All posts tagged: HUMANISM

Why Humanism? – TheHumanist.com

Why Humanism? – TheHumanist.com

Published by Sam Flores

“Civilization is to groups what intelligence is to individuals. It is a means of combining the intelligence of many to achieve ongoing group adaptation. Civilization, like intelligence, may serve well, serve adequately, or fail to serve its adaptive function. When civilization fails to serve, it must disintegrate unless it is acted upon by unifying internal or external forces.”—Octavia E. Butler, “Parable of the Sower” We live in troubled times, with high cultural anxiety, and some ask why Humanists are so concerned about political life today. Some say we are just atheists with a liberal agenda. I point out that atheism speaks to what I don’t believe and Humanism speaks to what I do believe in, value and hope to practice. Modern humanism grew out of a movement in the last century of people who wanted to integrate all the knowledge available at the time into a whole worldview, a “weltanschauung”. It answers Socrates’ two great questions: What is true and how shall I live my life? I am concerned that more people are rejecting religion …

Who owns the Moon? Alfredo Carpineti to explore space ethics at Festival of Humanism 2026 – Humanists UK

Who owns the Moon? Alfredo Carpineti to explore space ethics at Festival of Humanism 2026 – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

As the world looks to the stars for tonight’s Artemis II Moon mission launch, Humanists UK invites you to join us at the Festival of Humanism 2026 to hear from British-Italian astrophysicist and science journalist – and newly announced patron of Humanists UK – Dr Alfredo Carpineti. He will take to the stage to deliver a timely and urgent lecture titled ‘Heavens above! The politics and ethics of space’. Taking place from 12–14 June at the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, the Festival of Humanism 2026 will provide the perfect platform for Dr Carpineti to explore the pressing questions surrounding our cosmic ambitions. He notes that space already dictates our daily lives in ways we rarely appreciate, from satellite networks to global climate monitoring. Yet, the rules governing this vital domain remain dangerously on the fringes of public debate, left to the competing interests of global superpowers, vast industries, and a small clique of centibillionaires. At the Festival of Humanism 2026, Dr Carpineti will reveal how these scientific endeavours and interplanetary ambitions are anything but …

Humanism After Belief: What Responsibility Requires

Humanism After Belief: What Responsibility Requires

Published by Sam Flores

Secular humanism has been remarkably effective at dismantling religious metaphysics. It has been far less willing to ask what it owes the people who must live without them. For many secular humanists, this omission feels reasonable. If a belief is false, arbitrary or harmful, then exposing it should be enough. Truth, after all, is a moral good which respects the dignity and rationality of human beings. But this confidence rests on an assumption that deserves closer scrutiny: that removing belief is ethically sufficient, regardless of the psychological and moral weight that belief had been carrying. It is here that humanism encounters an unresolved moral responsibility—one that critique alone cannot discharge. Dignity, Purpose, and the Human Condition Human dignity is inherent. It does not depend on status, achievement, belief or obedience. But lived dignity—the experience of oneself as a moral agent—does not exist in abstraction. It must be enacted. And enactment requires orientation. Human beings cannot live a dignified life without a sense of purpose that renders their actions meaningfully directed—not because their worth must be …

Humanism After Belief: What Responsibility Requires

HUMANISM 101 | Being a Humanist When You Lose Faith in Humanity

Published by Sam Flores

It is a hard time to be a humanist. How do you trust in the ultimate goodness and unlimited potential of human beings when humanity seems to be doing everything in its power to prove you wrong? Our politics are toxic. Our economics are oppressive. Our environment is on the verge of collapse. Rather than recognizing and addressing these challenges, those in power—or striving to gain power—use them to turn us against one another instead of uniting us in common cause. Whether the threat is environmental collapse, economic or political catastrophe, or an AI-fueled apocalypse, it can be difficult to believe that humanity has a future at all—much less the inclusive, healthy future Humanism strives to bring about. Society seems to be actively rejecting the goals and values of Humanism. So how do you remain a humanist when you lose faith in humanity? When discouraged or despairing over the state of society, it is easy to forget that Humanism is personal as well as societal. Each of us is a member of that species and …

A New Counter-Apologetic for Humanism

A New Counter-Apologetic for Humanism

Published by Sam Flores

In the past fifteen years since my deconversion, I’ve had many conversations with many followers across a spectrum of denominations. Despite these conversations rarely turning overtly hostile, there were always implicit assumptions about my motivations for leaving faith. Over the years, I’ve noticed a shift in the “debate”-style conversations where my interlocutor will attempt to run the gamut of arguments for God. The “God as the Good” argument has been discarded for Divine Command Theory. These interlocutors have also dropped Aristotle’s unmoved mover along with Al-Ghazali’s omnipotent creator in favor of Van Til’s pre-suppositional apologetic. By contrast, the arguments for atheism (at least on the popular level) have remained largely the same: We mention the conflicting commands in scripture, its unreliability, the Outsider Test of Faith and The Problem of Evil. That last one is probably the most common of all; it would be a safe bet to say that few, if any, deconstruction stories don’t involve grappling with the Problem of Evil in some way, shape or form. One constant response to the Problem …

