Transcript HUMANISM

HUMANISM
Robin Grinter
What is Humanism?
• a secular, non-religious belief system
• a long and respected philosophical tradition
• a powerful secular morality
Convinced atheists and
thoughtful agnostics
Atheists lack belief in God or a supernatural
world
Agnostics honestly do not know whether any
god exists or not, but live with this uncertainty
All Humanists live AS IF there is no god or
supernatural agency intervening in this world
or taking an interest in human affairs
Where do Humanists get
their morals from?
Not from
• creeds or commandments
• teachings in holy books
• doctrines or dogmas
But from
• inside - not from outside
• our experience - not the demands of authority
Morality is part of human nature
‘The underlying assumption that only purely
selfish behaviour is natural to man…is false. If
experience shows that people act unselfishly
as well as selfishly, we can only conclude that
both types of behaviour are natural…… If the
capacity for evil is part of human nature, so is
the capacity for good.’
AJAyer
…and we don’t need religion for it
‘Why should I consider others? Because we
are naturally social beings; we live in communities; and life in any community, from the
family outwards, is much happier, and fuller,
and richer if the members are friendly and
cooperative than if they are hostile and
resentful.’
Margaret Knight
Why should we behave well?
One passing life to live with passion
Not for:
• hope of eternal heavenly bliss
• fear of eternal torment in hell
‘We can make this one life worth living with all
the more intensity because we know that – like
all things – it has a final and irrevocable end.’
Andrew Copson
Why should we behave well?
The Golden Rule
The belief that all human beings are potentially as
valuable as each other, and all deserve happiness
‘The social instincts ... with the aid of active intellectual
powers and the effects of habit naturally lead to the
golden rule “As you would that men should do to you, do
to them likewise”; and this lies at the foundation of
morality.’
Charles Darwin
Yes, we can!
Humanism is
• grounded in an optimistic view of human
nature
• a life affirming and positive view of the world
• not weighed down by feelings of guilt or sin
How should we behave?
Principles not commandments
Not
• detailed Koranic rules for living
• Old Testament commandments
• New Testament injunctions
But universal principles that can be applied to
changing circumstances
Promote happiness,
reduce unhappiness
‘Create all the happiness you are able to
create…remove all the misery you are able
to remove…and for every enjoyment you
sow in the bosom of another you shall find
a harvest in your own bosom.’
Jeremy Bentham
Value others equally
‘Always treat people as ends in themselves,
never as means to an end.’
Immanuel Kant
Use reason to understand
situations
‘Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every
opinion now accepted was once eccentric.’
Bertrand Russell
‘Never try to discourage thinking, for you are
sure to succeed.’
Bertrand Russell
Take responsibility for
our situation
In
• our daily lives with our family and friends
• our work and our life as citizens
• our actions as global citizens
Humanism is not ‘moral relativism’
Humanists are not ‘moral relativists’ for whom
’anything goes’
Their principles are:
• universal
• relevant to ever-changing situations
• likely to require changes in laws and behaviour
Humanism and improved
Religious Education
Our secular society is addicted to short-term
consumer values, and so therefore are many
of our young people
If young people without faith (the majority)
are told that they can only find values and
morality through religion, there is a real
danger they may decide to have none at all
Universal values
Humanism:
• has long-term secular principles and values
• can speak to young people who want values
but do not have faith
• assures them they can be good without God
Humanism supports good RE
As part of the RE syllabus, Humanism will:
• validate the yearnings for secular values
• treat young people searching for values
with respect
• encourage them to recognise and learn
from the values embodied in all the major
faith systems
The Manchester Humanism Units
for RE
Follow the two key principles of ‘Transforming
Religious Education’ (June 2010) :
• a respect for belief and values
• an open, critical and investigative approach
The Manchester Humanism Units
for RE
Provide at each Key Stage:
• a full presentation of the Humanist belief
system
• treatment of each thematic element in the
National Framework (2004)
• A wealth of teaching suggestions and learning
activities
The Units are available for use by any SACRE
An In-service Course in Humanism
Exploring Humanism - a GMH introductory
course, will be used in Summer 2011 to help
Tameside teachers understand Humanist
thinking
The Manchester Humanist Units for RE will
provide exemplars for teachers as part of this
course, which will be available for any SACRE