The Evolving Humanist Manifestos BY HENRY M. MORRIS, PH.D. | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2003 Share Email Facebook X Pinterest Download PDFDownload The Evolving Humanist Manifestos PDF
Despite the growth of many mega churches and the seemingly endless proliferation of parachurch organizations (including numerous new ministries promoting the creationist revival), there also has been significant growth in humanist and other anti-Christian activities. There has also been a great upsurge of Islam and other religions in countries all over the globe, not to mention the growth of cultic and occultic pseudo-Christian organizations in great variety everywhere.
The world religious situation is in sad confusion, despite revivals of sorts in Africa, South America, and elsewhere. From the Biblical perspective, too frequently, "the god of this world [that is, Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not" (II Corinthians 4:4), and "the whole world lieth in wickedness" (I John 5:19).
As far as organized humanism is concerned, it is worth noting that the American Humanist Association (AHA) has led in the development and publication of a new Humanist Manifesto. The AHA has become quite experienced in writing manifestos by now. Humanist Manifesto I was first published in 1933, at the time John Dewey and others organized the AHA.
Then, forty years later (1973), Humanist Manifesto II was published under the leadership of Paul Kurtz and Edwin H. Wilson. Now, thirty more years later (2003) comes Humanist Manifesto III, as just announced and published in The Humanist (volume 63, May/June 2003). In between Manifestos II and III, Paul Kurtz and several other leading humanists published what they called a Secular Humanist Declaration (Free Inquiry, October 1980) which they considered as a tentative third manifesto.
Humanism, therefore, is not exactly a static religion, fixed for all time by some primeval revelation. Christianity, on the other hand, is based on historical facts which do not change, and Christians are exhorted to "earnestly contend for the faith which was [once for all] delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).
The tenets of humanism evidently are presumed to evolve with the culture. Humanist Manifesto I had fifteen tenets which focused especially on promoting "social well-being" (Tenet Nine), "joy in living" (Tenet Twelve), and "the enhancement of human life" (Tenet Thirteen) in general. Such delightful results were to be achieved by replacing our present "acquisitive and profit-motivated society" by a "socialized and cooperative economic order" characterized by the "equitable distribution of the means of life" (Tenet Fourteen). In short, capitalism should be replaced by socialism, although the manifesto avoided using the actual word.
No proposals dealing with racism, sexism, minority rights, globalism, environmentalism, or other such modern concerns were mentioned at all, nor anything about sin and righteousness, or war and peace.
In the meantime, Nazism and the brutalities of totalitarianism came on the scene with the Jewish holocaust. Then World War II and its aftermath Communism seemed to conquer half the world; slaughtering and enslaving millions, all supposedly in the cause of the "equitable distribution of the means of life."
So humanism had to evolve to survive. Humanist Manifesto II was then developed by the American Humanist Association and soon signed by 282 leaders in education, science, and government—including such luminaries as Isaac Asimov, Julian Huxley, Francis Crick, Paul Kurtz, Corliss Lamont, Chauncey Leake, Kai Nielsen, Andre Sakharov, B. F. Skinner, Joseph Fletcher, Betty Friedan, Jacques Monod, Herbert Muller, Gunnar Myrdal, and many others of great eminence. Thousands more eventually signed it.
This manifesto had seventeen major tenets, many dealing with topics not mentioned at all in Manifesto I. A salutary allegiance to democracy, civil liberties, and human freedoms in general was first expressed. The separation of church and state was viewed as an imperative, and all discriminations based on race, religion, sex, age, or national origin were to be eliminated.
But sexuality was emphasized, with full right to divorce and abortion. No forms of sexual behavior between consenting adults should be prohibited, short of resulting in harm to others, according to the tenet on sex.
The manifesto deplored "the division of humankind on nationalistic grounds," looking forward to "a world order based upon transnational federal government." It expressed the wishful hope and belief that "war is obsolete," as should be "the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons."
Ecology also came in for consideration. The manifesto declared that "ecological damage, resource depletion, and excessive population growth must be checked by international concord." "World poverty must cease," it also declared, and all "travel restrictions must cease." It all sounds very much like an envisioned government of the world by the United Nations Organization.
No doubt many of the emphases in Humanist Manifesto II were worthwhile, and it is true that many of the topics discussed therein are being more widely discussed by many people, many organizations, and many governments than ever before, but Humanism and Its Aspirations: Humanist Manifesto III, a Successor to the Humanist Manifesto of 1933
Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
The lifestance of Humanism—guided by reason, inspired by compassion, and informed by experience—encourages us to live life well and fully. It evolved through the ages and continues to develop through the efforts of thoughtful people who recognize that values and ideals, however carefully wrought, are subject to change as our knowledge and understandings advance.
This document is part of an ongoing effort to manifest in clear and positive terms the conceptual boundaries of Humanism, not what we must believe but a consensus of what we do believe. It is in this sense that we affirm the following:
Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis. Humanists find that science is the best method for determining this knowledge as well as for solving problems and developing beneficial technologies. We also recognize the value of new departures in thought, the arts, and inner experience—each subject to analysis by critical intelligence.
