Humanism

 

Meaning meanders from body to time;

spans epochs and discourses,

     but humanism, the intrinsic humanity of us all—cannot be shaken

     only molded into significance—life itself

     a joyous alternative to blind faith.

 

         The ethical fiber of human society depends on a variety of social institutions, the most important of which are nations, religious groups and families. Unfortunately, these long established social units tend to be divisive, separating people into conflicting interest groups. If we are to evolve toward a world community where conflict between groups of individuals is minimized, we need a new type of social order. Fortunately, we do not need to invent an entirely novel institution. The American Humanist Association, which has been in existence since 1941, provides us with an alternative: the "voice of Humanism."

         Many definitions of humanism have been put forth, but the following provides a simple example. "Humanism is a progressive life stance that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead meaningful, ethical lives capable of adding to the greater good of humanity." This definition seems appealing, but it requires further clarification. For example, how do we define "ethical" or the "greater good of humanity"?

         The Greek word, "ethos", meaning "custom" or "mode of conduct" provides the root for our ethics and morals. These two terms are related but have different meanings: ethics refers to the science of right and wrong behavior while morality refers to the actual pattern of conduct. Thus, the discipline of ethics makes a study of our moral ideals, motives and choices that lead to a particular pattern of conduct.

         An ethical system can develop either from incorporation into one's personal behavior pattern the accepted customs of society (the usual path), or from a conscious evaluation of the consequences of possible actions taken. Socrates, for example, challenged the accepted meanings of justice and fortitude, and in so doing became one of the world's most prominent moral philosophers. He emphasized the need for reflection and criticism, particularly in a democracy where moral convictions frequently have political consequences. He also emphasized his concern for the public good - both short and long term. By challenging the accepted socio-religious structure of society, he offended many traditionally minded members of his society and was consequently put to death. However, exactly his type of critical thinking is what a community needs if it is to develop a sound moral framework. Although persecuted in his time, Socrates' teachings are still widely taught and respected.

          Ancient ethical philosophers borrowed from the ideals of Socrates, seeking their evaluation of moral attitudes through persistent questioning. They sought logical conclusions regarding the qualities of a virtuous person. Plato felt that a moral life required a continual conscious pursuit of the "good," leading beyond selfish materialistic goals. Aristotle, on the other hand, emphasized the pursuit of happiness, but within an ethical framework. For him, the highest happiness results from contemplative use of the mind, causing one to cultivate the virtues of prudence, temperance and justice. The ideal pursuit of happiness led Epicurus to develop a philosophical form based on the pursuit of pleasure that subsequently became labeled "Hedonism." While hedonism often emphasizes bodily pleasure, true Epicurians recognize different forms of pleasure and praise those of the mind above those of the body. Peace of mind is the ultimate goal which results from uniting the individual with the "divine principles of the universe." Such a philosophy resembles the search for enlightenment in Eastern philosophy.

What has Christianity contributed to our appreciation of ethics? Much of Christian philosophy, including the precepts put forth in the Old Testament, was borrowed from Judaism, but St. Augustine put forth the notion that a relationship between man and a personal god should provide the inspiration to lead a moral life. He suggested an integration of morality with a love of God and one's neighbor. Then St. Thomas Aquinus revived the ancient Greek virtues as described by Aristotle, merging them with hope, charity and Christian faith. Interestingly, he also resurrected human reason as the basis for ethical judgment, again borrowing this notion from the Greeks.

Subsequently, other philosophers provided variations on the preexisting philosophical themes, but John Stuart Mill came up with a philosophy that strives to achieve "the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people." The late developing philosophy designated "Naturalism" denounces the supernatural, and holds that moral decisions must be based on factual considerations of a real world and not on mystical or metaphysical beliefs. Naturalism is therefore in direct conflict with Christian philosophy, or for that matter, any religious philosophy based on supernatural beliefs.

For millennia, many ancient religions have propagated an accepted pattern of moral behavior, dictating these patterns without requiring critical evaluation. However, in the last century many Western moral philosophers have noted major differences between the moral dictates of the various religious institutions and rejected the supernatural basis for ethics. They have stressed the need for a system that does not depend on fantastical supernatural beliefs, thus returning to the Socratic approach of deductive reasoning and embracing the principles of naturalism. In the U.S., the American Humanist Association champions this philosophy (AHA) (www.americanhumanist.org).

