https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-15-all-things-bright-and-wonderful-and-unknown-what-do-we-know-34476c70a775
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Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Of all possible mathematical knowledge, what do we really know? You were a distinguished professor in the past. We have written a text on this. 
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Herb Silverman: Here is what we know about mathematics. Mathematicians start with axioms (assumptions) and see what conclusion may logically be deduced (proved) from these axioms. The nineteenth century mathematician Leopold Kronecker once said, “God created the integers, all else is the work of man.” I interpret this statement to be more about the axiomatic approach than about theology. Mathematicians often begin with axioms that seem “self-evident,” because they are more likely to lead to real-world truths, including scientific discoveries and accurate predictions of physical phenomena. But if at least one axiom is false, then the conclusion may not be scientifically applicable. Unlike with applied mathematicians, theoretical mathematicians are not so concerned with whether their axioms are true. Axioms in some branches are contradictory to axioms in others. In non-Euclidean geometry, we replace Euclid’s parallel axiom with a different axiom. The axioms in Euclidean geometry have led to discoveries on planet Earth; results from the axioms in non-Euclidean geometry were applied many years later by Einstein for his general theory of relativity, when he showed we live in a non-Euclidean four-dimensional universe, consisting of three-dimensional space and one-dimensional time. 

​https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-14-a-rational-life-includes-non-rational-parts-535498da5aa1
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: We’ve talked about rationality and such. You’ve commented on personal experience with love, and more. Love is a non-rational part of life, but love happens, nonetheless. A profound, significant, and, sometimes, incomprehensible and inexplicable component of human life. What do you make of making room, in life, for the non-rational? As Chris Hedges clarifies, he does not mean the irrational, but the non-rational forces of life.
Herb Silverman: For most of my professional life as a mathematician I made good use of the irrational. I speak, of course, about irrational numbers (not expressible as the quotient of two integers) like the square root of 2 and pi. Irrational numbers were discovered in Greece in the 5th century BCE, and challenged the Greek belief in a rational universe controlled by mathematical harmonies. Such numbers seemed to these Greeks so illogical and unreasonable that they called them irrational. So, sometimes things may seem irrational because we don’t understand them. Outside the world of mathematics, the main difference between rational thinking and non-rational or irrational thinking is that rational thinking is based on logic and reason, while non-rational and irrational thinking are usually based on neither. In rational decision making, choices are made through reason and facts.

​https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-12-by-soul-we-mean-psyche-the-complete-human-being-b13c0b5a5398
 
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: The term soul seems ill-defined. Its original term, psyche, appears more precise. The complete makeup of a human being. Let's talk about the naturalistic soul, the psyche, what do we know and not know at present if you had recent conversations with or readings by relevant experts in a variety of relevant fields? If not, I'll take personal opinions too.
 
Dr. Herb Silverman: I’m uncomfortable using the word “soul” for the same reason I’m uncomfortable praising the Confederate flag. That flag to me is a symbol of white supremacy and slavery. But to many of my fellow South Carolinians the Confederate flag represents heritage, not hate. I think it represents both heritage and hate. And some heritage is hateful or worse, including what the Confederate flag and swastika represent to most of the world. I usually hear the word “soul” when people distinguish between our material mortal body and what they call our immaterial immortal soul. Some who fear death and want to escape its inevitability invent things like a heaven and a soul. These humans try to distinguish themselves from other animals and living things, saying that we are the only ones with souls. There are some real uses of the word “soul” that I like, including soul music, which arose from the black experience in America. I don’t like soul food like chitterlings and ham hocks. Soul food is a genre created by southern black Americans, and I know many people find it tasty. Soul (nephesh) was originally a Hebrew concept and a synonym for a living breathing creature. In this case, when the creature stops breathing, the soul is dead. In the Hebrew Bible, a person does not have a soul, but is a soul. This concept is closer to a naturalistic soul, or psyche. I prefer to use the word “mind” instead of soul or psyche, but I am comfortable with the word psyche. Our minds try to make sense of the natural world in which we live. There is no purpose in nature, but our minds come up with purposes in our own lives. Science has shown that all life is interconnected by small particles and phenomena playing off one another in subtle ways. I think natural laws are the rules that govern the structure and behavior of our natural universe, and our continuously changing universe is a product of these laws. To quote Carl Sagan, “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.”
 

