''Free Inquiry'' is a bimonthly
journal
A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to:
*Bullet journal, a method of personal organization
*Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period
*Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...
of
secular humanist
Secular humanism is a philosophy, belief system or life stance that embraces human reason, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basis of morality ...
opinion and commentary published by the Council for Secular Humanism, a program of the
Center for Inquiry. Philosopher
Paul Kurtz
Paul Kurtz (December 21, 1925 – October 20, 2012) was an American scientific skeptic and secular humanist. He has been called "the father of secular humanism". He was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at B ...
was the
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
from its inception in 1980 until stepping down in 2010. Kurtz was succeeded by
Tom Flynn who worked as Editor in Chief until 2021. Paul Fidalgo was named editor in 2022, beginning with the October/November issue. Feature articles cover a wide range of topics from a
freethinking
Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other methods ...
perspective. Common themes are
separation of church and state
The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
,
science and religion
The relationship between religion and science involves discussions that interconnect the study of the natural world, history, philosophy, and theology. Even though the ancient and medieval worlds did not have conceptions resembling the modern u ...
, dissemination of freethought, and
applied philosophy
Applied philosophy (philosophy from Greek: φιλοσοφία, philosophia, 'love of wisdom') is a branch of philosophy that studies philosophical problems of practical concern. The topic covers a broad spectrum of issues in environment, medicine, ...
. Regular contributors include well-known scholars in the fields of science and philosophy.
Controversy
In Free Inquiry's April–May 2006 issue, the magazine published four of the cartoons that had originally appeared in the Danish newspaper ''
Jyllands-Posten
''Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten'' (; English: ''The Morning Newspaper "The Jutland Post"''), commonly shortened to ''Jyllands-Posten'' or ''JP'', is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Aarhus C, Jutland, and with a weekday circula ...
'' and that had sparked
violent worldwide Muslim protests. Kurtz, editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry said, "What is at stake is the precious right of freedom of expression". The
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. (former NYSE ticker symbol BGP) was an American multinational book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. In its final year, the company employed about 19,500 people throughout the U.S., primarily ...
refused to carry this issue in their Borders and
Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks, operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc., was an American shopping mall-based bookstore chain, from 1995 as a subsidiary of Borders Group. The chain also ran a video game and software chain under the name Waldensoftware, as well as a ...
stores because of the cartoons. The reason given by Borders for their decision was not sensitivity to religion but fear of violence.
The story made national and international news and the implications of this
self-censorship were widely discussed, including by
CBS News, ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', and ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. The "blogosphere" widely condemned the decision of Borders to ban the magazine and columnist
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was a British-American author and journalist who wrote or edited over 30 books (including five essay collections) on culture, politics, and literature. Born and educated in England, ...
lamented the action in an article.
Columnists
Regular columnists include:
*
Ophelia Benson
Ophelia Benson is an American author, editor, blogger, and feminist. Benson is the editor of the website ''Butterflies and Wheels'' and a columnist and former associate editor of ''The Philosophers' Magazine''. She is also a columnist for ''Free ...
– Author and blogger
*
Russell Blackford
Russell Blackford (born 1954) is an Australian writer, philosopher, and literary critic.
Early life and education
Blackford was born in Sydney, and grew up in the city of Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle, New South Wales. After graduating with ...
– Author and philosopher
*
Greta Christina
Greta Christina (born 1961) is an American atheist, blogger, speaker, and author.
Early life
Christina was born in Chicago in 1961. She graduated from Reed College in 1983. She legally changed her name in her twenties, dropping her family name ...
– Author and blogger
*
Shadia Drury
Shadia B. Drury (born 1950) is a Canadian academic and political commentator. She is a professor emerita at the University of Regina. In 2005, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Early life and education
Drury was born in Egy ...
– Professor of Philosophy and Political Science
*
Tibor Machan – Professor of Philosophy
*
Mark Rubinstein
Mark Edward Rubinstein (June 8, 1944 – May 9, 2019) was a leading financial economist and financial engineer. He was ''Paul Stephens Professor of Applied Investment Analysis'' at the Haas School of Business of the University of California, Be ...
– Economist
*
Faisal Saeed Al Mutar
Faisal Saeed Al Mutar ( ar, فيصل سعيد المطر; born 1991) is an Iraqi-American human-rights activist, writer, and satirist who was admitted to the United States as a refugee in 2013. He is founder of Global Conversations and Ideas Beyo ...
– Commentator and social critic
Editorial Board
* Editor in Chief:
Paul Kurtz
Paul Kurtz (December 21, 1925 – October 20, 2012) was an American scientific skeptic and secular humanist. He has been called "the father of secular humanism". He was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at B ...
(until May 2010)
* Editor: Paul Fidalgo
* Managing Editor: Nicole Scott
* Assistant Editor: Julia Lavarnway
* Senior Editors: Bill Cooke,
Richard Dawkins, Ed Doerr (deceased), James Haught,
Jim Herrick
Jim Herrick (born 1944) is a British humanist and secularist. He studied history and English literature at Trinity College, Cambridge University, and then worked as a school teacher for seven years. He has written or edited several books on hu ...
,
Ronald A. Lindsay,
Taslima Nasrin
Taslima Nasrin (born 25 August 1962) is a Bangladeshi-Swedish writer, physician, feminist, secular humanist, and activist. She is known for her writing on women's oppression and criticism of religion. Some of her books are banned in Bangladesh ...
KurtzGardner 1979 (cropped).jpg, Paul Kurtz - 1980 to 2010
CSICON 2011-Tom Flynn.jpg, Tom Flynn - 2011 to 2021
Paul Fidalgo CSICon 2019 Portrait.jpg, Paul Fidalgo - 2022 to present
References
External links
*
Dogma Free America podcast interview with Tom Flynn, editor of Free Inquiry
{{Skeptical magazines
Bimonthly magazines published in the United States
Political magazines published in the United States
Freethought in the United States
Magazines established in 1980
Secular humanism
Scientific skepticism mass media
Magazines published in New York (state)
Atheism publications