The Transcendental Temptation

Summary: The Transcendental Temptation PDF is a Fantastic Philosophy book by Paul Kurtz. It was published by Prometheus Books on 10 September 2013. This Book has 523 pages and Available to download in PDF, EPUB and Kindle Format. Read detail book and summary below and click download button to get book file and read directly from your devices.

In this landmark work, Paul Kurtz examines the reasons why people accept supernatural and paranormal belief systems in spite of substantial evidence to the contrary. According to Kurtz, it is because there is within the human species a deeply rooted tendency toward magical thinking—the “transcendental temptation”—which undermines critical judgment and paves the way for willful beliefs. Kurtz explores in detail the three major monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—finding striking psychological and sociological parallels between these religions, the spiritualism of the nineteenth century, and the paranormal belief systems of today. This acclaimed and controversial book includes sections on mysticism, belief in the afterlife, the existence of God, reincarnation, astrology, and ufology. Kurtz concludes by explaining and advocating rational skepticism as an antidote to belief in the transcendental.