Secular Humanist Ethics

This page was originally created on 2005-07-15
Latest update: 2005-10-21

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Takaisin Filosofiasivulleni

Back to my English page

based on the formulations of Paul Kurtz

First a

digest of Secular Humanist ethics

for those who hate to read long texts from a screen (like me):

These are some of the most important

original texts

on the ethics of (Secular) Humanism as formulated

by Paul Kurtz:

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=kurtz_23_1
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=affirmations
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=kurtz_25_3
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=kurtz_25_6

I will quote from these below.

The following is from
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=kurtz_23_1 :

>>>>

The following is from
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=affirmations :

>>>>

The Affirmations of Humanism:
A Statement of Principles

• We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems.
• We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation.
• We believe that scientific discovery and technology can contribute to the betterment of human life.
• We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities.
• We are committed to the principle of the separation of church and state.
• We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual understanding.
• We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance.
• We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves.
• We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity.
• We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless suffering on other species.
• We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest.
• We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence.
• We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have access to comprehensive and informed health-care, and to die with dignity.
• We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative standards that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their consequences.
• We are deeply concerned with the moral education of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion.
• We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences.
• We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries still to be made in the cosmos.
• We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, and we are open to novel ideas and seek new departures in our thinking.
• We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich personal significance and genuine satisfaction in the service to others.
• We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality.
• We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings.

The following is from
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=kurtz_25_3 :

>>>>

Aphorisms
There are a number of matrix aphorisms and maxims of the good will that we can highlight.
We should:

• Express an affirmative attitude toward others and ourselves.
• Compliment people if they do well; be polite, honest, and considerate.
• Focus on the best in individuals, not their faults or shortcomings.
• Applaud people's achievements, appreciate their creativity, respect their uniqueness.
• Learn to forgive and forget, to heal and respect, to modify and improve.
• Do not return evil act for evil act; do not be vengeful, vindictive, or spiteful.
• Learn to make exceptions, be flexible.
• Be willing to change your mind and to admit when you are wrong.
• Try to help others if you can; be pleased if they succeed.
• Abandon jealousy, hatred, cynicism, revenge, or greed.
• Enjoy life, lessen your complaints, point out life's beauty or value, not its imperfections.
• Instead of bemoaning your fate or blaming others, pitch in and try to improve the situation.
• Seek to better the human condition, be constructive.
• Recognize that no one is perfect.
• Accept people for what they are, including their idiosyncrasies.
• Give people some latitude to succeed and achieve, and they will.
• Respect innovation, individuality, creativity, honest dissent.
• Have the courage of your convictions; do not be afraid to express them.
• Exude a cheerful, optimistic, affirmative attitude, especially where conditions warrant it.
• Focus on potential good, not possible evil, honor not betrayal, collegiality not hatred, justice not injustice.
• Hold people accountable if they have been immoral; protect those they harm; ask for reparations if they are due; be merciful, and understanding.
• Compromise differences, negotiate solutions.
• Avoid violence or force and seek a peaceful resolution of differences.
• Try to find common ground, shared moral principles, and values upon which we can stand and unite.

• Eloquently expresses the exuberant life.
• Bestows benefits on both the giver and receiver.
• Expresses human caring.
• Is a precious quality of a life well-lived.

Why

The question is raised, "Why?": Because these, as set forth, are the transformational matrix principles of civilized conduct, and in expressing a good will you not only add to the sum of human happiness, but do the right thing. Indeed, of all human qualities and possessions, a good will is the most cherished.

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The following about the United Nations and aNew Enlightenment is from
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=kurtz_25_6 :

>>>>

The United Nations

Humanist Manifesto 2000, endorsed by the International Academy of Humanism and first published in Free Inquiry magazine, suggested many of the reforms that we believe will be necessary if we are to build a genuine global community. They include:

• A world parliament representing the people of the world, not simply nation-states;
• An expanded Security Council that would go beyond the original five victors of World War II (United States, England, France, China, and Russia) and could thus be more effective;
• A global Environmental Protection Agency with enforcement capabilities;
• A worldwide income tax that would reduce poverty and improve the health and education of all people of the planet;
• Some regulation of transnational corporations; and
• Open access to the media communications.
• I submit that we are all citizens of the planet Earth, and that as such, we should declare our allegiance to the planetary community. Thus, I recommend the following affirmation in addition to any other pledges or affirmations that people may now make:


“I affirm allegiance to the planetary community of which we are all a part: one planet, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I recognize that all persons are equal in dignity and value. I defend human rights and cherish human freedom. I vow to honor and protect the global ecology for ourselves and future generations yet unborn.”

