Humanist values?

[Jack of Spades]

I see plenty of people here identify as Humanists, so I'd like to ask self-identified Humanists:

- What are the most important humanist values?
- What is the key difference between humanism and some other, competitive value systems?
- What makes you choose to be a humanist, and not something else?

For the record, I do have a basic idea of what humanism means in a nutshell, but I'm asking to hear how humanists themselves would explain their values.

 

[jayem]

- What are the most important humanist values?

The principle of reciprocity. All persons deserve to be treated with fairness and dignity, as we would like to be treated ourselves.
We are all more alike than we are different.
All persons should have freedom of thought and action unless it causes harm, or impairs the similar freedoms of others.

What is the key difference between humanism and some other, competitive value systems?

Humanists believe that human beings are the masters of their fate. Apart from the laws of nature, there are no higher powers. Gods and supernatural entities exist only in the imagination. We alone make the rules we live by. Which is an enormous responsibility. We can make the world a place where we, and all living things thrive and flourish if we act wisely. Or we can make it a lifeless, desolate wasteland if we act stupidly.

What makes you choose to be a humanist, and not something else?

Because based on everything I've observed, studied, and experienced in my life so far, nothing else makes sense.

 

[Gene2memE]

I see plenty of people here identify as Humanists, so I'd like to ask self-identified Humanists:

- What are the most important humanist values?
- What is the key difference between humanism and some other, competitive value systems?
- What makes you choose to be a humanist, and not something else?

For the record, I do have a basic idea of what humanism means in a nutshell, but I'm asking to hear how humanists themselves would explain their values.

No better source than the humanist manifestos as to the values of humanism

Humanist Manifesto I
Humanist Manifesto II
Humanist Manifesto III

Key differences to other value systems would be the embrace of the following philosophies: Secularism, Progressivism (in the classical sense), Rationalism, Democratism, Empiricism and Ethical Naturalism. No other worldview I'm aware of combines these philosophies.

Why I choose to be a humanist is the fact that generally speaking, the value judgements of people who identify as humanist line up more closely, more of the time with my own value judgements than any other system I know of.

 

[Jack of Spades]

Gods and supernatural entities exist only in the imagination.

Sounds like atheism to me. Do all humanists share this line of thought? Is atheism foundational element of all humanism? Can there be theistic humanism, or agnostic humanism?

 

[jayem]

Sounds like atheism to me. Do all humanists share this line of thought? Is atheism foundational element of all humanism? Can there be theistic humanism, or agnostic humanism?

As I think about it, I suppose it's possible. But it wouldn't be a traditional theism. Humanism as I see it, means we control our destiny. There are no supreme beings who have sovereignty over us, or plans for our future. We cannot look anywhere for divine guidance or revelation. We either fly, or we crash and burn on our own.

 

[Strathos]

If we ever meet intelligent extraterrestrials, I wonder if 'humanists' would discriminate against them.

 

[Gene2memE]

Sounds like atheism to me.

Sounds like one sub-branch of atheism to me. But, that's a different discussion for a different time.

Do all humanists share this line of thought?

Nope, I was a humanist when I was a believer (Catholic) as well.

Is atheism foundational element of all humanism?

No. Secular humanism rejects the dogmas of religion as a basis for value judgments, as it does for supernaturalism, pseudoscience, and superstition. However, you can still be a believer in lots of faith tradition.

Deists and pantheists are frequently humanists, as are lots of universal Unitarians. Lots of liberal Christian and Muslim groups have value sets that very closely overlap that of humanism as well, although they're obviously less accepting of the 'secular' and non-supernatural parts.

Can there be theistic humanism, or agnostic humanism?

Yes, to both.

Agnosticism is knowledge stance - I know this, I don't know that, I think/don't think its possible to know this/that. Therefore it is not position that is exclusionary to beliefs about gods. You can be agnostic and a believer or non believer.

When I was a believer, I was an agnostic Catholic - I did not claim to know if God existed or not, but I believed that he did
As a non-believer, I am an agnostic atheist - I do not claim to if god or gods exist or not (apart from very specific god claims), but I do not accept the claim that they do.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Sounds like atheism to me.

Humanism is typically atheistic. There are other forms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_humanism


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Eudaimonist]

If we ever meet intelligent extraterrestrials, I wonder if 'humanists' would discriminate against them.

Humanity uber alles!

Nah, I'm sure that humanists would simply accept them as "human". That would be in their spirit.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Gene2memE]

Humanity uber alles!

Nah, I'm sure that humanists would simply accept them as "human". That would be in their spirit.

If we were to discover aliens with a similar level of intelligence to us, humanism would probably morph into 'sapientism' - applying the principles of humanism to other beings that display self-awareness, can communicate, and have identifiable culture.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

I see plenty of people here identify as Humanists, so I'd like to ask self-identified Humanists:

- What are the most important humanist values?

recognition of the value of the person, the innate "life worth" of life, for better or for worse. Aiming at the better.

- What is the key difference between humanism and some other, competitive value systems?

I think that humanism aims at self realisation, and therefore embraces plurality of approaches, just as people have different psychology and talents, or are tough or tender minded etc. and as such need different lifestyles.

Many people have humanist values, pro life values, but they don't even know. MAybe a Sikh aims at the infinite God, but that's his form of self realisaiton etc..

- What makes you choose to be a humanist, and not something else?

Its partially because I have to pick a orientaiton to be on the board.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

If we ever meet intelligent extraterrestrials, I wonder if 'humanists' would discriminate against them.

There are plenty of them, theyre called satellites. Although the markets may only respect us for our intelligence, human worth is something more...