Over the course of several thousand years, humanity has come a long way. Many things that were once considered the norm are now considered savagery, barbarism and crime. Modern humanism and its principles are now recognized as natural, having become an integral part of the moral foundations of society.
However, discussions around this concept do not subside. Secular and religious people, liberals, conservatives and defenders of the rights of various minorities continue to argue fiercely about humanity and its criteria. Therefore, first let us turn to the history of the issue.
What is humanism
Over the past few centuries, various thinkers and social activists have given dozens of interpretations of this concept. The universal and extended definition can be formulated as follows.
Humanism is a teaching that puts the human personality, its life, feelings, desires, rights and freedoms at the forefront.
Origin of the word
The term goes back to the Latin root and originally sounded like “studia humanitatis”, that is, “the study of “humanity”, understood as the fullness of human nature. The meaning is borrowed from the texts of the Roman orator Cicero, who saw it as a product of the development of ancient culture, which originated in the Greek city-states. The first humanists also called themselves orators or rhetoricians, emphasizing the connection with the traditions of antiquity.
For a long time, the concept denoted a direction of thought that studies man as a whole and his earthly needs, as opposed to theocentrism - a religious approach that prioritizes questions of existence and higher meanings.
It is generally accepted that in the modern sense the term was first used in 1808. After the publication of the work of the German historian Georg Vogt on the philosophy of the Renaissance, the concept became firmly entrenched in scientific discourse. As a result, it received many different formulations.
Definition in the Bible
“The soul is by nature Christian,” wrote Tertullian, the ancient writer, thinker and apologist. Scripture speaks of the creation of people in the image and likeness of God and endows them with the highest degree of dignity. The belittling and devaluing of the human person is often understood in the teachings of the church as a sinful act and a challenge against divine wisdom and the order of things.
The Gospel sermon speaks of the presence of a spark of God in every human being, thereby equalizing everyone in the original value bestowed by God. There is neither a Greek nor a Jew - this postulate is close to the idea of equality, reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights today.
On the other hand, in the biblical concept, the human race is not the pinnacle of the universe. It speaks of the original damage of human nature, caused by original sin and overcome through redemption. This provision can be understood in different ways - it has become the subject of fierce debate and is very often not recognized as humane.
The meaning of the concept in philosophy
Over the centuries, thinkers have tried to formulate it universally, beyond the boundaries of religion or the conventions of a given culture, time, and mores. Ultimately, a postulate about humanity beyond borders emerges.
It can be described through the following settings:
- the value of each individual, regardless of origin, gender, religion, social and other differences;
- Treating people initially well ultimately improves them;
- people are the highest value - more important than ideas, material and other goods.
Humanism and humanity
Both concepts are closely related, and therefore they are often confused, because the second is largely formed by following the principles of the first, and is understood as a character trait and type of behavior in society. To behave humanely means to strive for empathy, compassion and avoidance of harm and cruelty.
Humanity can also be described as a set of personal attitudes of an individual in the picture of the world, which is characterized by the subject’s ability to empathize, assist and help others. In psychology, this is also called empathy, although this term is narrower and refers primarily to the emotional rather than behavioral sphere. We can say that humanity is the realization of humanistic values and attitudes at the level of individual properties of a person, his identity and behavior in society.
How are humanism and the Reformation related?
The Reformation is a social movement to transform the Christian church. It began in the 16th century in Germany, at the height of the Renaissance. How are humanism and the Reformation related?
We can say that the humanists did good preparatory work for the further activities of the reformers. There is even such an expression “Erasmus laid the egg, and Luther hatched it,” it was formulated by Erasmus of Rotterdam himself in his disputes with Martin Luther, the founder of the Reformation.
It was the humanists who wanted church reforms, it was they who revealed and criticized the vices of the clergy, it was they, striving for human perfection, who wanted to revive true Christian piety, based on life according to the commandments of Christ. But in fact, having prepared the ground for the Reformation, the humanists went their own way, and the reformers went theirs.
Reformers vs humanists
| Reformers | Humanists |
| Denial of human free will. Everything in this world is subject to Divine predestination. | The idea of human free will. A person, moving towards moral improvement, forms his own character. |
| They wanted to revive the original purity of the Christian faith. The religious development of the Middle Ages was completed. | They wanted to revive the sciences and arts of the ancient world. They laid the foundation for secular culture, which grew into the Enlightenment of the 18th century. |
| In the center are thoughts about salvation after death. | In the center are the interests of earthly life. |
| The divinity of Christ is important. | The humanity of Christ is important. |
True, it should be noted that while the guys were laying and hatching eggs, the Catholic Church persecuted both of them.
