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Is humanism a philosophy of life?

By August 16, 2015Uncategorized

Humanism is defined in the Oxford dictionary as a ‘rationalist outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters’. This falls short of being a philosophy of life. The denial of supernatural forces does not provide a positive statement of what humanists stand for.

The British Humanist Association goes further by defining two ‘wants’

  • A world where everyone lives cooperatively on the basis of shared human values, respect for human rights, and concern for future generations.
  • To help non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity

 

A philosophy of life is a view of the nature and purpose of life and the way it should be lived. Defining a vision of an ideal world goes someway to defining how life should be lived but does not constitute a purpose for existence.

 

I believe it is time for humanists to make a much more positive statement about why we are here. The theory of evolution has been in existence for a century and a half. It is over fifty years since DNA was discovered, surely we can acknowledge that the human purpose in life is to pass on our genes to future generations. If we allow global warming to happen this objective will be compromised. We need to preserve the Earth’s ecology for future generations.

Humanism is just a system of rational thought denying the existence of God. If it is to be more effective is has to have a more positive agenda. Eco-humanity provides one such approach; it is a full philosophy of life whose purpose is saving the planet for our children.

 

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Roger Heppleston

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