Optimalism
- Most desirable possible under a restriction expressed or implied;
- Most efficient or effective use of resources;
- Describes a solution to a problem which minimizes costs.
Humanism
A definition and manifesto provided by the American Humanist Association:
- "Humanism is a progressive lifestance that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity."
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- Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis.
- Humans are an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change.
- Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience.
- Life’s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals.
- Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships.
- Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness.
More below...
Like most political positions, Humanistic Optimalism wants the best possible solutions to social problems. The essential difference is that Optimalism expressly acknowledges the limitations inherent in any system. The best way to work within those limitations will not always be the same because conditions are always different, which leads to an ethic of realism and practicality.
But seeking optimal solutions is not enough; we must know "to what end?" In the case of progressives, the answer is found within humanism. Progressivism is, at its core, a fundamentally humanist orientation—it assumes that it is possible for things to get better for all people, that we should seek to maximize economic opportunity, civil rights and social justice.
Because society is filled with groups with non-divergent and even competing interests, and because our knowledge of the world is always incomplete, solutions always come with some cost. Optimalism seeks to minimize that cost while maximizing gain as measured by humanist goals. This is why an Humanistic Optimalist might despise war but agree that at times the cost is necessary to forward the greater interests of humans (e.g. WW II).
This is another fundamental difference compared with the other three primary political voices in the current US (Anti-Government Libertarians, Corporatists, and Christian Fundamentalists)—these voices all seek solutions to problems that are either fake (e.g. gay marriage) or of issue only to a tiny elite (e.g. minimum wage). Quite often, on the political stage, they offer a great deal of sleight of hand to hide their true agenda, because they know that most people will not agree with their true goals (e.g. hoarding wealth, punishing various groups of people for being different). By contrast, Humanistic Optimalists seek optimal solutions to real problems based on humanistic principles, which are themselves based in the real world. Because of this, they do not need to be indirect or deceptive, and are characterized by plain honesty and matter-of-fact pragmatism.
Not only do Humanistic Optimalists seek solutions to real problems, we want our solutions to actually work optimally. Said another way, we aren't satisfied with solutions that feel good because they seem aligned with some ideology (e.g. school vouchers or posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings), we demand to know that they actually achieve their ends. We do not deride abstinence-only sex education, say, simply because it is unrealistic, but also because it actually doesn't do what it claims to do.
This is not to say that Humanistic Optimalists do not have an ideology; they do...you can read it up top in the Humanistic Manifesto. It also acknowledges that all solutions require a balance of competing interests that might not be ideal but can be, well, optimal. It is a marriage of idealism and practicality.