Historical reference
There is an opinion that the basis for humanistic ideas was laid in ancient times and was reflected both in ancient thought and in world religions. But still, the starting point is considered to be the time of the Renaissance. It was then that theses appeared in the works of scientists and philosophers, from which modern humanistic concepts directly grew.
History of appearance and development
In the early Middle Ages, the civilization of Europe experienced a decline and remained at a very low level for a long time. In Italian cities, thanks to active international trade and developed urban life, cultural exchange takes place. The crisis and fall of Byzantium contributes to the concentration of the surviving ancient heritage on the Apennines - many works of Greek thinkers have been rediscovered in the original or Arabic translations. All this ultimately gives rise to a new type of thinking - anthropocentrism, which has become an alternative to the picture of the world established by the church.
The Renaissance is coming. Adherents of the anthropocentric approach strive to shift the focus of attention to the person, his desires and needs. Studia humanitatis meant what would now rather be called issues of self-development. Thinkers include here the cultivation of qualities such as learning, virtue and good behavior. These properties were linked to the “cultivation” of the individual through classical education based on ancient examples. Under the influence of Stoicism, a new ideal of personality is being formed - filled with reason, strength of spirit and creativity, generous, fair and actively exploring the world.
In modern times, humanism is already understood differently - the influence of theology and the Christian idea of God's providence in people's lives is now completely fading into the background. Scholastics and theologians are gradually losing to secular philosophers. Deism is affirmed - the idea that the influence of higher powers on this world is actually much less or absent altogether. Thus, man, left by God to himself, is recognized as the pinnacle of the universe and the source of the moral law. He has the right to freedom, happiness and self-improvement.
Current state
Over the past two centuries, the world has undergone radical changes. Colonialism, the spread and abolition of slavery, the withering away of class privileges, world wars and globalization processes have forced people to repeatedly reconsider the value of the individual and its place in an ever-changing society.
At this stage of development of the humanistic movement, the following stages can be distinguished:
- Origins (mid-19th century - early 1930s).
- Formation and development (1930-1980s).
- The emergence and demarcation of secular and religious trends (since the 1980s).
In 1933, under the leadership of philosopher Roy Sellars and Protestant pastor Raymond Bragg, the First Humanist Manifesto was published. The document reflects the desire to reconcile faith with science and formulate a new religious concept that meets the needs of the time. Thus, the uncreated nature of the world and the theory of evolution were recognized, as well as the need to formulate questions of faith in a scientific manner. The opposition between sacred and profane, soul and body was also rejected.
The second manifesto was released in 1973 and reflected the realities of a world that had already experienced the horrors of World War II and was split into two opposing political camps. The text contained calls to unite people based on common principles, to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, violence and discrimination. They talked about the rights and freedoms of people in the sphere of public and personal life. It was stated that it is not God who saves a person, but only himself, taking responsibility.
The next manifesto was signed in 2003 and was significantly smaller in volume than the previous ones. It calls for active exploration of the world, indicates the integral connection of humanity with nature and its social essence. The authors encourage people to actively interact and work for the benefit of society.
HUMANISM
(from Latin “homo” - man, “humanus” - human, humane, “humanitas” - human nature) - 1) a movement of educated people that developed during the Renaissance, mainly in Italy, united by “interest in antiquity”, the study and commenting on monuments of ancient classical (primarily Latin) literature;
2) a special type of philosophical worldview, in the center of which is a person with his earthly affairs and achievements, with his inherent abilities and inclinations, with his characteristic norms of behavior and relationships. In the broad sense of the word, humanism is a benevolent attitude towards a person, affirming his freedom and dignity, regardless of any social functions and roles he performs, seeing in him an independent source of creative forces. In modern scientific literature, humanism is understood, on the one hand, as the entire set of anthropological and human sciences (in this sense, C. Lévi-Strauss
speaks of “three types of humanism,” which consistently include the study of Greco-Roman antiquity, the civilizations of the East and preliterate cultures primitive peoples), on the other hand, a phenomenon of spiritual life that goes far beyond the scope of the Western European Renaissance alone (for example, for N.I. Conrad, the humanism of the Renaissance is only one of the historical forms of humanism that existed in ancient times, in the Middle Ages century, in the countries of the East).
