Humanism: Encyclopedia - Humanism

Humanism

Humanism is a broad category of active ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on our ability to determine what is right using the qualities innate to humanity, particularly rationality. Humanism is a component of a variety of more specific philosophical systems.

Humanism entails a commitment to the search for truth and morality through human means in support of human interests. In focusing on our capacity for self-determination, humanism rejects transcendental justifications, such as a dependence on faith, the supernatural, sacred texts, or religious creeds. Humanists endorse a recognition of a universal morality based on the commonality of human nature, suggesting that the long-term solutions to our problems cannot be parochial.

Two widely accepted doctrines of humanism are set forth in the Humanist Manifesto [1] and A Secular Humanist Declaration [2].

In 2002 the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) General Assembly unanimously adopted the Amsterdam Declaration which represents the official defining statement of World Humanism. The Happy Human is the official symbol of IHEU as well as being regarded the official symbol of Humanism.

Humanism - Aspects

Humanism - Religion

While humanism in some ways fulfills or supplements the role of religions in people's lives, and therefore qualifies as a stance on religion, it is not a religion in itself. It is entirely compatible with naturalism (and therefore atheism), but doesn't strictly require either of these, and is in fact compatible with some types of religion.

Though the dominant forms of humanism are atheistic (and express a disbelief in the supernatural), not all forms of humanism are. However, humanism denies the importance of the supernatural in human affairs, regardless of whether or not it exists. In this way, humanism does not necessarily rule out some form of theism or deism, and there are many humanists who consider themselves religious, some of whom are members of (typically, liberal) religious organizations. What humanism clearly rejects is blind deference to supernatural beliefs in resolving human affairs, not necessarily the beliefs themselves.

For that matter, atheism on its own doesn't necessarily entail humanism. For example, Objectivism and Soviet Communism are both wholeheartedly atheistic and yet strongly incompatible with humanism due to their ethical views.

Humanism - Knowledge

According to humanism, it is up to us to find the truth, not wait for it to be handed to us through revelation, mysticism, tradition, or anything else that is incompatible with the application of logic to the evidence. In demanding that we avoid blindly accepting unsupported beliefs, it supports scientific skepticism and the scientific method, rejecting authoritarianism and extreme skepticism, and rendering faith an unacceptable basis for action. Likewise, humanism asserts that knowledge of right and wrong is based on our best understanding of our individual and joint interests, rather than stemming from a transcendental or arbitrarily local source.

Humanism - Speciesism

Some have interpreted humanism to be a form of speciesism, mostly because of the word itself, but this doesn't appear to be the case. Humanism does exalt human traits, but doesn't necessarily insist that no other species could or do have the same, or that other species have no rights just because they are not human. For these reasons, humanism appears to be neutral with regard to issues of animal rights.

Humanism - Optimism

Humanism features an optimistic attitude about the capacity of people, but it does not involve believing that human nature is purely good or that each and every person is capable of living up to the humanist ideals of rationality and morality. If anything, there is the recognition that living up to our potential is hard work and requires the help of others. The ultimate goal is human flourishing; making life better for all of us. Even among humanists who do believe in some sort of an afterlife, the focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world better for those who come after us, not on suffering through life to be rewarded afterwards.

Humanism - History

Contemporary humanism can be traced back through the Renaissance to its ancient Greek roots.

The evolution of the meaning of the word 'humanism' is fully explored in Nicolas Walter Humanism - What's in the Word. ¹

Humanism - Renaissance

Renaissance humanism was a movement in Europe, beginning in Florence in the last decades of the 14th century. It revived the study of the Latin and Greek languages; and caused the resultant revival of the studies of science, philosophy, art and poetry of classical antiquity.

The "revival", or "re-birth" was based upon interpretations of Roman and Greek texts, whose emphasis upon art and the senses marked a great change from the contemplation upon the Biblical values of humility, introspection, and passivity, or "meekness". Beauty was held to represent a deep inner virtue and value, and "an essential element in the path towards God".

The crisis of Renaissance humanism came with the trial of Galileo; which forced the choice between basing the authority of one's beliefs on one's observations, or upon religious teaching. The trial made the contradictions between humanism and traditional religion visibly apparent to all, and humanism was branded a "dangerous doctrine".

Renaissance humanists believed that the liberal arts (music, art, grammar, rhetoric, oratory, history, poetry, using classical texts, and the studies of all of the above) should be practiced by all levels of wealth. They also approved of self, human worth and individual dignity.

Humanism - Modern humanist philosophies

There are many people who consider themselves humanists, and much variety in the exact type of humanism they believe in. There is some disagreement over terminology and definitions, with some people using narrower or broader interpretations. Not all people who call themselves humanists hold beliefs that are genuinely humanistic, and not all people who do hold humanistic beliefs apply the label of humanism to themselves.

All of this aside, humanism can be divided into secular and religious types.

Humanism - Secular humanism

Secular humanism is the branch of humanism that rejects theistic religious belief and, therefore, the existence of a supernatural. It is often associated with scientists and academics, although it is not at all limited to these groups. Secular humanists generally believe that following humanist principles naturally leads to secularism, on the basis that religious views cannot be supported rationally. There are secular humanistic organizations, though these could not be accurately described as churches.

