Humanist Manifesto II

8/6/2019 Humanist Manifesto II

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HumanistManifestolprglace

ft is forty yars since Hlmanisl Manilesto t ttg33) ap-peared. vents tince then make that earlier sraemenr sm{ar toooprrmisr |C. azrsm asshown hedepth(oi bruratrryot whi. h humanir! is capdble.Other rotdtiranao egirne,hdverupp'e'siedhumdn nghtswithout endrngpove.ry.S( en(e hdssometrmes .drrShtevilaswettas good. Recert decadeshaveshown hat inhumanwals can b made in the ,ame ol peace.Thebeginninesof polic states,even in democraticsocietie5,wrdespread Sovernment espionage, and other aburs ofpowerby military, political, and ndurt.iat eliter. and rhe conlinLrance f unvrelding a(ism,all presenla diffe,enr and d,t-t'cult rocial oL,tlool. In la our socreries, he dcmand\ ofwomen and minority sroup, for equal rishrseffectively chat_rengeour 8nerat6n._ As we approach the twnryjirst century, however, aD aftirmative and hopeful virion is neded Faith,commensurarewith advancingknowledg, r allo ncessary.n th choacblweendespairandhope,humanjsts cspond . ihis Human-,sl Manifert it with a posirivedeclaratio. for times of un-

As in 1933,humanists5tilt betievrhat traditional theism,spcially aith in the prayerhearingCod, assumoro lovand carc for pe.sons, o hear and undefstard their orave.sdnd ro be able ro do somethrng bout rhem, is an unprovejand outmodd faith. Satvationism,ba5edon mre affarma_tion, rti appeaE ar harmf'rl, di!e(,ng peopte wrth tatrhopcl ot h.ven hereafrer.Reasonabjeminds lool to orhermeans or survivalThot who sign Humanii .Manife{o ,/ disclaim rhat theyaresetting o.th a bindinSciedo, their individuatviewswoul;be stated n wideiy varyinSway5.The rtatemnt is. however_redchin8 or virion in a trmc rhat needrdre(lion. Ir D jocraianalysis n an ftod at consensur.New statementsshoutd bdevelopd o supersedehir, bur for today it is our convictionthat humarism offers an altemative that can serueoresent_day needr and g{ride humankind toward the future.PaulKunz tdwinH.Wilson


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The next century can b and should be the humanieticcentury. Dramati. scientific, echnoloSical,ano evr accereratins social and poljtical chansescro\ed our awarene5s.Wehav virtually conquerd the planet, explored the moon,overcome h naturallimitsol t.avl and communicationj wertand at the dawn o{ a new age, ready to move larther intospaceand perhap, inhabil othr planets. Usins technolosywisely, w can control our environment, conquer poverty,markedly reducediseas,extend our lile-span, jisnificantlymodify ourbehavior,alter he coursof human evolution andcultural development,unloc& vast new powers, and providehumankind with unparalleledopportunity for achievinS anabundant and rneaninsful afe.The futur ir, however, illd with dansers. n learnins toapply thescientificmethod onatureand human lif. we haveopened the doo. to ecologi.al damage, ovrpopulation, de.humanizing institutions, otalitarian repressioh,and biochenical disaster.Facedwith apocalyptic prophesie!and doomsdayscenarios,many flee i. despair from reasonand mbracq rationalcults and theologiesofw,thdrawal and

Traditionalmoral .odes and newer irrat,onatcutts both failto meet the prssinsneds ot todav and tomoiiow. Fatre"theologies of hope" and messianic deologies, ubsrirutingnew doamas or old, cannot copwirh existinSwo.ld ratities.They leparate rather than unite Deooles.Humanity. to survive. rcqutrF, bold a.d ddrinS measure.We need to extend the uses of 5cientiric method. notrenouncethem, to fuse reasonwith compaj5ion in order tobuild constructivsocial aod moral valus Confronted bvmanyposs'bleuiures.e mu't de('dp \hrch to puAue Thcultimate goal should be the fulfillment of the porenriat torSrowth in each human pesonality-not for rhe favored {ew.but for all of humankind.Only a shared wond and stobalme.sure, will sufficeA humanistoutlook will tap the creativitv 01being and provide he virion and coufaee tor us to work ro,gether. hi5out lookemphasizshe rote h!man beinsscanptar ,n rher own \phererot a, t ion rhe dF(adp5dhe; (at l