But no matter how widely this concept is interpreted in modern historical science, it owes its emergence primarily to the cultural practice of the Renaissance, which laid the foundation - as a result of turning to antiquity - to a completely new (secular) culture, in many ways opposite to the culture of the Middle Ages with its dominance of religion and the Church in spiritual and worldly matters. It was during this era that culture began to gradually separate from cult (a process called the secularization of mind and culture), acquiring independent significance and value.
If some Western historians (for example, P.O. Kristeller) see in the humanism of the Renaissance just a technical term denoting a certain pedagogical and cultural program, a set of humanities disciplines (grammar, rhetoric, history, poetics, ethics, etc.), then others (E. Garin), polemicizing with this, give this phenomenon primarily a philosophical meaning, seeing in it a fundamentally new understanding of the nature and purpose of man compared to the medieval one. According to J. Burckhardt, “it was in Renaissance Italy that man and humanity were first known in full and in their deepest essence. This alone is enough to fill us with eternal gratitude to the Renaissance. The logical concept of the human (Menschheit) has existed for a long time, but only the Renaissance fully grasped the essence of this concept” (“Culture of Italy in the Renaissance.” M., 1996, p. 306).
In contrast to ancient cosmocentrism and medieval theocentrism, new European humanism defends an anthropocentric picture of the world in which man occupies an independent (“middle”) place between God and nature, heaven and earth. Among the diverse knowledge about the external world and God, knowledge about the nature of man himself was considered by humanism to be the highest and only type of knowledge accessible to people, asserting at its emergence the priority of humanitarian knowledge over natural science, on the one hand, and medieval scholasticism, on the other. According to Petrarch, one of the first Italian humanists, “why know the properties of animals, birds, fish and snakes, if you don’t know or don’t want to know human nature, for what we are born, where we come from and where we are going” (quoted from: Garin E.
Problems of the Italian Renaissance. M., 1986, p. 45).
Man is considered as a free being, capable of creating himself, giving himself the nature that he himself desires as a subject of knowledge and activity, relying in his actions on his own mind and creative potential. This was the main discovery of humanism, which was developed in the rationalistic thought of the New Age, which affirmed the decisive importance of the human mind both in understanding the world and in creating socio-political forms of human society. This tradition had the greatest influence on the development of social and philosophical thought - the humanistic ideal of the individual as a free individual, capable of self-creation and creativity, gave rise to the dream of a society in which this ability would be fully realized in life, which led to the emergence of the first communist utopias ( T. Pestilence
,
T. Campanella
, etc.).
The theme of the crisis of humanism and, accordingly, criticism of the basic attitudes of humanistic consciousness becomes prevalent in the 19th and 20th centuries. at the postclassical stage of development of philosophical thought, caused by doubts about the ability of man in the conditions of modern society to maintain the position of a free and autonomous subject. Already F. Nietzsche
declared war on everything “too human,” seeing in modernity the end of Christian culture and the coming into the world of a “superman” with his
“will to power”
(however, the question of Nietzsche’s attitude to humanism is still controversial).
In the 20th century For romantically and conservatively-minded critics of Western civilization, humanism is one of the reasons for the sharp decline in spiritual level, the break with the moral, religious and aristocratic values of medieval society. X. Ortega y Gasset
the antidote to the “massification” of culture to be the “dehumanization of art,” the destruction of external verisimilitude in a work of art.
According to N.A. Berdyaev
, the main flaw of humanism is the separation of man from God, the affirmation of “man-divinity” (as opposed to “divine-manhood”), which ultimately leads to the self-destruction of man and the drying up of his creative powers, the emergence of nihilism (Nietzsche) and socialism (Marx).
In other variants of socio-philosophical thought, humanism retains the significance of a fundamental cultural value, from the position of which capitalism is criticized as a society that excludes genuine freedom and autonomy of man, subordinating him to the power of rationally organized forces represented by financial and industrial corporations, political bureaucracy and electronic media. . This criticism is typical of many left-wing movements and various representatives of neo-Marxism
, in particular the Frankfurt school (
M. Horkheimer
,
T. Adorno
,
G. Marcuse
), neo-Freudianism (
E. Fromm
), etc.
The tragic fate of humanism in the modern world is the central theme of existentialism
.