​https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-11-morrows-fantasia-my-tomorrow-s-tomorrow-48ee28332312
 
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: My friend and colleague, Paul Krassner, died last year. He published The Realist with luminaries including George Carlin and Lenny Bruce published in it. In honour of his life and work, I will comment on Bruce and then Krassner for individuals who may not know them, as I believe in the renewal of their core legacies for the current crop of the young: Getting caught in what should be, as Lenny Bruce articulated, is a terrible, terrible lie given to the people long ago, there only is what is, and the rest is a fantasy. This seems true to me. How can the false selves and idealized selves of youth lead a young person astray, by their own inability or outright dismissal to take heed of the real and act on it? 
 
Dr. Herb Silverman: I have fond memories of Lenny Bruce, whom I worked with on February 11, 1961, at Town Hall in Philadelphia. I never actually met Lenny, but I sold soft drinks before his performance and during intermissions. I made about six dollars that night, and Lenny made considerably more. I started my selling career in 1958, when I was 16, and continued until I graduated from Temple University in 1963. I mostly worked my way through college by selling refreshments at sporting events, and occasionally at Town Hall. Other performers I “worked” with at Town Hall include Pete Seeger, Ray Charles, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul & Mary. Lenny Bruce’s performance was special for me. I didn’t even know who he was at the time, but I was pleasantly shocked to hear an adult, let alone a performer, use the word “fuck.” Youth today certainly aren’t surprised to hear the F-word in ordinary conversation, but the 1950s and early 1960s were a different world. Lenny Bruce’s battles against censorship, including jail time, are now mostly won, but he was a pioneer whom I am proud to have “worked” with.
 

In his performance, Lenny said, “There are no dirty words, only dirty minds.” He also criticized religion, the first time I heard such criticism from a performer. He said, “If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.”
 
As you indicate, Lenny Bruce said this about lying, “ Let me tell you the truth: The truth is what is. And what should be is a fantasy, a terrible, terrible lie that someone gave the people long ago.” Along those same lines, Lenny also said, “If you believe there is a God, a God that made your body, and yet you think that you can do anything with that body that’s dirty, then the fault lies with the manufacturer.”
 
In particular, young people can be led astray by believing lies they are told about God and religion. (Here I use the word “lie” loosely, meaning “untruth,” because people might not actually be lying if they accept as true their fantasies about God.) Of course, there are many ways to be led astray by lies, not just through religion. It’s important to be skeptical of claims, and you should look for evidence to back up those claims. This is especially true of claims made by politicians. It’s essential to learn how to think critically, which should be taught in school starting with kindergarten.
 
Jacobsen: When I asked Krassner in an interview with him, "What advice do you have for youth?" He replied, "Try not to take yourself as seriously as your causes." I still miss him. When a young person isn't tuned into themselves, able to feel, able to label the feelings, able to assert themselves and deal with the real world in a proactive, friendly, and realistic fashion, they're significantly handicapping their fulfillment in life and trajectory. The getting to where they want to go and the feeling of how they want to feel getting missed. When connected with oneself, you can connect to others fully and authentically - organically. Why is non-seriousness about oneself and seriousness about one's causes important as a life principle?
 
Silverman: Scott, you are very fortunate to have been a friend and colleague of Paul Krassner. I never met Krassner, but I have admired him since I was a child and read his pieces in Mad magazine. In Mad, and later in The Realist, I learned to appreciate political (and religious) satire. 
 
When Paul Krassner advised youth, “Try not to take yourself as seriously as your causes,” I think he was speaking not just about youth, but about everybody—including himself. Krassner coined the term “Yippies,” a politically-active countercultural youth group of hippies. It was an offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements in the late 1960s. The Yippies were known for street theater and politically-themed pranks, and had been called “Groucho Marxists.” 
 