More often than not, secular humanism is what people are referring to when they speak of humanism in general, making it something of a default. Some secular humanists take this even further by denying that religious humanists qualify as genuine humanists. Others feel that the ethical side of humanism transcends the issue of religion, because being a good person is more important than supernatural beliefs.

Some non-secular people, particularly Christian fundamentalists, use the term humanist to refer to all atheists, a usage whose accuracy is disputed.

Humanism - Religious humanism

Religious humanism is the branch of humanism that embraces some form of theism, deism, or supernaturalism, or considers itself religious (based on a functional definition of religion), without necessarily being allied with organized religion, as such. It is often associated with artists, liberal Christians, and scholars in the liberal arts. Other types of people that may be considered religious humanists are those who, despite believing in a religion, don't consider it necessary to derive all their moral values from it. Some feel that, because their religious beliefs are moral, and therefore humane, they are humanists. In particular, it is not uncommon for religious humanitarians to be referred to as humanists, although the accuracy of this usage is disputed.

A number of religious humanists feel that secular humanism is too coldly logical and rejects the full emotional experience that makes us human. From this comes the notion that secular humanism is inadequate in fulfilling the general human need for a philosophy of life. Disagreements over things of this nature have resulted in some amount of friction between secular and religious humanists, despite their commonalities.

Humanism - Other forms of humanism

Humanism is also sometimes used to describe "humanities" scholars, (particularly scholars of the Greco-Roman classics). As mentioned above, it is sometimes used to mean humanitarianism. There is also a school of humanistic psychology, and an educational method.

Humanism - Educational humanism

Humanism, as a current in education, began to dominate school systems in the 17th century. It held that the studies that develop our intellect are those that make us "most truly human". The practical basis for this was faculty psychology, or the belief in distinct intellectual faculties, such as the analytical, the mathematical, the linguistic, etc. Strengthening one faculty was believed to benefit other faculties as well (transfer of training). A key player in the late 19th-century educational humanism was U.S. Commissioner of Education W.T. Harris, whose "Five Windows of the Soul" (mathematics, geography, history, grammar, and literature/art) were believed especially appropriate for "development of the faculties". Educational humanists believe that "the best studies, for the best kids" are "the best studies" for all kids. While humanism as an educational current was largely discredited by the innovations of the early 20th century, it still holds out, in some elite preparatory schools and some high school disciplines (especially, of course, in literature).

Humanism - Related topics

Humanism - List of Humanists

see the category Humanists below

Humanism - Founding documents

• Amsterdam Declaration 2002
• Humanist Manifesto
• A Secular Humanist Declaration

Humanism - Forms of humanism

• Marxist humanism
• New Humanism
• Posthumanism
• Religious (Spiritual) Humanism
  • Christian Existential Humanism
  • Humanistic Judaism
• Renaissance humanism
• Secular Humanism
• Transhumanism

Humanism - Related philosophies

• Extropianism
• Pragmatism
• Rationalism

Humanism - Organizations

• IHEU International Humanist and Ethical Union (the world union of humanist organisations)
• American Humanist Association
• British Humanist Association
• Continuum of Humanist Education
• Humanist International
• Humanist Movement
• Humanist Party
• Institute for Humanist Studies
• Rationalist International
• Speciesism

Humanism - Other

• Antihumanism
• Humanistic psychology
• Social psychology
• Religious freedom - freedom of religion and belief

Humanism - Web resources

Humanism - Founding documents

• Amsterdam Declaration 2002
• Humanist Manifesto
• A Secular Humanist Declaration.

Humanism - Introductions to humanism

• www.sterlingharwood.com and Sterling Harwood, "Why Be Moral: A Definition and Defense of Humanism," in Sterling Harwood, ed., Business as Ethical and Business as Usual (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 2000), pp. 84-85.
• What Is Humanism? from the American Humanist Association
• Humanism: Why, What, and What For, In 882 Words
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Civic Humanism
• Catholic Encyclopedia article on Renaissance Humanism

Humanism - Organizations

• Center for Inquiry International
• Council for Secular Humanism
• International Humanist and Ethical Union
• International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organisation
• Institute for Humanist Studies
• Rationalist International
• Humanist Association of Manitoba
• American Humanist Association
• British Humanist Association
• Humanist Association of Canada
• Chicago humanist wiki pages
• Humanist Movement - German
• Humanist n.e.t. - German/ English
• Norwegian Humanist Association
• Romanian association Solidarity for Freedom of Conscience - Romanian/ English
• Humanist Association of N. Ireland
• The Church of Spiritual Humanism

Humanism - Web articles

• www.sterlingharwood.com, Sterling Harwood, "Why Be Moral? A Definition and Defense of Humanism."
• New Humanist British magazine from the Rationalist Press Association (RPA)
• Nanovirus - A humanist perspective on politics, technology and culture

Humanism - Web books

• Europen Region of the Humanist International

and Thinking And Moral Problems, Religions And Their Source, Purpose, and Developing A Universal Religion, four Parts of a Wikibook.

Humanism - Web directories

• LookSmart - Humanism directory category
• Open Directory Project - Humanism directory category
• Yahoo - Humanism directory category

Categories: Art movements | Epistemology | Renaissance | Humanism | Humanists

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Humanism", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki