By a name I am Arthur Martin Jackson.
I have spent the bulk of my life attempting to bring together all essential knowledge and experience to develop a totally congruent world view. (What E.O. Wilson calls consilience in his latest book [1] by the same name.) The results of this effort are presented in my book, (unpublished) SCIENCE OF ETHICS: A User's Guide for Modern Humans, but is availabe on-line. To examine click here.
This book provides a framework for producing a science of ethics and wisdom groups to use this information. Science of ethics would then actually provide what people have assumed religion was providing for all these millennia. It would utilize falsifiable hypotheses aimed toward helping any interested person achieve a sustainable feeling that their life has meaning. Ethics remains as the last major area to be incorporated into science. When this is done humanity will have reached the goal that folk religions have tried to achieve since the evolution of the language ability. I believe that until a concrete science of ethics exists and organizations to apply its findings humanity will continue to struggle to create these things.
Humanism comes closest to leading toward what seems necessary to me so I have spent the bulk of my life working to improve and advance it. I have been active in the American Humanist Association (AHA) since learning of the organized Humanist movement in 1962. In June 1963 I attended AHA's first training session to provide Humanist alternatives to Ministers, Priests, and Rabbis and was the first Humanist Officiate certified after this session. Coordinated the newly established Humanist Division to work with Humanist Officiates certified after this session while serving as Assistant Director of the American Humanist Association (1965-69). Helped edit HUMANIST LEADERSHIP HANDBOOK (1965). Author of HUMANIST ORIENTATION MANUAL (1966). Editorial Associate THE HUMANIST magazine (1965-69). Chaired the International Humanist & Ethical Union's Working Party on Humanist Counseling (1968-78). In an effort to develop a model AHA Humanist chapter served as full time Executive Director of the Humanist Community of San Jose (HCSJ) (1969-76). Sponsored a humanist group at Soledad State Prison (1970-73). Treasurer of AHA in the 1970s and served on and off over some fifteen years on the AHA Board of Directors. President of HCSJ (1979-82), part time Executive Director 1985-89. (In 1992 this chapter amended its articles of incorporation to change its name to Humanist Community). Member of the Executive Council, Division of Humanist Certification (1972-82). Part time Executive Director of the Division of Humanist Certification (1982-89). Editor of HUMANIST COMMUNITY NEWS (3/69-1/91), Humanist Community monthly newsletter. Vice President of the AHA Chapter Assembly (1979-97). Editor, THE HUMANIST DIALOGUE -- a quarterly magazine -- (8/89-10/94). Author, THE HUMANIST CHAPTER OF THE FUTURE AND THE FUTURE OF HUMANISM (1982, 1993).
PERSONAL DATA:
BORN: 3/8/32, Willamina, Oregon
Bachelor of Science, Oregon State University, 1955; Master of Education,
University of Oregon, 8/10/63; Doctor of Philosophy, Humanist University,
7/9/95.
ADDRESS: San Jose, CALIFORNIA