After Larry Flint announced in 1978 that he was resigning as publisher of Hustler, the porn magazine, because he had become a born-again Christian, Flint said that Paul Krassner should replace him. Krassner told People Magazine, “I know it’s bizarre, but if God told him to hire me, I ain’t going to argue about it, even if I’m a born-again agnostic.” Krassner became publisher of Hustler for six months, until Larry Flint came back to his senses as an atheist.
 
I think Paul Krassner summed up his philosophy nicely when he said, “We know we are all sentenced to death. People cannot become prisoners of guilts and fears. They should cling to each moment and take what enjoyment they can.” For Krassner, joy was not merely hedonistic pleasures, but remaining active in causes dear to him while keeping a sense of humor. 
 
Jacobsen: What advice do you have for youth? 
 
Silverman: It is difficult to come up with advice that doesn’t incorporate the advice above from Lenny Bruce and Paul Krassner. But one way the three of us are different is that I don’t do drugs as they did, though I certainly favor legalizing marijuana and other drugs. Using drugs may be imprudent, but it makes no sense to arrest people for being imprudent, incarcerating them, and then giving us taxpayers the bill to keep them locked up. Unfortunately, Lenny Bruce died from a morphine overdose. One thing that Lenny, Paul, and I do have in common is that we are all Jews who don’t believe in any gods. Perhaps that ties in with the importance of having a sense of humor. 
 
So, my advice for youth is to keep a sense of humor while remaining active in causes you care about. Unless you can have fun when working on a cause, you may quickly tire of it. Yes, you need to work hard. But you need to find ways to enjoy your work, and your life. 
 
 
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. Silverman
 
 

​https://www.ftsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/MarchApril-2020-FS-Ezine.pdf
 
During America’s early history, women were denied basic rights enjoyed my male citizens. For example, married women couldn’t own property and had no legal claim to money they might earn, and no women had the right to vote. Women were expected to focus on motherhood and housework, not politics. In 1848, the movement for women’s rights was launched on a national level with the Seneca Falls Convention organized be Elisabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. More than 300 people attended, mostly women, but also some men, including former African-American slave and activist Frederick Douglass.The Declaration of Sentiments, mainly authored by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was presented at the Seneca Falls Convention and paralleled the American Declaration of Independence, but with women included. It asserted that both men and women are endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Stanton explained how the government and a patriarchal society oppressed women. She called for women’s suffrage as well as participation and representation in the government. She also referred to women’s lack of property rights, and inequality in divorce law, education, and employment opportunities. The document insisted that women be full citizens, granted all the rights and privileges that are granted to men.
 

https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-10-natures-on-a-roll-or-a-rigamarole-or-somethin-plural-32631f18efea
 
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Nature appears to have a minimum effort to come to certain paths for life. A lot of compromises come with this. Illness, 'early' death, malformations, natural abortions by the female body, cognitive ticks, physical and mental limitations, etc., that's evolution's compromise with the world. Coming to terms with the world, the real and natural world, will happen sooner or later, on the promenade of life, people have to step out and dance, eventually. What else is life for, exactly, but to dance - so to speak? Do you see the coming to terms with the world and make compromises with one's surrounding important for living a fulfilling life? 
 
Dr. Herb Silverman: You certainly express well why it makes no sense to believe in an all- powerful, omnibenevolent god who created a world with the kind of malformations you describe. We are the products of evolution. We were born of risen apes, not fallen angels. Apes often had to kill to survive, and human apes have done a lot of killing and committed many atrocities. Yet the issue for me is not how low humans have sunk, but how high humans have risen. Steven Pinker provides evidence for our rise in his book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. Lately we have seen advances in human rights, in part because many people have rejected or re-interpreted some features of biblically-based morality.
 
Life itself is a once-in-eternity chance to experience the universe like no other living creature can. We accept that animals do not think they have a reason to exist and yet, just because we have a more advanced brain, we seek purposes or reasons to exist. We are the fortunate result of billions of years of evolution that happened to form what we call life. 
 
