Defining Humanism – Sumogirl Blog

Humanism vs. Dogma

Why does Humanism have no dogma?

Humanism has no dogma. We have a set of principles that we try to live by, but even those are in flux and change. Every few years, a group of prominent Humanists get together and write a Humanist Manifesto – which sounds a lot like it would be dogmatic, but it isn’t. It’s actually a consensus document. It’s not about what we must believe, but rather about, after much debate, several Humanists agree Humanism is at this point in time.

The current manifesto is Humanism and It’s Aspirations at: http://americanhumanist.org/Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_III

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Confucianism, Humanism and Equal Rights

Why Humanism is relevant to social development.

Everyone should have the chance to contribute to society

There is an interesting essay in China Daily written by a guy name Thorsten, which leads me to believe he is European – see: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2012-12/10/content_16000968.htm. The title of the essay is Europes path to a new Humanism. The author compares the Confucian system of education and society organization with that which has been in Europe. While I think the author presents a rather simplistic and therefore unrealistic view of what is happening in Europe, I still think this essay is worth contemplating.

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There are no good reasons for your ethics

There can be no reasons

There is no absolute basis for ethics. It is all subjective and it’s all situational. Get over it and get on with trying to be a good person.

Your brain is a gooshy mess. Don't expect perfection from it.

The main drawback of being a “philosopher” for a living is that you have to deal with minutia experts. These are people who are a bit obsessive about making sure everything in their philosophy fits perfectly. Even if they like something and agree with it in principal and practice it as a person, they feel compelled to seek out the nooks and crannies to satisfy themselves that everything is as they should be. What they seek is a perfect philosophy. The problem is that there is no such thing as a perfect philosophy.

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Why We need to Teach Evolution

Teaching Evolution

2/21/08

Florida finally has science standards that teach specifically evolution. Yay! It was a tough fight, but worth it. Not surprising, the anti-science crowd came out to fight the inclusion of evolution. Their comments at the many public hearings are proof enough why Florida needed to improve the science standards. That some of these folks graduated from our schools is embarrassing.

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