Over 20 speakers announced for Festival of Humanism 2026 – Humanists UK

Over 20 speakers announced for Festival of Humanism 2026 – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

Humanists UK has announced a stellar line-up of over 20 speakers for Festival of Humanism 2026, taking place at the Bournemouth International Centre from 12–14 June 2026. Formerly known as Humanists UK Convention, the newly rebranded festival promises a weekend to fascinate, educate, entertain, and inspire, with announced speakers including including Maggie Ardiente, Professor Alice Roberts, Dr Adam Rutherford, Janet Ellis MBE, and Alf Dubs. Almost 450 people from right across the UK have already signed up to attend. Secure your place today. Maggie Ardiente is President of Humanists International, and President of the Secular Coalition for America. This coalition represents 20 diverse organisations advocating for equal rights and defending the separation of religion and government in the United States. Joining her is Humanists UK President Janet Ellis MBE, who has been a patron since 2014 for her career-long exploration of the human condition through the arts, and was awarded her MBE in 2016 for services to theatre and charity. Also taking the stage are two Humanists UK Vice Presidents: Dr Adam Rutherford and Professor …

Something Stupid Like Philosophy | Blog of the APA

Something Stupid Like Philosophy | Blog of the APA

Published by Jenni Sidey

I do not come from a traditional background, nor have I ever been what we might consider by conventional standards a model student. In school, I often got into trouble for what I later understood as challenging gender biases, asking “why” just a little too much, and, at one point, earning academic probation for my so-called “oppositional spirit.” After high school, I worked various jobs across multiple sectors, and it took me a full seven years to gather the courage to return to the classroom. When I mentioned the idea of going to university, an old boss said to me, “Just don’t do something stupid like philosophy.” Although the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind, the comment struck me as immensely strange. I could sense what they meant—something about utility, an implied fruitlessness to the endeavor—yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that placing the word philosophy next to the adjective stupid was a glaring oxymoron. At the time, I had no idea I would go on to study just that. So, perhaps I should start …

Start with Humanism – TheHumanist.com

Start with Humanism – TheHumanist.com

Published by Sam Flores

Call yourselves Humanists, first, foremost, forever. This classification encompasses all others. After the word “Humanist” you may add your preferred subset label: Humanist Muslim, Humanist Christian, Humanist Buddhist, Humanist Atheist, Humanist Agnostic. It is important that these subset terms do not precede the word Humanist. You are Humanists first, and what you are after that is secondary or tertiary or even further down the line. You are Humanists first because you are human infants first, insusceptible of further branding at that time. No infant is Muslim or Christian or Atheist or Conservative or Liberal or American or Dutch or Egyptian or any of the like. An infant is simply human, inducted by that native condition into a decades-long future, participating in basic human goods, chief of which are friendship, play, learning, skillful performance and the rearing of children. You are Humanists first because Humanism is easiest to believe. There are no fabulist doctrines to embrace. No winged ponies. No uncertain nativities. No staggering saintly pedigrees. No demonic possessions. No impracticable moral embargoes. No otherworldly rules …

Book Excerpt: Science and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good

Book Excerpt: Science and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good

Published by Sam Flores

Version 1.0.0 Learn more about Anjan Chakravartty’s new book “Science and Humanism Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good” here. Chapter 1: What Is Science For? Modern Intersections of Science and Humanism The great scientific revolution is still to come. It will ensue when men collectively and cooperatively organize their knowledge for application to achieve and make secure social values. John Dewey, “Science and Society” Intersections (?) of Science (?) and Humanism (?) It is uncontroversial that humanistic thought and scientific inquiry have been entangled throughout a very long arc of intellectual history. Beyond this, however, significant challenges await anyone hoping to understand let alone articulate the nature of these entanglements. Since “science” and “humanism” are labels that are commonly applied to traditions of theorizing and practice that predate the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century introduction and use of these terms in their modern senses, respectively, and since both of these traditions have evolved and speciated a great deal from antiquity to the present, any attempt to untangle the many complex relationships between them amounts to a formidable …

The Ethics of Digital Compassion: Humanism in an Age of Online Communities

The Ethics of Digital Compassion: Humanism in an Age of Online Communities

Published by Sam Flores

In a world increasingly mediated by screens and algorithms, human interaction has shifted from physical spaces to digital ones. Social media platforms, online forums and collaborative spaces offer unprecedented opportunities for connection, learning and civic engagement, but they also expose us to the darker sides of human behavior: polarization, misinformation and cruelty cloaked in anonymity. How can humanist principles—reason, empathy and evidence-based thinking—guide our conduct online? The question is no longer abstract. Online behavior has real-world consequences: Viral misinformation influences elections, online harassment harms mental health, and echo chambers reinforce social divisions. Digital spaces are, in essence, microcosms of society, reflecting both the best and worst of human potential. For humanists, these environments demand ethical reflection, deliberate engagement, and the cultivation of digital compassion. The design of most social media platforms amplifies attention over reflection. Algorithms prioritize engagement, often surfacing content that elicits strong emotions: outrage, fear or joy. While this drives interaction, it also incentivizes extreme behavior. Online, the cost of miscommunication is low; the rewards of virality are high. Comments, shares and likes …