Return to Summary of PrinciplesHumanism
and Its Aspirations
Humanist Manifesto III, a
successor to the
Humanist Manifesto of 1933 *
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.
* Humanist Manifesto is a
trademark of the American Humanist Association. © 2003 American Humanist
Association
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