Humans are an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change. Humanists recognize nature as self-existing. We accept our life as all and enough, distinguishing things as they are from things as we might wish or imagine them to be. We welcome the challenges of the future, and are drawn to and undaunted by the yet to be known.
Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience. Humanists ground values in human welfare shaped by human circumstances, interests, and concerns and extended to the global ecosystem and beyond. We are committed to treating each person as having inherent worth and dignity, and to making informed choices in a context of freedom consonant with responsibility.
Life’s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals. We aim for our fullest possible development and animate our lives with a deep sense of purpose, finding wonder and awe in the joys and beauties of human existence, its challenges and tragedies, and even in the inevitability and finality of death. Humanists rely on the rich heritage of human culture and the lifestance of Humanism to provide comfort in times of want and encouragement in times of plenty.
Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships. Humanists long for and strive toward a world of mutual care and concern, free of cruelty and its consequences, where differences are resolved cooperatively without resorting to violence. The joining of individuality with interdependence enriches our lives, encourages us to enrich the lives of others, and inspires hope of attaining peace, justice, and opportunity for all.
Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness. Progressive cultures have worked to free humanity from the brutalities of mere survival and to reduce suffering, improve society, and develop global community. We seek to minimize the inequities of circumstance and ability, and we support a just distribution of nature’s resources and the fruits of human effort so that as many as possible can enjoy a good life.
Humanists are concerned for the well being of all, are committed to diversity, and respect those of differing yet humane views. We work to uphold the equal enjoyment of human rights and civil liberties in an open, secular society and maintain it is a civic duty to participate in the democratic process and a planetary duty to protect nature’s integrity, diversity, and beauty in a secure, sustainable manner.
Thus engaged in the flow of life, we aspire to this vision with the informed conviction that humanity has the ability to progress toward its highest ideals. The responsibility for our lives and the kind of world in which we live is ours and ours alone. List of signers Of the 65 people who were asked to sign, 34 accepted. About half (15) were Unitarians. [1] The 34 were:
J.A.C. Fagginger Auer (Parkman Professor of Church History and Theology, Harvard University; Professor of church history, Tufts College.) E. Burdette Backus (Unitarian minister.) Harry Elmer Barnes (general editorial department, Scripps-Howard Newspapers.) L.M. Birkhead (the Liberal Center, Kansas City, Missouri.) Raymond B. Bragg (secretary, Western Unitarian Conference.) Edwin Arthur Burtt (professor of philosophy, Sage School of Philosophy, Cornell University.) Ernest Caldecott (minister, First Unitarian Church, Los Angeles, California.) A.J. Carlson (professor of physiology, University of Chicago.)
John Dewey (Columbia University.)<<< Albert C. Dieffenbach (former editor of the Christian Register.) John H. Dietrich (minister, First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis.) Bernard Fantus (professor of therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois.) William Floyd (editor of the Arbitrator, New York City.) F.H. Hankins (professor of economics and sociology, Smith College.) A. Eustace Haydon (professor of history of religions, University of Chicago.) Llewellyn Jones (literary critic and author.) Robert Morss Lovett (editor, The New Republic; professor of English, University of Chicago.) Harold P. Marley (minister, the Fellowship of Liberal Religion, Ann Arbor, Michigan.) R. Lester Mondale (minister, Unitarian Church, Evanston, Illinois.) Charles Francis Potter (leader and founder, the First Humanist Society of New York, Inc.) John Herman Randall, Jr. (department of philosophy, Columbia University.) Curtis W. Reese (dean, Abraham Lincoln Center, Chicago.) Oliver L. Reiser (associate professor of philosophy, University of Pittsburgh.) Roy Wood Sellars (professor of philosophy, University of Michigan.) Clinton Lee Scott (minister, Universalist Church, Peoria, Illinois.) Maynard Shipley (president, the Science League of America.) W. Frank Swift (director, Boston Ethical Society.) V.T. Thayer (educational director, Ethical Culture Schools.) Eldred C. Vanderlaan (leader of the Free Fellowship, Berkeley, California.) Joseph Walker (attorney, Boston, Massachusetts.) Jacob J. Weinstein (rabbi; advisor to Jewish Students, Columbia University.) Frank S.C. Wicks (All Souls Unitarian Church, Indianapolis.) David Rhys Williams (minister, Unitarian Church, Rochester, New York.) Edwin H. Wilson (managing editor, the New Humanist, Chicago, Illinois; minister, Third Unitarian Church, Chicago, Illinois.) A 35th signature, that of Alson Robinson, came in too late for it to be published with the other 34.
Humanism and Its Aspirations: Humanist Manifesto III, a Successor to the Humanist Manifesto of 1933
Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
The lifestance of Humanism—guided by reason, inspired by compassion, and informed by experience—encourages us to live life well and fully. It evolved through the ages and continues to develop through the efforts of thoughtful people who recognize that values and ideals, however carefully wrought, are subject to change as our knowledge and understandings advance.
