Humanism

[Desi]

Twelve Basic Humanist Principles
The fundamental principles of secular humanism have been stated in
many ways. In fact there is no complete agreement on this amongst
Humanists and a good part of the humanist debate revolves around the
correct enunciation and delineation of Humanist principles.
1. Humanism is one of those philosophies for people who think for
themselves. There is no area of thought that a Humanist is afraid to
challenge and explore.
2. Humanism is a philosophy focused upon human means for comprehending
reality. Humanists make no claims to possess or have access to
supposed transcendent knowledge.
3. Humanism is a philosophy of reason and science in the pursuit of
knowledge. Therefore, when it comes to the question of the most valid
means for acquiring knowledge of the world, Humanists reject arbitrary
faith, authority, revelation, and altered states of consciousness.
4. Humanism is a philosophy of imagination. Humanists recognize that
intuitive feelings, hunches, speculation, flashes of inspiration,
emotion, altered states of consciousness, and even religious
experience, while not valid means to acquire knowledge, remain useful
sources of ideas that can lead us to new ways of looking at the world.
These ideas, after they have been assessed rationally for their
usefulness, can then be put to work, often as alternate approaches for
solving problems.
5. Humanism is a philosophy for the here and now. Humanists regard
human values as making sense only in the context of human life rather
than in the promise of a supposed life after death.
6. Humanism is a philosophy of compassion. Humanist ethics is solely
concerned with meeting human needs and answering human problems--for
both the individual and society--and devotes no attention to the
satisfaction of the desires of supposed theological entities.
7. Humanism is a realistic philosophy. Humanists recognize the
existence of moral dilemmas and the need for careful consideration of
immediate and future consequences in moral decision making.
8. Humanism is in tune with the science of today. Humanists therefore
recognize that we live in a natural universe of great size and age,
that we evolved on this planet over a long period of time, that there
is no compelling evidence for a separable "soul," and that human
beings have certain built-in needs that effectively form the basis for
any human-oriented value system.
9. Humanism is in tune with today's enlightened social thought.
Humanists are committed to civil liberties, human rights, church-state
separation, the extension of participatory democracy not only in
government but in the workplace and education, an expansion of global
consciousness and exchange of products and ideas internationally, and
an open-ended approach to solving social problems, an approach that
allows for the testing of new alternatives.
10. Humanism is in tune with new technological developments. Humanists
are willing to take part in emerging scientific and technological
discoveries in order to exercise their moral influence on these
revolutions as they come about, especially in the interest of
protecting the environment.
Humanism is, in sum, a philosophy for those in love with life.
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.
The basic principles of secular humanism are set out here as twelve
cardinal principles (numbered H1 to H12). They are given below with a
few brief comments on each.
H1. The only relevant spheres of action for humans are humanity in a
collective sense, individual human beings, and the physical
environment (nature) in which they operate.
What this principle asserts is that there is no external divine agency
between human beings and the physical environment in which they
operate. Nature in the sense of the physical world and non-human
species is the given datum which humans have to operate in. Humans
have a natural curiosity to investigate the laws of nature, physical
and biological, and use them to advantage but there are limits to the
extent of intervention in nature and these are given in principle H6.
“H6. Humans do not have a right of dominion over animals and the
environment, it being recognized that humans along with many other
species of animals do change their environment by their very
existence. “

With respect to interaction with other humans a distinction has to be
made with interaction with humanity in a generic sense and interaction
with specific human beings. The nature of this interaction will be
governed by certain ethical principles. Principle H11 is a tentative
attempt to codify these ethical relationships.
“H11. The following ethical principles should in general be promoted:
1. Abstaining from conduct injurious to life and the physical well-
being of persons.
2. Abstaining from the theft of property of others
3. Abstaining from sexual violence and misconduct
4. Abstaining from falsehood, fraud and deception
5. Abstaining from drunkenness, narcotics and mind bending drugs

H2. Human beings are not subject to God or any divine agency. They
have no obligation to love, fear or obey any such supernatural agent.
