Something I can wholeheartedly throw my support behind.
Humanist Manifesto III
Humanism
is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism,
affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of
personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
The
lifestance of Humanism—guided by reason, inspired by compassion,
and informed by experience—encourages us to live life well and
fully. It evolved through the ages and continues to develop through
the efforts of thoughtful people who recognize that values and
ideals, however carefully wrought, are subject to change as our
knowledge and understandings advance.
This
document is part of an ongoing effort to manifest in clear and
positive terms the conceptual boundaries of Humanism, not what we
must believe but a consensus of what we do believe. It is in this
sense that we affirm the following:
Knowledge
of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational
analysis. Humanists find that science is the best method for
determining this knowledge as well as for solving problems and
developing beneficial technologies. We also recognize the value of
new departures in thought, the arts, and inner experience—each
subject to analysis by critical intelligence.
Humans
are an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary
change. Humanists recognize nature as self-existing. We
accept our life as all and enough, distinguishing things as they are
from things as we might wish or imagine them to be. We welcome the
challenges of the future, and are drawn to and undaunted by the yet
to be known.
Ethical
values are derived from human need and interest as tested by
experience.Humanists ground values in human welfare shaped by
human circumstances, interests, and concerns and extended to the
global ecosystem and beyond. We are committed to treating each person
as having inherent worth and dignity, and to making informed choices
in a context of freedom consonant with responsibility.
Life’s
fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of
humane ideals. We aim for our fullest possible development
and animate our lives with a deep sense of purpose, finding wonder
and awe in the joys and beauties of human existence, its challenges
and tragedies, and even in the inevitability and finality of death.
Humanists rely on the rich heritage of human culture and the
lifestance of Humanism to provide comfort in times of want and
encouragement in times of plenty.
Humans
are social by nature and find meaning in relationships. Humanists
long for and strive toward a world of mutual care and concern, free
of cruelty and its consequences, where differences are resolved
cooperatively without resorting to violence. The joining of
individuality with interdependence enriches our lives, encourages us
to enrich the lives of others, and inspires hope of attaining peace,
justice, and opportunity for all.
Working
to benefit society maximizes individual happiness. Progressive
cultures have worked to free humanity from the brutalities of mere
survival and to reduce suffering, improve society, and develop global
community. We seek to minimize the inequities of circumstance and
ability, and we support a just distribution of nature’s resources
and the fruits of human effort so that as many as possible can enjoy
a good life.
Humanists
are concerned for the well being of all, are committed to diversity,
and respect those of differing yet humane views. We work to uphold
the equal enjoyment of human rights and civil liberties in an open,
secular society and maintain it is a civic duty to participate in the
democratic process and a planetary duty to protect nature’s
integrity, diversity, and beauty in a secure, sustainable manner.
Thus
engaged in the flow of life, we aspire to this vision with the
informed conviction that humanity has the ability to progress toward
its highest ideals. The responsibility for our lives and the kind of
world in which we live is ours and ours alone.
- end
