Humanism: A Statement of Principles

[Icehawk]

I found this in a magazine called "Free Inquiry" Just thought I would post it here to see what people think.


The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles

We are committed to the application of reason and science and to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems.

We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation.

We believe that scientific discovery and technology can contribute to the betterment of human life.

We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities.

We are committed to the principle of the seperation of church and state.

We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual understanding.

We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance.

We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves.

We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity.

We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for future generations, to avoid needless suffering on other species.

We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest.

We believe in the cultivation in moral excellence.

We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual preferences, to excercise reproductive freedom, to have access to comprehensive and informed health-care, and to die with dignity.

We believe in the commom moral decencies: alturism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative standards that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their consequences.

We are deeply concerned with the moral education of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion.

We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences.

We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries still to be made in the cosmos.

We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, and we are open to novel ideas and seek new departures in our thinking.

We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich personal signifigance and genuine satisfaction in the services to others.

We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather that guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hated, compassion over selfishness, instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality.

We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings.

By: Paul Kurtz


Comments Criticism? Personally I think some of them are a bit vague and a bit overly sappy. But many of them seem pretty reasonable and true to what I know of humanism. I have heard from people on another forum where my younger brother posted this, that it was to "Preachy" and that there was to much room for hypocracy.

[Joe]

Is optimism really that essential to humanism? I don't know, I can see why it would be, but still, I know plenty of hardcore pessimists who consider themselves humanists.

[BlkbrryTheGreat]

These is ALOT of wiggle room in this "document". I mean just think of all the different definations of "moral". I would want to see exact definations for what they mean by many of these words before I would call myself a humanist. Im also a bit uncomfortable with how many "beliefs" they have. If they can logically justify these beliefs then I have no problem with them, if they can't then I wouldn't want to be affliated with irrationality even if they happen to have what I consider "correct" beliefs obtained through their irrationality.

[SyntaxVorlon]

Sticky this.

Humanism is basically the motto of most people here, save for the Cthulhu cultists.

[Mr Bean]

Don't we have enough Stickys as it is?

[SyntaxVorlon]

Maybe we should make a new forum full of stickies and no actual moving topics.

[His Divine Shadow]

No, and whats wrong with Cthulhu?

[weemadando]

Sticky this.

Humanism is basically the motto of most people here, save for the Cthulhu cultists.

We believe in humanism... rich, tasty, succulent, juicy humanism...