Even though this may be regarded as a negative principle (i.e. what
humanism is not rather than what it is) yet it is so fundamental that
it must be stated explicitly.
Humanism teaches us that it is immoral to wait for God to act for us.
We must act to stop the wars and the crimes and the brutality of this
and future ages. We have powers of a remarkable kind. We have a high
degree of freedom in choosing what we will do. Humanism tells us that
whatever our philosophy of the universe may be, ultimately the
responsibility for the kind of world in which we live rests with us.
Secular humanism rejects the notion of God, but some humanists prefer
to take an agnostic position on this question. This principle in a
strict sense rules out agnosticism. The problem with agnosticism is
that people can be agnostic about anything, e.g. the tooth fairy,
little green men on Mars, alien abductions by extra-terrestrials, etc.
The scientific position is that the onus of proof is on the person
making the positive assertion. So if we cannot adduce evidence about
the existence of the tooth fairy, little green men, or even God then
we are entitled to reject them until some evidence is produced. In the
case of God one can go further than the tooth fairy, etc. because on
most definitions God is omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent. Such a
being cannot be reconciled with the empirically observed fact of
suffering, etc. Thus agnosticism too has to be rejected along with
theism.
H3. All beliefs must be founded on reason and human experience. Where
the progress of knowledge reveals that any belief is or becomes
untenable it should be abandoned.
This is the principle of rationalism. Thus humanists are by definition
rationalists but the contrary does not prevail. Not all rationalists
are humanists. Rationalism is a methodology, a methodology which
humanists accept, but humanism also entails some specific beliefs
which some rationalists may reject. The precise methodology of the
scientific investigation, e.g. logical positivism, falsificationism,
etc. may be debated by humanists and there could be some progress here
as in all areas of knowledge. But readiness to abandon positions
revealed to be incorrect should be a cardinal feature of humanism.
Both inductive and deductive methods should be used. Pure deduction
can lead to errors.
H4. All human beings are entitled to inalienable human rights such as
those enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In this example the Universal Declaration (UDHR) is cited as an
example of Human Rights, but there is no endorsement of all the rules
enunciated therein. There are defects in the present UDHR and it does
not go far enough in certain areas. However the prospect of another
universally agreed Declaration is rather remote. Humanists should
engage in a discussion how the present UDHR could be amended or
expanded. The proposition is now advanced that Human Rights could
differ in different areas has to be rejected. Humanism affirms that
despite physical and cultural differences there is a basic similarity
in all humans. It is this common area that should be addressed in a
declaration of human rights. As such human rights cannot be watered
down by cultural or local factors. These rights should be
inalienable.
Literary Humanism is a devotion to the humanities or literary culture.
Renaissance Humanism is the spirit of learning that developed at the
end of the middle ages with the revival of classical letters and a
renewed confidence in the ability of human beings to determine for
themselves truth and falsehood.
Cultural Humanism is the rational and empirical tradition that
originated largely in ancient Greece and Rome, evolved throughout
European history, and now constitutes a basic part of the Western
approach to science, political theory, ethics, and law.
Philosphical Humanism is any outlook or way of life centered on human
need and interest. Sub-categories of this type include Christian
Humanism and Modern Humanism.
Christian Humanism is defined by Webster's Third New International
Dictionary as "a philosophy advocating the self- fulfillment of man
within the framework of Christian principles." This more human-
oriented faith is largely a product of the Renaissance and is a part
of what made up Renaissance humanism.
Modern Humanism, also called Naturalistic Humanism, Scientific
Humanism, Ethical Humanism and Democratic Humanism is defined by one
of its leading proponents, Corliss Lamont, as "a naturalistic
philosophy that rejects all supernaturalism and relies primarily upon
reason and science, democracy and human compassion." Modern Humanism
has a dual origin, both secular and religious, and these constitute
its sub-categories.