The AHA provides detailed descriptions of a humanist's ethical philosophy. For example, they define Humanism as a rational philosophy, informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion. Affirming the dignity of each human being, Humanism supports the maximization of individual liberty and opportunity consistent with social and planetary responsibility. It advocates the extension of participatory democracy and the expansion of the open society, standing for human rights and social justice. Free of supernaturalism, it recognizes human beings as a part of nature and holds that values - be they religious, ethical, social, or political - have their source in human experience and culture. Humanism thus derives the goals of life from human need and interest rather than from theological or ideological abstractions, and asserts that humanity must take responsibility for its own destiny.

The Humanist approach offers a joyous alternative to religions. Humanists believe that this is the only life of which we have certain knowledge and that we owe it to ourselves and others to make it the best life possible for ourselves and all with whom we share our fragile planet. They further believe that when people are free to think for themselves, using reason and knowledge as their tools, they are best able to solve the world's problems. Art, literature, music and crafts are our heritage from the past, which, if nourished, can continuously enrich our lives. Humanists take responsibility for their own lives and relish the adventure of being part of new discoveries, seeking new knowledge, exploring new options. Instead of finding solace in prefabricated answers to the great questions of life, humanists enjoy the open-endedness of a quest and the freedom of discovery that this entails. Humanism is, in sum, a philosophy professing responsibility for people in love with life.

As noted briefly above, a world view based on naturalism encompasses the conviction that the known universe is all that exists or is real. For many humanists, Humanism provides the psychological and social functions of a religion, but without belief in deities, transcendental entities, miracles, life after death, and the supernatural. Humanists seek to understand the universe by using science and its methods of critical inquiry. These methods include logical reasoning, the generation of empirical evidence, and the skeptical evaluation of conjectures and conclusions. Humanists affirm that humans have the freedom to give meaning, value, and purpose to their lives by their own independent thought, free inquiry, and responsible, creative actions. They stand for the building of a more humane, just and compassionate society using pragmatic ethics based on human reason, experience, and reliable knowledge - an ethics that judges the consequences of human actions by the wellbeing of all life on Earth. Humanism's focus is on meeting human wants and needs in this world through human efforts. History shows that those efforts are most effective when they include a compassionate application of the scientific method, which involves reliance upon reason, evidence and free inquiry.

Humanism maintains that people can acquire purpose in life and maximize their long-term happiness through developing their talents and using those talents for the service of humanity. Humanists believe that this approach to life is more productive and leads to deeper and longer-lasting satisfaction than a hedonistic pursuit of material or sensual pleasures that soon fade. While service to others is a major focus of Humanism, recreation and relaxation are not ignored, for these too are necessary for long-term health and happiness. Humanism considers the universe to be the result of an enormously long and complex evolution under immutable laws of nature. Humanists affirm this natural world as being wondrous and precious and as offering limitless opportunities for exploration, fascination, creativity, companionship and joy.

Because science cannot know and may never be able to fully explain the ultimate origin or destiny of the universe, Humanism can encompass more than atheism and agnosticism. The lack of definite answers to the ultimate questions in life leaves room for reasonable people to hypothesize about the origin of the natural universe and even to hope for some form of life beyond the one we know without presumption.

The philosophy of Humanism as enunciated above agrees with the philosophy of rationalism and demands protection of the Earth and its inhabitants. It seems the only significant point of contention that can be found with Humanism is its name! This name, like many religious doctrines, implies that humans are at the center of the universe and that they are of primary concern. A name for this philosophy might more accurately be "Universalism" or "Unitarianism", referring to the universality and unity of all animate and inanimate things throughout the universe. However, "Unitarianism" has been used for another very different viewpoint, and "Universalism" is too ambiguous. Consequently, I think we must let stand the well-established terms of Naturalism and Humanism, keeping in mind the all-encompassing views they express. Despite it's anthropocentric title, Humanism professes an understanding of humanity's inherent connection to the natural world. Unlike many religions, it encourages compassion towards our ailing planet and the life it supports, making it an ideal philosophy for the promotion of environmental goals.