How Many Believe in Humanism and What Kind Are You?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the concept of humanism, including personal beliefs about it and the different types of humanism, such as secular and religious. Participants share their views on humanism's implications and its relation to other philosophical perspectives, such as sentiencism.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant identifies as a humanist and invites others to share their thoughts and types of humanism.
  • Another participant references Curry's perspective that contrasts traditional religion with humanism, emphasizing the importance of adapting the world to human needs rather than the reverse.
  • Several participants express their disagreement with humanism, arguing that the term itself is prejudicial, particularly to non-human sentient beings.
  • A participant reflects on their past identification with humanism but notes a divergence in views on crime and punishment, suggesting that humanism may require a more liberal stance than they hold.
  • A later reply discusses the adaptability of evolutionary ancestors to environmental changes, questioning the notion of fitting the world to sentient beings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on humanism, with some identifying as humanists and others rejecting the label. There is no consensus on the implications of humanism or its definitions, indicating a contested discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants raise questions about the prejudicial nature of humanism and its alignment with views on morality and punishment, but these points remain unresolved and depend on individual interpretations.

Beren
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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.)?
 
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To fit world to man, or man to the world

Beren said:
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). 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.
 
I am not a humanist. The very name humanism is prejudicial.
 
A dictum of Sentiencism

Perhaps a sentiencism could be rounded off by the dictum: "The world must be made to fit the sentient, not the sentient the world."
 
I am not a humanist. The very name humanism is prejudicial.

How so? Prejudical to whom?
 
Is Humanism prejudicial

Beren said:
How so? Prejudical to whom?
...Prejudical to the sentient non-humans.
 
No, I'm not a humanist. I tend to identify with any being that can suffer.
 
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
 
Last edited:
hitssquad said:
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 without warning any of our evolutionary ancestors who had to then adapt to the world (not vice versa), if I understand correctly.
 

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