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for dedicated,cla.minded men and womn abte to marshalthe will, intellisence,and cooperativeskills for 5hapins a d-sirable uture. Humanismcan p.ovide rhe purposeand inspiratior that so manysek; tcan SivepeEonal meaning and sjgniticanc to human lil.Many kindsof humani5m xisr n the contemporary wodd.Th vanetiesand emphases f naturali5richumanism jnclude"scint i f ic," "ethical ," , ,democlata. , , , , ret igiour, , , and"Madist" humanism. Fr'e hought, atheism, agnonicrsm,skepticism,djsm, rationalism,ethicalculture, and liberal re,liSion all clairn to be heir to rhe humanist kadition.Humanitm traces ats rooti from an.inr China, classicalG'eece and Rome, thrcush the Renaisranc and thtnliShteoment, to the scientifi..evolurion of the mode.nworld. But viewsahatmercly reiect theismare not quivalentto humanism. hy lack commitment to the positivebelief inth poisibilitis of human prosrssand to rhe varuescentrarto it Many within rligioussroups,blieving in the future ofhumdn' im,now clarmhumanrsi redenrid[ Human'sm sanethical process houh which we all can move, above aDdbyond the divisiv particulars, heroic personaliti5,dogmatic c!eed5,and ritual cudomt of past ligions or rheif

W affim a set of common prin.ipler that can serve as abasas or united action-positive principles relevant to rhepresent human condition. They are a design tor a secula.socity on a planetarysale.For these.easons,we submit this new Human;st Man;festofor the future of humank nd, forus, it ir a vision of hope, a di,rection for ratistying suNival

ReligionF/rst: n th best senre, elision may inspire dedication tothe hishest ethical ideals.The cuhivation of moral devotionand creative magination ir an express;on f genuine "spiri-tuaT"expe.inceand aspilationWe believe,however, hat traditional dogmatic or aurhorilafian religions that place rvelation, Cod, ritual, or .reed

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abovehumannds nd expfine o a dis!ruice o thbum6n pcis. nyaccount f natureshould ars he estsofscientificevidnce;n our udgment,he dogmas nd mythsof iraditional rliSionsdo not do so. tvn atthis late dat inhuman hirtory, ce(ain elementary {acts based upon rhec.itical ueeof 5cienlific rearonhave to be restated.We findinrlfficienl evidenceo. telief in the eristenceo{ a supFnatural; t is dthf rneaninglessr irelvantto the quertionot th rvival and fulfillmentol the human race.As non-ihistr, $e begin with humans not Cod, nature not deity.NtturE miy iri:ted be broade. and deepr tha. we nowlnow; any nr, discoveries,hq^ever, will but enla.Se our*nowlde of th nrtural..So.nehumanistsbeliv we sho|rld rintrprt traditionalrli8io6 andrainvft them vrith meaniDssappropriate to thecqtreht 3itl'tion. Soch edfinitionr, however, often perpetu-ateo|d dpendencies.ndescapisms; hey easily bcorne ob-!.ur!ntid, idDdin8 th fiee us of the intellct. W. ned,inrterd, 6dic.lt new human purpor6 and goals.

We appreciate he ned o pr5ervehe b6t ethical teach-in8s in th eliSiols taditions f humankind,manyof whichw rhar in colnmon- But we reiect those fuatures oftraditional 'el|8|drs morality that deny hu|hans a full appre-ciation of rheir own potentialties ,nd responsibilitiej- Tra-ditionel religiohr oftn offr solac o humans, but, as often,tiry inhibt lunan5 frorn helpinS hernrelvesor expriencinathei. full potenti.lilier. Suchi6titution!, creeds, and ritualsoften iopede ihe will to serve othe|s. Too often traditionalteithr encosrrSc dpndnce rather th.n i.dependence,obedhnc rather than affirnation, {ear rather than courrge.More recently they haveSenerated oncerned social action,$iith manysi8n5 f relevance ppafingn th wake of the"Cod le Dead" holo8ies. rt w can discovrno divineporpo* or providenceo. the human pcies.While there smuch hat we do not knor, human! re rsponrible tor wharwe areor will b.corn.No dilv will rave uti ra,mult rrve

