Restoring Faith In Humanity

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Can we trust humans? In his new book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress, Steven Pinker gives sole credit to humans for all our progress. “The Enlightenment is working,” he writes. In his opinion people do not “need to believe in magic, a father in the sky, a strong chief to protect the tribe, myths of heroic ancestors.” “Our ancestors replaced dogma, tradition and authority with reason, debate and institutions of truth-seeking. They replaced superstition and magic with science. And they shifted their values from the glory of the tribe, nation, race, class or faith toward universal human flourishing… Secular liberal democracies are the happiest and healthiest places on earth.”

On the other hand, many survivors of the Holocaust and other travesties perpetrated by man, have declared, that these tragedies have taught us that we no longer can believe in humans; we can only trust G-d. With all the human corruption and selfishness we have witnessed and continue to witness, it’s not hard to see why one would become cynical about the human race.

But then again, since G-d created humans and entrusted them to use their free will to protect and develop our world, shouldn’t we trust them?

As many of us have lost faith in humanity, and others have placed their faith only in humans, please join Rabbi Jacobson in this candid discussion about the strengths and flaws of human beings, and come away with a new perspective on what makes humans tick and a new faith in humanity. Learn how to look deeper inside yourself and others and discover tools to elicit nobility of the highest order. And in turn, restore confidence in the human race.