According to M. Heidegger
, the failure of new European humanism lies in its absolutization of human subjectivity as a condition for knowledge and conquest of the external world through science and technology, in man’s oblivion of the “truth of being,” which alone gives meaning to his existence (see
“Letter on Humanism”
).
The task of man is not to impose his will on existence, but only to listen to the voice of “being”, as it sounds in language, becoming familiar with the sacredness of the real world. This generally anti-humanistic position of Heidegger is opposed by the point of view of J.-P. Sartre
, who interprets existentialism as humanism, meaning by this the freedom of everyone to decide their own destiny: existential humanism, unlike classical humanism, appeals to man not as a generic being (transcendental or absolute subject ), but as a specific individual in the uniqueness and uniqueness of his personal existence.
The line of “theoretical anti-humanism”, which excludes the focus on human subjectivity from the analysis of society and culture, dissolving a person in various kinds of structures, is represented in modern philosophy by structuralism and post-structuralism. Although the founder of structural anthropology, C. Lévi-Strauss
denied his involvement in anti-humanism, it was within this direction that the unconditional primacy of impersonal and objective structures over individual and collective human actions was proclaimed.
This attitude led in poststructuralism to the thesis about the “death of man” in various “discursive practices” ( M. Foucault
), to the technique of pos (
J. Derrida
), excluding any value and worldview guidelines and goals.
The search for new forms of humanism that correspond to the spirit of the times is being carried out in modern Western philosophy both in the so-called. neo-paganism of the “new right”, and in Christian – Catholic and Protestant – thought ( K. Barth
,
Richard Niebuhr
,
P. Tillich
), neo-Thomist project of “integral humanism”
by J. Maritain
. The discussion around humanism and its fate in the modern world points not only to the deep crisis experienced by this worldview, but also to its enduring significance for the entire history of mankind.
Literature:
1. Konrad N.I.
About the Renaissance.
- He's the same
. East and West. M., 1972;
2. Revyakina N.V.
Problems of man in Italian humanism of the second half of the 14th – first half of the 15th century. M., 1977;
3. Batkin L.M.
Italian humanists: lifestyle, style of thinking. M., 1978;
4. Medvedev I.P.
Byzantine humanism XIV–XV centuries. M., 1976;
5. Italian humanism of the Renaissance. Sat. texts, parts 1–2. Saratov, 1988;
6. Kudryavtsev O.F.
Renaissance humanism and Utopia. M., 1991;
7. Kristeller R.O.
Studies in Renaissance. Thoughts and Letters. Rome, 1956;
8. Foucault M.
Words and things. Archeology of the Humanities. M., 1977;
9. Sartre J.-L.
Existentialism is humanism. – In the book: Twilight of the Gods. M., 1989;
10. Berdyaev N.
The meaning of the story. M., 1990;
11. Ortega y Gasset X.
Dehumanization of art.
- He's the same
. Aesthetics. Philosophy of culture. M., 1991;
12. Lévi-Strauss K.
Three types of humanism.
- He's the same
. Primitive thinking. M., 1994;
13. Gubman B.L.
Western philosophy of culture of the 20th century. Tver, 1997;
14. Cashirer E.
Naturalistic and humanistic justification for the philosophy of culture. – In the book: Comprehension of culture. Yearbook, vol. 7. M., 1998.
V.M.Mezhuev
Main features
Today we can talk about the division of the movement into many movements, divided according to religious, political, ideological and ethical reasons. There is also a tendency towards universalism - the desire to create a certain common “humanistic denominator” that takes moral ideals beyond the framework of certain teachings and doctrines.
In general, the basis of the humanistic concept can be reduced to the following main criteria:
- self-sufficiency - freedom from the influence of other doctrines, ideas are born through the moral development of the individual;
- primacy - humanistic values are the main basis of the social structure of society;
- universality - the applicability of ideas to any person and type of social structure.
Crisis of humanistic ideas
Even in the heyday of humanistic thought in the 16th-12th centuries, utopias based on the ideas of humanism began to appear. The most striking examples are Thomas More's Utopia (published in 1516) and Tomaso Campanella's The City of the Sun (published in 1623).
The appearance of utopias is the first symptom of a serious illness, which is expressed in the contradictions of the very ideas of humanism, in the absence of answers to important questions.
It is curious that Thomas More himself, a pure humanist, a friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam, in his “Utopia” compares a person with a stallion. We are talking about a description of the Utopians' choice of a groom or a bride.