Scord Promiss t immortal ralvation or lcar of ctefnaldamnationar both illusory and hamful. They distracthumant .om p.6ent conce.ns/rom ,elf-actuelization, ndfrom rctifyinS ocial niustices.Modernrcience discreditsl6


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such historicconcepB as th "Bhost n the machine" and the'3parable soul." Rathr, science affirms that the humanspecis s an emerSence rom natural evolutionary forces. Asiar as we know, the total prsonalaw s a function of the bio,logicalorganism ransictirS in a rocial and cultural contextTherc is no credibleevidence hat life survives the death ofthe body. W continu toexist in our progenyand in the $/aythat our lives have influenced others in our cultur.Tradnional rclieions are surely not the only obstacles rohuman progress.Other ideologiet also impede human ad-van.e. Some forms of political doctrine, fo. ans.ance, unc-tion religio(rsly,eflecting he wo.st featu esof orthodorv andauthoritarianism,espciallywhen they racrilic individualson the altd of Utopianoromises.Purelyeconomic and politi-cal viewpoints,whether capitalist o. communist, otren func,tion as relisious and idolosical dosma. Althoueh humansundoubtedly ned conomic and political goals, they alsoneed creative valuet by which to live.

tthicsIhidi weaffirmthat moralvalues erive hirsource romhuman experince.thics is aufonornousand situationa!,needins o theologi.al r ideolosical anction.Erhics temsfrcmhumanneed nd nterest. odeny hisdistorrshe wholebasis f life.Humanife hasmeaninS cause e c.eareanddevelop ur utures. appinessnd hecreative ealization fhumanneeds nd desirc5,ndividuallyand in sha.edenioy-ment,arcontinuoushemes f humanism_e strive or th8ood ife,herandnow.Thesoal is to pu6ue life,senrich-menrdespite ebasingorcesof vulaarization, ommerciali,

zation,bureaucratiration,nd dhumanization.foutth: Reasonand intelligencare the mo5t effective in-strumentshat humankind ossesss.here s no 5ubstitute:neithraith norpassionufficer n itself.Thecontrolted seof rcientificmethods,which tuv tranrformed he natural.nd social ciences inc he Renaissance.ust be extendedfurthe, n the rolutionol humanproblems.But rearonmustbe tempered v humility, inceno erouphasa monopolyof

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:l:oLT:,,.".,. Nor r the.anvsu.rantee hara probtem(can Ele otved { d querl,onsanrweredyer crirrcal nrelti8en-(e,nturdbryasenreothuman aring,r the besrmerh;dlnatnumanityhas or rerolvinsprobtern;.Reasonhoutd b;oabnced wrlh compassion nd emparhv and rhe wholeFe|son,uUi ed Thur. we are nor advoianng rhe use ors( ntitic. nrelliSencndependenr r or In opporinon toehotron, or webetievn the cuttivation f feelingandtove.^s_screnccpt.|'hes act the boundarvot tne (nown, one.sser!oi wofthr ir continualtvenewea. nda.t. poetrv anjmusacind thcir ptacee, tonSw,th reiiSron nd erh,c,. .t ., ..a, lhe lndividual. fifhi fh.preciosraers nddiCn,tyot he ndividualpe,5on|' r.nttt|humanirr wlu Individuatshouldbe encouraSedro rear|ze |.i. owncreativealenrs ndderi.es.We rejeci6tlre-rgroUs.deot*iat, o. mo.al code, that denrSratehe indi_::uarr,:UT -.cs6

