Why I Am a Humanist

"A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men."

First of all, may I suggest that you take a moment to read this. (Go on, I'll wait.)

I've never been much of a joiner, but I do tend to gravitate towards ideas that I find to have merit. And I find the idea that we must examine ourselves critically if we are to have any real happiness or understanding of the universe and its meaning to be fairly sound.

That may not quite be the heart of traditional humanist doctrine, but if prompted to expound upon that statement, I would add this...

We are not perfect creatures whose minds are incapable of error or mistake. We are all capable of being led astray in our thinking, even the best among us. If there is any advantage to be gained from knowing absolute truths, then we must identify the obstacles that our minds place between us and this knowledge. To this end, it is worth studying ourselves, how we form our values and beliefs, and what drives our actions. In achieving such an understanding of self, we are also better able to understand others. If there is an 'article of faith' to be found in my reasoning, it is in my belief in the power of mutual understanding to facilitate positive change.

I'm not a humanist because I strongly prioritize human life relative to anything else. I'm not a humanist because I have a militant need to reject supernaturalism. I'm a humanist because I believe in the power of the mind to free itself from bias and gain a more accurate picture of the reality in which we live. I'm a humanist because I believe that, alone, I am fallible, but that the wisdom of others may correct my errors. I'm a humanist because I believe that a better understanding of human nature enables empathy and tolerance, and that is a goal worth embracing. I'm a humanist because I believe that we are our only hope for better world.

That's why I am a humanist.