They must first be shown to each other naked, because even stallions are chosen after removing their saddle and harness. Residents of the island of Utopia cannot afford to choose a life partner only by face; they need to survey the entire field of activity.
In the 19th century, humanistic thought faced a crisis in full force. According to the definition of the Russian philosopher N. Berdyaev:
“Because of the boundlessness and unrestraint of individualism, individuality perishes. /…/ humanism turns into anti-humanism.”
The appearance of Nietzsche with his Zarathustra, who says “I don’t like people,” and the ideas of the superman are a clear example of this. Nietzsche, although he came from humanistic ideas, argued that a person cannot be loved simply because he is a person.
It’s just that a person for him is an animal, therefore, ordinary people are a herd (remember Thomas More with his stallions). The Nietzschean idea of the superman, as it were, brings humanism to its highest point and destroys it , because it denies the main humanistic principle - the intrinsic value of man as such.
Karl Marx, meanwhile, modifies the ideas of humanism to suit his philosophical views. Working on the topic of socialism, he argues that the first priority is the liberation of the proletariat from its oppressors.
The measure of humanity according to Marx is how useful an action is for creating a socialist and communist society. Marx's socialist humanism formed the basis of Soviet ideology.
Principles and norms
There are many postulates recognized as humanistic. However, due to the strong segmentation of this movement, many of them are disputed or not recognized at all, especially in the context of attitudes towards religion.
Therefore, the best approach here would be a universal approach, according to which the following principles can be distinguished:
- Freedom of development and choice of each individual.
- Respect for the dignity and personal boundaries of all members of society, regardless of origin, social status and views.
- Democratic approach in relationships between people.
- Progress and improvement of society to improve the quality of life and moral climate.
- Development of organizations to protect rights and freedoms.
- The desire for peaceful resolution of conflicts between people and states.
- Recognition of humanity as an integral part of nature and environmental activism.
Caring for children and the elderly
One wise man was asked what kind of society he could call developed and prosperous. To this the sage replied that he considers only a society to be civilized in which the elders are respected and the younger ones are cared for. Indeed, the humanity of a society can be judged by how it treats the defenseless who need care.
This category primarily includes older people. Having lived a long life, old people have accumulated rich life experience, which they pass on to the younger generation. That is why older people are more often asked for advice and help than others. At the same time, old people feel unprotected, they are periodically worried about poor health, and often have health problems. Showing concern for the elderly speaks of humanity, kindness and other high personality qualities.
In old age, it becomes more difficult to work; grandparents retire. To a greater extent, they need not material help, but communication and moral support. Seeing that a person takes care of the elderly, you can be sure that he will become a good friend, a parent for his children, and a reliable life partner.
Children especially need care. In infancy, a child's life is completely dependent on his parents. In the process of growing up, parents' care for their children does not stop; children are defenseless in society, cannot provide for themselves, and have not developed as individuals. Irresponsible parents abandon their children, leaving them to their own devices; such children face a difficult future and developmental problems. Therefore, parents must be aware of their responsibility to society, for the life and harmonious development of their child.
Main types
Initially, the humanistic movement evolved and divided precisely in the light of its attitude towards religion - one can trace the chain from the thinkers of the Renaissance combining Stoicism and Christianity to the militant atheist philosophers of the New Age. However, in the last century other directions also took final shape. Let's look at the most famous of them.
Literary
It is understood as the embodiment of these ideas through literary creativity. The authors bring them to the reader through the creation of images, plots, trying to convey the corresponding values to him or by making him think about their relevance.
Cultural
This is sometimes the name given to the ancient philosophical heritage, which originates in the Greco-Roman civilization. It was its reception during the Renaissance that laid the basis for the evolution and establishment of humanistic ideals in the modern sense.
Philosophical
This term can be used to refer to a worldview base or an ideological foundation for the practical implementation of humanistic ideas. The primary basis here is considered to be the work of ancient Greek philosophers.
Religious
Supporters of this movement strive to create a universal ethics, a kind of religion without revelation and mysticism, aimed at the practical solution of earthly issues. However, the term is often given another meaning - the understanding of religious teachings as a source of humanism, the affirmation of the absolute value of the human being as God's creation.
Secular
Perhaps the most famous direction. Its proponents believe it is possible to lead an ethical and moral life without relying on religious morality or commandments. Also characteristic is a belief in progress, the power of science and a consistent struggle for secularism - the separation of religion and its institutions from the state.
