The Circle of Reason (TCOR) is a

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in sta ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

-based international society of

theists Theism is broadly defined as the belief in the existence of a supreme being or deities. In common parlance, or when contrasted with ''deism'', the term often describes the classical conception of God that is found in monotheism (also referred to ...

atheists Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

, and liberals who espouse the

social philosophy Social philosophy examines questions about the foundations of social institutions, social behavior, and interpretations of society in terms of ethical values rather than empirical relations. Social philosophers emphasize understanding the social ...

of pluralistic rationalism (also plurationalism or methodological rationalism).The Circle of Reason
Retrieved November 02, 2012.
Retrieved January 25, 2013.
Retrieved April 01, 2016.

Overview

Pluralistic rationalism is described in cultural media as "commitment to reason ng regardless of one's worldview,""Orange Is the New Black Is the New Star Trek," Katy Waldman, ''Slate'', June 16, 2015
Retrieved July 07, 2015. and by the society itself as "communal commitment to more consistently practice the basic methodological tenets of a reasoning lifestyle (reality's acceptance, assumption's denial, and emotion's mastery) irrespective of our theological, ethical, cultural or political worldviews." According to The Circle of Reason, pluralistic rationalism is practiced through encouraging not a particular worldview, but rather factualism, skepticism, and moderationism; and furthermore through discouraging their opposing practices of denialism, dogmatism, and emotionalism -- or "denials of reality, unquestioned assumptions (potentially false realities), and emotive arguments or actions (dissociation from reality)." Plurationalist practices include discouraging the verbal, printed or televised use of insults (which the group asserts is immoral because, as ''ad hominem'' argumentation, it seeks to "irrationally persuade by evoking emotionality.") Because plurationalists hold that "as a sapient being one's best tool to survive is one's ability to reason," they claim people's basic universalized moral imperative must then be "to consistently allow, and encourage, others to reason."
Reflecting the plurationalist society's call to "more consistently use everyday reasoning regardless of our worldviews," its institutional practices have included organizing the United States' first reported "theist + atheist" dialogue group, "Secular Bible Study," for reasoning discussion on the historical context, societal impact and cultural relevance of the Bible and religion,"Secular Bible Study casts wide net," ''Star Tribune'', February 20, 2009
Retrieved November 02, 2012. and "Ancient Greek

Peripatetic Peripatetic may refer to: *Peripatetic school, a school of philosophy in Ancient Greece *Peripatetic axiom * Peripatetic minority, a mobile population moving among settled populations offering a craft or trade. *Peripatetic Jats There are several ...

"-style nature walks combined with "transcultural, transbelief reasoning dialogue" on current social issues; organizing and moderating "Assumptions on the innesota Same-SexMarriage Amendment: A Reasoning Forum" for theists, atheists, conservatives & liberals;"Assumptions on the Marriage Amendment: A Reasoning Forum," Conference Panelist-Speaker Roster, September 20, 2012.
Retrieved November 02, 2012."With talk of tolerance and equality, one group is still forgotten: atheists," ''MinnPost'', December 11, 2012
Retrieved June 03, 2013. defending a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

legislator shunned by his archdiocese for refusing to defund reproductive health clinics;"Abortion Politics Trump Social Justice at Catholic School," ''RH Reality Check'', February 11, 2009
Retrieved June 03, 2013. presenting an address on plurationalism, "Be Sane — Be VERY Sane!" to the "Rally to Restore Sanity Minnesota" at the State Capitol;"The Twin Cities' response to the Rally to Restore Sanity" (Speaker Roster, & First Minneapolis Circle of Reason Address Title), ''Examiner.com'', October 29, 2010
Retrieved June 03, 2013.First Minneapolis Circle of Reason Address (Transcript), "Be Sane — Be VERY Sane!", Rally to Restore Sanity Minnesota, Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda, October 30, 2010
Retrieved November 02, 2012. and successfully lobbying the state capital city's Council of Churches to become the first local council of religions in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

to change the name of its religious "

interfaith Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...

" dialogue group to "interbelief," to better welcome atheists and secular humanists with no religious faith but with philosophical or ethical beliefs."The Morning Buzz," ''Public Religion Research Institute'', July 10, 2014
Retrieved July 10, 2014."St. Paul's atheists are coming out of the closet," Bob Shaw, ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'', August 4, 2014
Retrieved August 5, 2014.
The Pluralism Project at Harvard University has described The Circle of Reason as a "promising practice.""Promising Practice: Finding Common Ground Through Difference," ''Harvard Pluralism Project''
Retrieved November 02, 2012."Secular Bible Study / Circle of Reason" (Media & Interview), ''Harvard Pluralism Project''
Retrieved June 03, 2013."America's Interfaith Infrastructure: Twin Cities," ''Harvard Pluralism Project''
Retrieved June 03, 2013."A New Religious Landscape: Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN," ''On Common Ground: New Religions in America,'' Harvard Pluralism Project, Editors, 2013
Retrieved November 06, 2013.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

The Circle of Reason

Interfaith Youth Core

FactCheck.org

YourLogicalFallacyIs.com

NEH Civility Tour

Rally to Restore Sanity

* ttp://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/ The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
The Pluralism Project at Harvard University
Philosophical movements Pluralism (philosophy) Rationalism

Overview

See also

References

External links