re-,edorh,u Inreflcr. ehumanize e6on.:rl I. Y: b.rjg. j' narim,rm ind,viduatauronomyconscnar|r,wrnocr.t fGponribrlity.Akhoughs.incecana(countror tn.carl'et t beh.vior, he posribrlitie, f rndividual'ee-.tofl ot crro,ccrisl in human tife and ,houtd be inc.easpd- ir'nfi: ln rhc se-ao{ rerualiry,we betieve hdt intoleranrattilud-6,oJtenuhivatedby orthodo\ elisions nd pur,ianill'l''l'Y'.tutv *p,""s setuarcond'r(rThe ishr o b,rrh(ontmr, abortion, nd divo(e lhoutd be rccosnizedWh,tewe do not approve Jerplo(rve,denigrarin8orm!ot serualerpre


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respect, nd hoiestv n interoersonalelationrare encoura8d.Moraleducation or childrcn and aduhs is an imoorrantway oi developing wareners ||d sexualmatu.ity.

, DemmraticSocietySeventtr. o enhance reedorn nd disnity the individualmusteperience a f(Jll raneeof civi, ,iberties in all societies.

This ncludesreedom f speech nd the prss,politicalde-mocracy. he lcgal riSht of opposition to govrnmental poli-cies, ail iudicialproce55,elieiousibrty, reedomof asso-ciation,and artistic, cintific,and cultural .eedom. t alsoirdsdes a recognition f an individual's ight to die withdignity,euthanaria, nd h .i8ht to suicide.We oppos heincreasi.g invasionof privacy, by whatvef means/ in bothtotalitarian ard democratic rocieties. We would eafeauard,xtend,and implment he principlesof human freedomevolved rom th MagnaCarta o the Ait of Ri8hts, h6 fiahrsof Man, ar:d the UniversalDeclaation ol Hurhan Rights.fighlhi We are committd to an open and democraticsociery.We mostexiendtxrticrioatory democrrcy lh its kuetnte to th. cono.ny, he school, the tamily, th workplace,and voluntaryaslociations.Decilion-makina mult trc decn-

tralized o includewidespreadnvolwmentof peopleat alllevels-locial, polirical,and cconomic.All p6on5rhouldha! a voice in developing the values and goak thatdetmin their liv.. Instit{rtionsshouldbe .esoonsive o ex-pr65eddrirei and oeds.Thconditions of wort, education,dsrotion,and playshouldb humanized.AlienatinS orceslhould be modifiedor e.adicatedand buraucraticstructuresshouldbe held to a minimlm. Peopleare more importanrthandecalogues,ules,proscriptions, r rcSulations.Ninth: The sepatation ol chutch and state and theepatation ol idt,loay and ftate are impe''trves. The statshoulden.ouragemaximum rdom for difte.ent moral,political, eligio{rs,nd ocbl value! n society. t shouldnotfavorahypaniculareligiou, odier hroush he usof public

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rnonier, orejlld$ a sineledeoloey nd unction herebyasT",::i.pl o{ prcpasandar oppre,,ion.particutarty4SErnrrdrstntcfi__ tenthi Hunrane socieries rhould evaloare economacsylrmr not bV *rtoric or ideotogy, bul bV whethe. o. notrn1_,horre (onorn,c well-fuinl lot all hdrviduak andf ni, 1n:lj"f p"*ut, and hardship.ncreasehe sumotnumansanracriofl,andenhance he quatityof tife. Henceth:oor isopen oaltemative conomic,ystemr.Weneed ooerhocr.ta.e ie.conorhy and iudge it by iLt Espon'venessro rrm.n ncdr,esrin8erullsn termsof the (ommongood.