Secular Humanism is an outgrowth of 18th century enlightenment
rationalism and 19th century freethought. Many secular groups, such as
the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism and the American
Rationalist Federation, and many otherwise unaffiliated academic
philosophers and scientists, advocate this philosophy.
Religious Humanism emerged out of Ethical Culture, Unitarianism, and
Universalism. Today, many Unitarian- Universalist congregations and
all Ethical Culture societies describe themselves as humanist in the
modern sense.

H5. These rights inhere to humans from the time the human fetus
becomes a viable biological entity capable of independent existence
without physical or organic dependence on another human being.
This principle involves the question when a new human being can be
said to begin. The two extreme limits are conception and birth. Some
religions consider conception to be the start of a new life. The
problem here is that in the early period when the fertilized ovum
begins to develop it has to depend on another human being (the
mother). Since both beings are inextricably intertwined the question
of assigning precedence may arise where the existence of one may
result in detriment to the other. In such situations it may be logical
to assign primacy to the mother. The other extreme would be birth at
which time the new individual can exist independently of the mother. A
case can be made for dating the existence of the new individual from
the moment of birth. Principle H5 essentially involves a compromise
between these two extremes. It involves the definition of the point of
time when the fetus is a viable biological entity. This is a
biological or medical question, and the precise point may differ
between individuals and of course will depend on the state of
development of medical science and technology. A moral principle is
involved here, but for the sake of completeness some stand on this
issue has to be made by humanists.
H6. Humans do not have a right of dominion over animals and the
environment, it being recognized that humans along with many other
species of animals do change their environment by their very
existence.
What this principle asserts is that the Biblical right extended to
humans to exercise "dominion" over animals and even nature is not a
human right at all. Humanists should not restrict their horizons to
humans alone and should respect this right of existence. This
principle should not be taken as a proscription against modifying the
environment. Any species, human or animal, has to make certain
modifications in the natural environment to accommodate its basic
living requirements. What the principle asserts is that wanton and
deliberate destruction of animal life and ecosystems is not an
automatic right of humans. At the very least it must include what now
described as ecological conservation and responsibility, but a case
can be made to take it much further.
H7. Children shall not be subjected to physical and mental abuse, nor
to religious or political indoctrination by parents or others. The
rights of children should be codified in a charter of children's'
rights.
While parents, guardians and elders have a responsibility towards
their children (and vice versa) this responsibility does not give a
carte blanche for them. Today most legal jurisdiction interdict
physical and sexual abuse of children by anybody including parents.
This is as should be. But what the law does not do is to prevent the
political and religious indoctrination of children. Religions are
allowed to conduct ceremonies like Baptism in Christianity,
circumcision in Judaism and Islam and the thread ceremony of Hinduism.
Children are incapable of understanding what is done to them in such
ceremonies. Humanists should deny the existence of such rights for
parents, priests and the like. This rule does not mean that children
should not be inculcated in ethical standards. But these should be a
basic non-religious kind of ethical standards such as those that
Humanists promote. There is still no formal charter of Children's'
Rights. The biggest impediment to the creation of such a charter will
come not from theists who will not give up their right to
automatically impose their religion on their children.
H8. Civil laws should be arrived at by a collective consensual process
and should promote the common good, not the tenets of a particular
religion or philosophy.
This could be a prescription for democracy. The word however is not
used in the enunciation of this principle as different people mean
different things by democracy. There is no ideal of setting up a
system of representative government (cf. Arrow's Impossibility
Theorem) and no particular system should be considered as a universal
norm. What it argues is against despotic rule by dictators and argues
for a kind of "rule of law" which should bind everybody the ruler and
the ruled. Ideally the rules of law must also be based on some ethical
principles of general acceptance.
H9. Special privileges should not be given to any group on the basis
of religious or philosophical belief, nor should any group be
discriminated against on grounds such as race, ethnicity, beliefs,
gender or age.
