News & Events 2004-2005
Skeptics Speaker Heralds Heroes as Role Models
Author Peter H. Gibbon was the featured Society of Skeptics speaker on November 16. During his presentation, “A Call to Heroism: Renewing America’s Vision of Greatness,” he argued that there are various heroes of the past and present – Lincoln, Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, Edison, Arthur Ashe, for example – who provide models for us to emulate in the current world of MTV, video games, mall culture, etc. Students challenged his assertion by suggesting that a “hero” exists only in the eye of the beholder. They stated that Hitler had been a hero to most Germans and Osama is a hero to many anti-westerners. How can there be objective standards? Gibbon argued that there are such standards and that relevant models do exist. He emphasized that our future depends on accepting the “lead” of such individuals.
Please check the Calendar and Events section of the Web site for upcoming Society of Skeptics speakers.
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