_.d&enrh: tlg gincipleof mo.a,eluatirymustb turrheredorurSn efimr|.uon of afl discrimination basdupon race, re_rrga|. *t" a4e- o..rtid,l dio;n Yl,n ^-,-. ^^..-,.- .9L:.T1-9'.1{3'' -r"r" ;;;;;;;'-;;iilT:;F.u)'||ly rhd rtcogniuonof tatenl ard merir. Individu;bsnqr|(, F d|@rna8d to cootribute to their own btterment.L:lPj:,,b.dj,"_r.bld p'ovide means o sarirfy rhi.hearrh, nd cuhurat"".ar.

in.fi.,air.mrk po6ribl,a minirnumguaranteeianirt ini,i.rr. W. rre """..n"a fo,,t " *"I"r" of tm "g.a,r! inJirrq rrEdisadvanragd,and atro for rh ourcalts_th

.,We dplo.! ra(hl, reliSiour, thnic,or classanra8onrsmr.Althou8hwbelievehcuhuraldiversitynd encot aSacialano erhnlc pride, wF reiect separaiions whtch promoteafienrton..nd et peopJend IrorjpsaSainneachoiher;w;envE|onan ,nteg.ated ommunitywhere pople have amaxmurn opportunity for fr and voluntary ajrociation.

1YlEV_'.t",u.a,u.a.-"J ". .t=,,iiiiira*,, t . r,ana;.r.Dp6.,FirorEr, .nd addict _fo, a,, who ,re nesFcted oriSno.cdbry oclety. p.ictictn8 humanirt, shoutdnje it lheirvo(|tior| to l|trmenile pcfsonal rlation!...We belie{r In th rgl,t to unive$at duquon. tveryofthrl I Jlght ioltE cult/ral ogponuniry o fulfitt hir or'her:131! c?eaciln pd-ratenrs. Theschootsehoutd o.reftatir,ryrnS.nd pro


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We are crirical ot srismot sexual chauvinitm_male olfemale.Webelieve n equal iehts or both womeflandmnto fulfilltheirunique areerr ndpotentialirie( ! thev re it,ke ot invicliour ircrimination

WoddCommunityIblttLW daplore he divi5ionof hurhankind n narion,ali\lrc sround, We have ed(heda turninSpoint in humanhistorvwhere he bert oprron s to tranrcend he tin,ts olnaoonal overcignty nd o move toward he buildingof aworldcomnunity n whichall sectoEof rhe homan ami,y(3n partrcrpare husweoo& o thpdvelopment f a ryrremot woru law and a wo.ld order baseduDon transnarionalfederal ov.nment.his rould apprec,ateulturalpturalismand diver'ity. t wouldnot excludepride n nationalo.iginsand accomplishmentsnor the handling of regionalproblenron a rea|onalbasir. Hunan prot.e$, however,can no longer

beachieved y focu$naorlonsecrron f the wortd,Wsrehor Easrem, evelopedor underdeveloped.Forthe first time inhuman history, no part of hrmantind can be irolated fromanyothr.Each 6o.l's utu.e r in someway linked to all.W th{ir reatfim a commitment to the building of tro dcommunrty,t th larte time recognizin8hat this commitsus to sorhe hard choices.ffii.tenthi This world community must .enounce l.,ercso't to iolence and force rs a merhod of lotving international isputes-Wbetievefl thepeacefutadiudi.alion fdifterencesbvnt'rnationatoors andby thedevetopmentfthedrtsof maoriation ndconpom,re.War,i obrolere. 0 rtheusof ntjcled,bioloSical, nd chemicalweapons.r 6 apranetarympetariveo rduc the levelof mjlitarye,(pendituresard turn thesesavingr o peacefuland people-orinted/oudeerlhi Theworldcommunrtymurt engaaen cooper.auve pbnntnE (oncehinS rhe use of rapdtv depletingrsoufce9. h planet earth must te con3idered sinSleecosyrtem. coloSical damage, r5olrce depletion. andexcer5ive opulationgrcwrh must be.hecled bv inter,natronalconcord.hecultivarion nd consrva.tonr narure

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rsa mo.atvatue,we lhoutdperce,ve ursetve( srntesratorne toLjrce( l cur beine ^ nature \,te mu


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Humanityasa Whole,n croiirar The worldcannotwait fo. a reconcitiation fcompting oliticalo. economicsystemso jolve its prob_lems. hereare htimes o' mnandwomenof goodwi tofu.lfier he buildineof a peacetut ndp.orperous orld.Weurgerhat arochaaloyalties nd nflexibtmoratand eligiousideolosier -be franscended.We urse re

Humanist Manifesto II

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