This is the principle of non-discrimination and should be asserted as
a basic humanistic principle. Such things as racism, sexism,
discrimination based on sexual preference, etc. are all examples where
the principle is violated. It also asserts that there should not be an
established religion. Unfortunately many theistic religions have
established themselves as the sole or dominant religion in certain
countries. Islam is perhaps the most extreme in this regard, but
Christianity was no better for most of its recorded history, and even
now countries like the UK, USA and Australia, normally regarded as
modern democratic states, have established Christianity to varying
degrees.
H10. There is no conclusive evidence that life exists after death so
humans should exert themselves primarily in terms of their present
life.
This principle undermines what could be regarded as a basic rule in
many religions. Some religions postulate a heaven or hell as the
destination of all humans after death, while others see life as a
continuous process with a deceased person being reborn or reincarnated
in some way. Obviously the proposition of life after death has not
been established in any scientific way. It is therefore to either rule
it out or be agnostic towards it. On the other hand the present life
in indisputable, and should be the basis of humanistic action.
H11. The following ethical principles should in general be promoted:
1. Abstaining from conduct injurious to life and the physical well-
being of persons.
2. Abstaining from the theft of property of others
3. Abstaining from sexual violence and misconduct
4. Abstaining from falsehood, fraud and deception
5. Abstaining from drunkenness, narcotics and mind bending drugs
These five rules should be considered the basic principles governing
ethnical conduct. The are not based on any religious principle or
divine commandment. They are vindicated by the fact that without them
peaceful and civil society may be an impossibility. Many ethical
systems interpret these rule much more widely. Brief comments on each
of these rules may be appropriate. The first rule may be considered
similar the Mosaic commandment not to murder. However both Judaism and
Christianity have not considered this rule as absolute and justifiable
killing (e.g. in warfare) has been allowed. Some religions like
Jainism, Buddhism and some forms of Hinduism extend this principle to
exclude even the killing of animals, but this may not be possible in
many societies where the large scale of rearing and killing of animals
for food is a widespread practice with religious sanction. The second
rule about theft is bedeviled by the difficulty of defining what is
legitimate property. Some philosophers like Prudhon have argued that
"all property is theft". Then there is the problem of public and
private property, and more recently the problems associated with "
intellectual property". But if property can be defined legally or by
consensus (if not morally) this the second rule has some validity. The
third rule excludes sexual relationships based on force, fraud etc.
More specific definitions of what is wrong sexual conduct could lead
to differences even between humanists. The question of homosexuality
may be cited on which there is no complete agreement even amongst
humanists. The fourth rule hinges on the definition of "truth". There
are the obvious gross falsehoods which are clearly demonstrable, but
today there is a proliferation of statements in the grey areas which
remain problematical. This involves not merely statements made by
advertisers, public relations persons, politicians but even by
religious preachers. However it is a useful rule to include in any
recension of ethical principles. The fifth one might not need
justification given the level of substance abuse that is taking place
in contemporary society. Some might consider it the least important of
the five principles and one that could be struck out in a purely
humanist list of ethical principles.
H12. Humanism should develop an attitude of compassion to those in a
state of suffering from whatever cause that leads to the suffering,
and seek to engage in action that alleviates this suffering.
Suffering in this context includes pain but is not confined to the
case of physical pain. It is a reflection of the unsatisfactoriness
of the existential situation in which those subject to suffering finds
themselves. This involves an active effort to change the situation in
which suffering occurs and make appropriate changes in social,
environmental or other factors.
Those subject to suffering can include animals and this would require
Humanists to act in ways which take the suffering of animals into
consideration
Many religions require their followers to make events associated with
the life-career of persons (birth, marriage, death) into religious
rites. The purpose may have been to empower the priests over the lives
of the lay followers. Many Western humanists seem to detect a need for
celebrations to mark birth, marriage and death. This is perhaps a hang-
over from their Christian past. Christians celebrate birth because
they think that it is a gift from God, marriage because they think
that it is a sacrament, but what do humanists who devise secular
equivalents to these see in them?