This document is part of an ongoing effort to manifest in clear and positive terms the conceptual boundaries of Humanism, not what we must believe but a consensus of what we do believe. It is in this sense that we affirm the following:
Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis. Humanists find that science is the best method for determining this knowledge as well as for solving problems and developing beneficial technologies. We also recognize the value of new departures in thought, the arts, and inner experience—each subject to analysis by critical intelligence.
Humans are an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change. Humanists recognize nature as self-existing. We accept our life as all and enough, distinguishing things as they are from things as we might wish or imagine them to be. We welcome the challenges of the future, and are drawn to and undaunted by the yet to be known.
Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience. Humanists ground values in human welfare shaped by human circumstances, interests, and concerns and extended to the global ecosystem and beyond. We are committed to treating each person as having inherent worth and dignity, and to making informed choices in a context of freedom consonant with responsibility.
Life’s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals. We aim for our fullest possible development and animate our lives with a deep sense of purpose, finding wonder and awe in the joys and beauties of human existence, its challenges and tragedies, and even in the inevitability and finality of death. Humanists rely on the rich heritage of human culture and the lifestance of Humanism to provide comfort in times of want and encouragement in times of plenty.
Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships. Humanists long for and strive toward a world of mutual care and concern, free of cruelty and its consequences, where differences are resolved cooperatively without resorting to violence. The joining of individuality with interdependence enriches our lives, encourages us to enrich the lives of others, and inspires hope of attaining peace, justice, and opportunity for all.
Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness. Progressive cultures have worked to free humanity from the brutalities of mere survival and to reduce suffering, improve society, and develop global community. We seek to minimize the inequities of circumstance and ability, and we support a just distribution of nature’s resources and the fruits of human effort so that as many as possible can enjoy a good life.
Humanists are concerned for the well being of all, are committed to diversity, and respect those of differing yet humane views. We work to uphold the equal enjoyment of human rights and civil liberties in an open, secular society and maintain it is a civic duty to participate in the democratic process and a planetary duty to protect nature’s integrity, diversity, and beauty in a secure, sustainable manner.
Thus engaged in the flow of life, we aspire to this vision with the informed conviction that humanity has the ability to progress toward its highest ideals. The responsibility for our lives and the kind of world in which we live is ours and ours alone. List of signers Of the 65 people who were asked to sign, 34 accepted. About half (15) were Unitarians. [1] The 34 were:
J.A.C. Fagginger Auer (Parkman Professor of Church History and Theology, Harvard University; Professor of church history, Tufts College.) E. Burdette Backus (Unitarian minister.) Harry Elmer Barnes (general editorial department, Scripps-Howard Newspapers.) L.M. Birkhead (the Liberal Center, Kansas City, Missouri.) Raymond B. Bragg (secretary, Western Unitarian Conference.) Edwin Arthur Burtt (professor of philosophy, Sage School of Philosophy, Cornell University.) Ernest Caldecott (minister, First Unitarian Church, Los Angeles, California.) A.J. Carlson (professor of physiology, University of Chicago.)
John Dewey (Columbia University.)<<< Albert C. Dieffenbach (former editor of the Christian Register.) John H. Dietrich (minister, First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis.) Bernard Fantus (professor of therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois.) William Floyd (editor of the Arbitrator, New York City.) F.H. Hankins (professor of economics and sociology, Smith College.) A. Eustace Haydon (professor of history of religions, University of Chicago.) Llewellyn Jones (literary critic and author.) Robert Morss Lovett (editor, The New Republic; professor of English, University of Chicago.) Harold P. Marley (minister, the Fellowship of Liberal Religion, Ann Arbor, Michigan.) R. Lester Mondale (minister, Unitarian Church, Evanston, Illinois.) Charles Francis Potter (leader and founder, the First Humanist Society of New York, Inc.) John Herman Randall, Jr. (department of philosophy, Columbia University.) Curtis W. Reese (dean, Abraham Lincoln Center, Chicago.) Oliver L. Reiser (associate professor of philosophy, University of Pittsburgh.) Roy Wood Sellars (professor of philosophy, University of Michigan.) Clinton Lee Scott (minister, Universalist Church, Peoria, Illinois.) Maynard Shipley (president, the Science League of America.) W. Frank Swift (director, Boston Ethical Society.) V.T. Thayer (educational director, Ethical Culture Schools.) Eldred C. Vanderlaan (leader of the Free Fellowship, Berkeley, California.) Joseph Walker (attorney, Boston, Massachusetts.) Jacob J. Weinstein (rabbi; advisor to Jewish Students, Columbia University.) Frank S.C. Wicks (All Souls Unitarian Church, Indianapolis.) David Rhys Williams (minister, Unitarian Church, Rochester, New York.) Edwin H. Wilson (managing editor, the New Humanist, Chicago, Illinois; minister, Third Unitarian Church, Chicago, Illinois.) A 35th signature, that of Alson Robinson, came in too late for it to be published with the other 34.