Are science, humanism and ongoing moral progress the result of an atheistic Enlightenment philosophy, or the product of a Judaeo-Christian worldview?
Steven Pinker is professor of psychology at Harvard University whose work spans, sociology, evolution, language and philosophy. His latest book Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress makes the case that human progress has never been greater and we need to guard against unscientific ways of thinking, including religion, to see it continue.
Nick Spencer is research director at Theos and the author of books such as The evolution of the West: How Christianity has shaped our Values. He believes that while the story of progress may be true, modern thinkers fail to realise how indebted western values of equality, democracy and science are to Christianity.
