Humanism is simply an ethical and philosophical viewpoint that sees individuals having the freedom to choose their own values and goals. Humanism emphasizes common human needs and seeks rational ways of solving human problems. In this way, Humanism utilizes scientific methods as well as the fact-based findings of the various sciences.
As an ethical and moral philosophy Humanism carries with it a responsibility for living in a manner that is considerate towards others. A.C. Grayling, in The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and for Humanism, writes:
“As a broad ethical outlook, humanism involves no sectarian divisions or strife, no supernaturalism, no taboos, no food and dress codes, no restrictive sexual morality other than what is implicit in the demand to treat others with respect, consideration and kindness.”
In his book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, Julian Baggini sums it up this way:
“In the broad sense of the term, humanists are simply atheists who believe in living purposeful and moral lives.”
There are many different definitions of Humanism, but contrary to what some people who are opposed to Humanism have said, none of these definitions involve the worship of humans. In an article in Free Inquiry, Andy Norman writes:
“Contemporary humanists don’t ‘worship’ homo sapiens; we don’t believe that we humans have a ‘sacred nature.’”
Andy Norman also writes:
“The philosophy of humanism isn’t the result of putting humans on the pedestal once occupied by gods; it results from the realization that the gods won’t save us, so we’d better save ourselves. Humanism is not about making ourselves sacred; it’s about us taking responsibility—for animals and the planet as well as ourselves.”
Recognizing that definitions of Humanism are somewhat arbitrary, John Lewis, in his book Religions of the World Made Simple, describes it this way:
“A system of thought which assigns a predominant interest to the affairs of man as compared with the supernatural and which believes man capable of controlling those affairs. It therefore holds that the chief end of human life is to work for the happiness of man upon this earth and within the confines of the Nature that is his home.” [italic in original.]
The definition of Humanism provided by The Humanist Magazine is:
“Humanism is a rational philosophy informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion. Affirming the dignity of each human being, it supports the maximization of individual liberty and opportunity consonant with social and planetary responsibility.”
In his entry on morality from a Humanist position in The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief, Harry Stopes-Roe writes:
“Humanism claims: (1) The universe is naturalistic. (2) The principles of moral action derive from certain attributes (including evaluations) carried in human nature. (3) The importance of moral action derives from, on the one hand, the importance of individuals and their happiness and suffering; and on the other, the significance of the human ability to respond meaningfully to this importance.”
Andy Norman writes:
“Contemporary humanism, as articulated in several humanist ‘manifestos,’ is the product of decades of intellectual and social toil. It represents a system of commitments that is carefully crafted to temper some of humanity’s worse instincts. Its central idea is that all humans deserve to be treated with dignity.”
Roots of Humanism
The roots of humanism in the Western World can be traced back to the Greek philosophers. Paul Kurtz, in an entry in The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief, describes the origins of Western humanism:
“Its origins can be glimpsed in early Greek philosophy, especially in efforts to develop a theoretical philosophical and scientific outlook on nature, in its emphasis on human rationality, and in its conviction that the good life can be achieved through the exercise of human powers and the fulfillment of human nature.”
The Greek philosophers Thales of Miletus and Xenophanes of Colophon in the sixth-century BCE felt that the world could be explained in terms of human reason. Xenophanes, for example, points out that the rainbow is a special result of cloud formation and not a sign from Zeus. He pointed out that there were no sun and moon gods and no mysterious infernal regions. Alexander Mourelatos, in his entry on Xenophanes in The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, writes:
“Traditional religion reflects regional biases (blond gods for the northerners; black gods for the Africans). Indeed, anthropomorphic gods reflect the ultimate bias, that of the human viewpoint.”
After the fall of the Roman Empire in the late fifth century C.E., Europe entered into a long period in which the Greek humanists were forgotten, and people looked outside of themselves to a deity for their salvation. However, knowledge of these Greek philosophers was retained by Islamic scholars. Paul Kurtz reports:
“Humanism began to reappear with the discovery and translation by the Islamic philosopher Averrӧes of the works of Aristotle in the twelfth century, and their transmission to Europe during the Middle Ages.”
Modern science began to develop in Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth century during which time biblical revelation as a way of understanding nature was overturned. Paul Kurtz writes:
“It was the development of the scientific method and its application to nature that brought a decisive influence to bear on humanist thought.”
During the French Revolution in the late 1700s, a number of philosophers—Jacques Hébert, Pierre Gaspard Chaumette, and others—devised the Cult of Reason as an atheistic religion. The Cult of Reason was envisioned as a replacement for Christianity and had as its goal the perfection of humanity through the attainment of truth and liberty. Reason was seen as its guiding principle.
In the 1850s Positivism, a “religion of humanity”, was founded by sociologist Auguste Comte. According to Positivism, humans receive information through their senses, then interpret it through reason and logic. Verified information received through the senses was empirical evidence. Valid knowledge is thus based on empirical evidence. Comte described the three pillars of this new religion as: altruism, order, and progress.
Humanism is not confined to European-based cultures but is also found in China where its roots can be traced back to the philosopher Kong Qiu (551-479 BCE) aka Confucius. In his book Religions of the World Made Simple, John Lewis writes:
“The chief interest of Confucius is human behavior rather than theology.”
In his book Sex and Spirit, Clifford Bishop writes:
“Confucius (551-479BC) was more concerned with ethics than with mysticism.”
In his book Godi s Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World—And Why Their Differences Matter, Stephen Prothero writes:
“Confucians share with secular humanists a single-minded focus on this world of rag and bone. They, too, are far more interested in how to live than in plumbing the depths of Ultimate Reality.”
Religion 101/102
This series presents a broad range of topics relating to religion. Religion 102 is an expansion of an earlier essay. More from this series:
Religion 101: Freethought and women's rights
Religion 101: Women and marriage under ancient Irish Brehon law
Religion 101: Animism
Religion 101: Secularism
Religion 201: Deism
Religion 201: Heresy
Religion 102: Mythology
Religion 102: Creation stories