Humanism

[Beren]

Was simply wondering how many members of the forum were humanist, believed in humanism, or at least considered it. I'm a humanist, myself, and have been since reading about it in an Asimov essay about 4 years ago. What are your thoughts on humanism? What kind of humanist are you (Secular, Religious, etc.)?

[hitssquad]

What are your thoughts on humanism?Curry, an explicit propagandist for Humanism, contrasts traditional and Humanistic religion by saying that the basis of virtue is not trust in God but "Love -- an instinct you see in every child or animal." And the contrast of the two positions is quite consistently rounded off by his dictum: "The world must be made to fit man, not man the world," (1937 (http://www.google.com/search?q=%22The+school+and+a+changing+civilization %22+curry)). Here, and in some other features, a scientifically based religion is actually closer in values to inspired religion than to modern eclectic humanism; for it considers that the universe has a lot to teach man, and that he would be absurd trying to shape it to his pygmy mind, instead of stretching his mental stature to its demands.Raymond Cattell. A New Religion from Science: Beyondism. Section 7.3 (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beyondismscience/files/Beyondism%20writings/Beyondism%201972/Part%20II%20--%20Chapters%206-9/Chapter%207/).

[Dissident Dan]

I am not a humanist. The very name humanism is prejudicial.

[hitssquad]

Perhaps a sentiencism could be rounded off by the dictum: "The world must be made to fit the sentient, not the sentient the world."

[Beren]

I am not a humanist. The very name humanism is prejudicial.

How so? Prejudical to whom?

[hitssquad]

How so? Prejudical to whom?...Prejudical to the sentient non-humans (http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=9715).

[cragwolf]

No, I'm not a humanist. I tend to identify with any being that can suffer.

[Janitor]

In my early 20s I went through a brief period of thinking of myself as a humanist. But as I read more essays on humanism, written by humanists, I came to realize that my views on crime and punishment are at odds with the prevailing views of humanists. I am liberal on some issues and conservative on others. To be a humanist, you are obliged (or so it seems to me, based on my reading) to be far more liberal on matters of criminality than I will ever be. For example, if there is a humanist out there somewhere who believes in capital punishment, I have not come across his/her viewpoint yet in my reading.

EDIT: fixed cruddy spelling

[Imparcticle]

Perhaps a sentiencism could be rounded off by the dictum: "The world must be made to fit the sentient, not the sentient the world."


Well, the environment changed with out warning any of our evolutionary ancestors who had to then adapt to the world (not vice versa), if I understand correctly.