But I wouldn’t refer to “evolution’s compromise with the world.” Despite the limitations that are placed on us by evolution (we can’t fly or live forever), we can, as you say, “step out and dance.” So, better to enjoy life no matter what, because it can always get worse. Each of us will dance differently as we strive to lead fulfilling lives. I think compromises with our surroundings consist of what we can do to improve our environment. At our particular moment, we need to find ways to stop or reverse the damage from climate change if we care about what will happen to future generations long after we are dead. It is said that we should think globally and act locally. At the moment, thinking globally about the environment overwhelms me, so I concentrate on acting locally.
 
 
 
J

​https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-9-guidance-without-expectation-of-reward-or-thus-saith-the-landlord-1e9c1464da82

Young people won’t always agree with what elders have to say, but I’ve learned it is important for young people to listen to elders. Why? Because sometimes they’re right. When I was young, I more-often-than-not ignored parental advice, feeling I knew better what was good for me than my parents knew. But I did listen like a dutiful son should, and I would explain why I disagreed. I didn’t always make the right choice, but I think I did on many important decisions. Had I followed parental advice, I would have stayed in my hometown of Philadelphia, settled down and married some nice Jewish girl there, as did most of my relatives. Instead, I preferred following the advice of an elder who was not my relative, Henry David Thoreau: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.”

​https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-8-serendipity-luck-and-love-11d8c042b14c
 
It’s never too late to fall in love. For me love came late in life, started with serendipity, and flourished beyond my wildest expectations. You can find Mr. or Ms. Right in the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times. I even have a friend who, at 90, fell in love in an assisted living home. If you haven’t yet found a life partner, and may never, you can still have a happy life. There are many couples who are miserable together, but stay in unhappy marriages. If you find that special someone, I suggest you live together for a while until you feel certain about the relationship. Only then, consider marriage. Better to eventually split than to go through a messy divorce. I can certainly count my blessings, though no deity is involved. Love came to me in an unusual way, by running for governor of South Carolina in 1990.  I ran to challenge the provision in the state constitution that prohibited atheists from holding public office. During my campaign, I received my one and only invitation to speak at a church—the Unitarian Church in Charleston. After my talk, Sharon Fratepietro came up to me and offered to help in my campaign. 

​https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-7-the-nature-of-nature-in-the-nature-of-time-e473c7848a48 
 
Your questions make me think of “September Song,” which begins, “Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September.” The song is a metaphor for one year serving as a person’s life span from birth to death. (If you want to hear the song on YouTube, I recommend the Willie Nelson version.) Our perceptions of time do change as we age. When I was young a day seemed quite long, but now, at 77, when night comes I wonder why the day has seemed so short. I’m happy to still be here and I plan to make each of my remaining days meaningful. I feel that I have so much to do and so little time. I’m fortunate to have a life partner like Sharon, which brings me to more lyrics from the September Song, “Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few. September, November. And these few precious days, I’ll spend with you. These precious days, I’ll spend with you.”
 

https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letters-to-the-editor-readers-react-to-airport-ceo-selection/article_49033d7c-36d7-11ea-9d39-837915b0cf48.html
An article in the Jan. 26 Post and Courier reported the recent death of former California Rep. Fortney “Pete” Stark Jr. It described some of his many political accomplishments, including expanding public health care. What the article did not mention was that Stark did something unique and bold in the history of Congress. He was the first openly atheist member of Congress. In 2007, he acknowledged being an atheist in response to a questionnaire from the Secular Coalition for America, of which I was then president. 
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After that, he was publicly open about his atheism, was named Humanist of the Year in 2008 by the American Humanist Association, served on the advisory board of the Secular Coalition for America and continued to get reelected. There is now a Congressional Freethought Caucus, but we can only guess how many current members of Congress are afraid to tell the truth about their nonbelief. I’m hoping for a day when candidates’ religious beliefs matter no more than what kind of car they drive.