People's
A rather rare definition. They sometimes mark humanistic ideas that have specificity, which is determined by the mentality of a particular people or ethnic group. In practice, it can intersect with the religious or literary, reflecting the characteristics and beliefs of a particular society.
Human rights
This includes the movement to protect individual rights and freedoms in the public, political and private spheres. Activists strive to defend the interests of citizens who find themselves in a vulnerable position in terms of interaction with authorities or oppressed by other people.
Pacifist
The humanistic movement is characterized by a negative attitude towards violence in general. But pacifists place special emphasis on the fight against wars and other armed conflicts. The need to resolve political and social contradictions through negotiations is declared. Pacifists began to gain strength in the mid-twentieth century against the backdrop of the Vietnam War.
Public
In many ways it overlaps with human rights and is sometimes difficult to distinguish one from the other. The emphasis is on comprehensive work in order to improve the morals and moral and ethical state of society as a whole. Activists are engaged in volunteer and charitable activities.
Why is humanism considered the highest moral value?
Having examined the main aspects of humanism as a philosophy and made an attempt to understand the topic “what is it,” everyone must decide for himself why this philosophical teaching is considered the highest moral value.
The world is not ideal , beautiful ideas of philanthropy in every era have been mercilessly trampled and filled with rivers of blood. What kind of humanism is there when wars are still being waged on the planet, people are being killed, human dignity is being humiliated, in general, all principles of humanity are being trampled underfoot.
But still, the highest moral value is the highest because you need to reach for it. A person striving for self-improvement, seeing the beauty of this world, realizing his freedom, will not humiliate his own kind, and recognizes the right to exist of another person, as free as he is.
Author of the article: Elena Rumyantseva
Good luck to you! See you soon on the blog pages KtoNaNovenkogo.ru
Famous humanists
The early figures of the humanist movement were primarily theoreticians—studying philosophy and formulating ideas. But then they were brought to life by other people. Among them are writers, scientists, doctors and representatives of many other professions.
Francesco Petrarch (1304—1374)
An outstanding Italian poet of the Proto-Renaissance era, an expert in Latin and the literature of Ancient Rome. A student of Barlaam of Calabria, an agnostic Greek thinker. Author of historical and polemical works, philosophical and lyrical works. Recognized as the founder of the humanistic movement in literature.
Creativity is characterized by a reflection of an acute conflict between the emerging ideas of humanism and the dominant theocentric value system based on Catholicism. At the same time, Petrarch's lyrics are distinguished by a deep interest in the inner world of the individual, declaring its versatility and value.
Lorenzo Valla (1407—1457)
Italian thinker, historian and philologist, who grew up in a family of educated officials close to the papal curia. He was engaged in research of ancient philosophy, as well as jurisprudence. Author of the treatise “On the Forgery of the Gift of Constantine,” which stood at the foundations of historical and philological criticism.
He sympathized with the ancient ideas of Epicureanism - the doctrine of life as a source of pleasure. He opposed church asceticism, polemicized with the scholastics and defended the ability to independently choose between good and evil. At one time he was persecuted by the Inquisition for his views.
Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536)
Dutch scientist, thinker, translator and theologian. He is considered one of the major figures of the Northern Renaissance, who laid down the tradition of critical analysis and study of biblical texts. In the field of theology, he actively developed and defended the doctrine of free will. Lived and worked in Holland, France, England and Switzerland.
He was an innovator in the field of pedagogy and wrote a number of works on the issues of raising children. Orphaned at an early age, Erasmus grew up in an orphanage and suffered a lot from corporal punishment. Largely because of his experience, the scientist actively advocated for the protection of children from domestic and educational violence that was common at that time.
George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906)
English public figure and publicist, participant in the labor movement. Born into a proletarian family, he worked as a teacher, actively developed the creation of cooperatives and wrote a number of works on this issue.
He was the last resident of England to be convicted of blasphemy and anti-religious attacks. Known for introducing the concept of secularism into active use, he advocated moral education using scientific achievements and without the participation of the church.
Paul Kurtz (1925—2012)
Famous American public figure, university teacher and Doctor of Philosophy. He adhered to skepticism, relied on critical thinking and rationalism, and vehemently criticized descriptions of paranormal phenomena. Kurtz distinguished himself as a popularizer of scientific knowledge and was among the key figures in the movement for the secularization of society. He became one of the authors of the Second Humanist Manifesto.