[...]

A New Enlightenment

If we are to usher in a New Enlightenment, we need to spell out new goals to be achieved in the future. I can only briefly suggest what these might entail:

• The New Enlightenment needs to defend secularism, that is, the separation of church and state and the secularization of values.
• It must be planetary in scope, applying to all members of the human family—thus it would develop a new planetary ethics.
• It would seek to develop the public appreciation of scientific methods of inquiry and the scientific outlook.
• It would emphasize the need to use reason to resolve social differences and to lessen the resort to violence on the national and international level.
• It would defend the protection and cultivation of democracy and human rights everywhere.
• It would seek to banish poverty and disease from all parts of the globe and to reduce the disparities in income and wealth by expanding the amount of wealth and income available.
• It would focus on education and persuasion as the best methods for achieving social change, and it would make education and cultural enrichment truly universal.
• It would seek to elevate taste and appreciation, to cultivate the best of which we are capable as human beings, to achieve excellence, and improve the quality of life.
• It would seek for all people to work together to deal with global problems such as the unmeasured growth of population, environmental hazards, and global warming.
• It would seek to cultivate individual freedom consonant with the rights of others.
• While it would respect diversity and multiculturalism, it would seek always to find common ground that we may share.
• It would encourage cultivation of open societies, equal access to the media, and freedom of inquiry and research.
• It would seek to go beyond the ancient religious, ethnic, and national moral prohibitions of the past and move on to new alternatives appropriate to the contemporary world, new ethical values and principles.
• It would seek to generate and expand equality before the law and equality of opportunity for all individuals.
• It would seek to develop cooperative efforts among all segments of the world to deal with common problems.
• Finally, it would exude some optimism about the human prospect, some belief that the human condition can be progressively improved, and above all, express the resolve to do so.

If we are to achieve a New Enlightenment, we need to go beyond the European and American Enlightenment of the eighteenth century. We need an Enlightenment capable of encompassing the entire global community. We need to build new institutions appropriate to a newly emerging world civilization, one that allows the free market to operate, yet develops laws and regulations on the global scale based on the principles of fairness. It would emphasize the realization of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all individuals on the planet; it would seek to replace greed and avarice with cooperation and negotiation, violent force with peaceful methods of social change, and the brutal competition for power and resources with a common concern for the needs of everyone in the planetary community.

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Some further elucidations (by me):

The Common Moral Decencies (Personal Integrity, Trustworthiness, Benevolence, and Fairness) are necessary for any society to function. They are to be understood as the minimum requirements for a person to be considered a civilized adult.

The Ethical Excellences (Autonomy, Intelligence, Self-discipline, Self-respect, Creativity, High motivation, Affirmative attitude, Joie de vivre, Good health, and Exuberance) are valued characteristics or virtues that the (secular) Humanist tries to achieve. We applaud individuals who exemplify any of these virtues.

W.K. Clifford's statement that "it is wrong always, everywhere and for everyone to believe anything upon insufficient evidence" and his insistence that it is our moral duty to seek the truth and avoid falsehood show the kind of scientific mentality that the naturalistic philosophy of (secular) Humanism also promotes. Epistemology is also a matter of ethics - but this is not to be misunderstood as saying that one should try to pick ethical beliefs. What it means, is that the ethical way to form beliefs is to form them according to the best epistemic methods available: to use the sciences whenever possible.

Ethical decisions are evaluated by their consequences. Although (secular) Humanists see intrinsic moral value in acts when committed for the right reasons, it is their consequences that in the end show their worth. This means that we have a great responsibility to make sure that we not only act for the right reasons but also make the right choices - to the best of our knowledge. We must seek wisdom instead of making rash decisions, at least in matters of great importance.

We must avoid dogmatism and excessive simplifying. Situations differ and it is hard to find universal rules that are easy to apply. We cannot avoid the responsibility to think for ourselves. Even when we are able to formulate normative rules, we must realize and remember that they are neither absolute nor eternal, but are amenable to rational criticism and correction.

But as only humans, we cannot be expected to be perfect, only to do our best. We should begin our attempt to improve ourselves and the world around us by simply cultivating a Good Will.