dead Ideas] “Mohism I: Ancient Chinese Leftists”, by B. T. Newberg

https://player.megaphone.fm/ADL1346293716?

They were the chief rivals of the Confucians in their early days, but today no one has heard of them. Meet the Mohists: a faction of hard-headed, big-hearted philosophers whose ideas would fit right in to modern leftist politics, but which were scorned at the time

Here’s what’s in store:

  • Mohism I: Ancient Chinese Leftists
  • Mohism II: Working Class Philosophers
  • Mohism III: Dungeon Master Mo and the Castle of Horrors, Part 1
  • Mohism IV: The Castle of Horrors, Part 2
  • Mohism V: Your Mohist Training – RPG
  • Mohism VI Finale: Big Trouble in Little Moh-town – RPG

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

 

Editor’s note: Connecting with our Ancestors is much easier if we know something about them.  I’ve found the Dead Ideas podcast to be a great way to learn about our Ancestors.  Being that Mohism flourished ~2,400 years ago, and that the silk road and other channels connected humanity, there is a good chance of having a Mohist Ancestor for most of us.

Read More

“What Naturalism Means to Me” by DT Strain

With the new year, we are starting a new series called, “What Naturalism Means to Me”.  It is an opportunity for our readers, like you, to share what Naturalism means for you.  We are looking for essays between 1000-3000 words.  Send your submissions to humanisticpaganism[at]gmail[dot]com.


Naturalism is one of those words that wouldn’t need to exist if it were not for its opposite: supernaturalism. Originally, nature meant “the way something is” as in, “the nature of a cat” or “the nature of a car”. The natural sciences study “the way things are” or “the nature of existence”.
Read More

[Dead Ideas] “Space Exploration in 1920: In Honor of the Falcon Heavy Launch”, by B. T. Newberg

https://player.megaphone.fm/ADL3066240812?

In honor of the Falcon Heavy Launch by SpaceX, we’re reading a space exploration article from 1920. What was it like to imagine reaching space at such an early date? Let’s find out together in this episode of Public Domain Theater 3000.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Read More

“Naturalism by Numbers” by Eric Steinhart

With the new year, we are starting a new series called, “What Naturalism Means to Me”.  It is an opportunity for our readers, like you, to share what Naturalism means for you.  We are looking for essays between 1000-3000 words.  Send your submissions to humanisticpaganism[at]gmail[dot]com.


Here’s a very simple approach to naturalism: if you can measure it, it’s natural; if you can’t, it’s not.  This approach isn’t dogmatic.  It doesn’t try to tell you that you have to dogmatically believe that nature is just atoms swirling in space.  It doesn’t make any claims about the contents of nature besides saying that the things in nature – whatever they might turn out to be – can be measured.  More generally, this means that you can talk about natural things using numbers.  And, even more generally, this means that you can talk about natural things using mathematics. Read More

“What Naturalism Means to Me” by Mark Green

With the new year, we are starting a new series called, “What Naturalism Means to Me”.  It is an opportunity for our readers, like you, to share what Naturalism means for you.  We are looking for essays between 1000-3000 words.  Send your submissions to humanisticpaganism[at]gmail[dot]com.


Naturalism is the spirituality of the real. A celebration of this world, this cosmos, this humanity, this biosphere. Read More