Elizaveta Glinka (1962—2016)
Better known as Dr. Lisa. Russian doctor, public figure, philanthropist and human rights activist. She was a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, as well as the founder of several charitable foundations.
She was one of the main creators of domestic palliative medicine - a field dealing with hospice and support for seriously ill or incurable patients. She actively helped the homeless, disabled people and children victims of natural disasters and military conflicts. Tragically died in a plane crash.
Humanism today
Yuri Cherny in his work “Modern Humanism” offers the following periodization of the development of the modern humanistic movement:
- emergence (mid-19th century - early 1930s);
- the formation and development of the organized humanistic movement (early 1930s - early 1980s);
- the identification of secular (secular) humanism as an independent ideological movement, its final demarcation from religious humanism (early 1980s - present).
Modern humanism represents diverse ideological movements, the process of organizational formation of which began in the period between the two world wars and continues intensively today. The concept of “humanism” as a definition of their own views on life is used by agnostics, freethinkers, rationalists, atheists, members of ethical societies (seeking to separate moral ideals from religious doctrines, metaphysical systems and ethical theories in order to give them independent force in personal life and public relations ).
Organizations of supporters of humanistic movements, existing in many countries of the world, are united in the International Humanistic and Ethical Union (IHEU). Their activities are based on program documents - declarations, charters and manifestos, the most famous of which are:
- Humanist Manifesto I ();
- Humanist Manifesto II ();
- Declaration of Secular Humanism ();
- Humanist Manifesto 2000 ();
- Amsterdam Declaration (2002);
- Humanism and Its Aspirations (2003).
Other international and regional humanist organizations also play a significant role in the development of humanistic views, the promotion of humanistic values and the coordination of the efforts of humanists (World Union of Freethinkers, International Academy of Humanism, American Humanist Association, British Humanist Association, Dutch Humanist League, Russian Humanist Society, Indian Radical Humanist association, Sanity (public foundation), International Coalition “For Humanism!”, etc.).
Theorists of the modern humanistic movement and supporters of the ideas of humanism:
- Jaap P. van Praag ( 1911-1981
), professor of philosophy in Utrecht (Holland), later the first chairman of the MHPP; - ( Harold J. Blackham
, 1903-2009), UK; - Paul Kurtz
( 1925-2012), USA; - Corliss
Lamont ( 1902-1995), USA; - Sidney Hook (1902-1989), USA;
- Ernest Nagel (1901-1985), USA;
- Alfred Ayer (1910–1989), President of the British Humanist Association 1965–1970;
- George Santayana (1863-1952), USA.
What is humane?
I will repeat the definition of humanity once again (but in a slightly more expanded form) so that, based on it, we can identify the characteristics of a person who could rightfully be called a humanist.
A humane person can be identified by the following three characteristic features :
- Altruism - this is the desire to help those in need completely free of charge, the tendency to care about others, to provide assistance without asking for anything in return. A striking example of the manifestation of this quality are people engaged in volunteering - activities aimed at helping others as much as possible.
This is not done for money, fame or any other bonuses. The intentions of such people come from the heart. This is help for the sake of help.A person with a humanistic view of the world can be a donor, help orphanages, organize free holidays, care for the elderly in nursing homes, treat the wounded in a war zone, and so on.
- Morality is a value system built on generosity, kindness (what is that?), acceptance and lack of selfishness. A humane individual is a humane person, raised as such from childhood. If a child has been taught cruelty in various ways and instilled with the idea that the world is dangerous, then it is unlikely that in the future a person will treat him with love.
- Willpower is needed in this case to combat base feelings and desires.
The same egoism is present in all people without exception; it is a given, necessary for survival and development. We differ only in the degree of self-love: there are those who never share anything or help anyone, and those who give their last for the benefit of others. Sometimes, in order to do the latter, you have to suffer a fair amount of doubt. A humanist is also a person, he must think at least a little about himself in order to live a full life. If you're down to the last pair of pants, it wouldn't be wise to give the pants to someone who doesn't have them. It's another matter if you have two pants.
If these three elements are not present in a person’s action, then there is no need to talk about humanity.
It often happens that people donate considerable sums to charity (as philanthropists do), and then shout about it on all corners, unless they hang up posters around the city. Such actions are dictated by vanity, and this is self-interest. The desire to help should not be accompanied by the expectation of return or payment for one’s good. Otherwise, this is already a trade relationship.
