re: Humanism?

ER — 9/10/2006 8:35:14 PM (archived)

I suppose I call myself a humanist, although I think it's unfortunate that a philosophy that is really nothing but common sense laced with healthy skepticism is being identified as an "ism". Not only is it misleading others into thinking humanism has beliefs, scriptures, dogma, etc, it also turns it into a target for religious fundamentalists who declare it a religion and attempt to place themselves as an alternative to it.

Indeed, the ferocity and rage displayed by fundamentalists when attacking "secular humanism" leads me to believe they have correctly identified the single greatest intellectual threat to their existence. This is equivalent to saying that that it would take very little modification of existing legal and social conditions before humanists themselves could be in serious danger.

The whole thread (60 posts)

What is morality? - ER - 9/10/2006 12:33:09 AM
- re: What is morality? - azstrummer - 9/11/2006 11:02:38 PM
  - Interesting take, novel approach... (n/t) - ER - 9/12/2006 12:47:07 AM
- Morality. (A very technical definition) - SDAI-Tech1 - 9/10/2006 11:29:54 PM
  - Can you imagine Yogi Berra with PhDs in philosophy and semiotics? (n/t) - ER - 9/11/2006 12:00:00 AM
    - Don't question answers to questions because it creates more questions than answers. (n/t) - SDAI-Tech1 - 9/11/2006 12:31:16 AM
- re: Humanism? - Raoul - 9/10/2006 7:53:17 PM
  - Incidentally, that interview was in 1999. - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 8:37:41 PM
  - re: Humanism? - ER - 9/10/2006 8:35:14 PM
    - re: Humanism? - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 8:45:19 PM
      - almost a great line..... - Publius - 9/11/2006 10:18:22 PM
        
        re: almost a great line..... - Tom Brosz - 9/12/2006 5:42:32 AM
        
        Now you leave Andy's little boy out of this (n/t) - Laurie Street - 9/12/2006 3:55:01 PM
  - On the other hand... - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 8:33:58 PM
    - re: femine gods....! (n/t) - Raoul - 9/10/2006 9:05:21 PM
- What is morality? - Publius - 9/10/2006 1:09:41 PM
  - Religion does have something to contribute. - ER - 9/10/2006 2:01:41 PM
    - OK, so let's go pre-Socratic........ - Publius - 9/11/2006 2:36:12 PM
      - Socrates got what he deserved. - ER - 9/11/2006 7:43:36 PM
        
        re: Socrates got what he deserved. - Publius - 9/12/2006 9:13:57 PM
        
        History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. - ER - 9/14/2006 12:15:20 AM
        
        Addendum: Read the IF Stone NYT interview - ER - 9/14/2006 1:41:50 PM
        
        That's my biggest argument against multiculturalism - Lee - 9/11/2006 10:13:44 PM
    - The problem with the Ten Commandments - ljk - 9/10/2006 6:07:15 PM
      - The Ten Commandments deal with contracts. - Mary Anne - 9/10/2006 6:52:50 PM
      - No, I forgive you. Just don't let it happen again. - ER - 9/10/2006 6:51:39 PM
        
        We have two gods on this forum? - ljk - 9/10/2006 7:06:21 PM
        
        Of course! For every Vishnu, a Lakshmi. For every Durga, a Shiva. - Mary Anne - 9/10/2006 7:20:53 PM
        
        Then there's that Garden of Eden bit - LJK - 9/12/2006 3:01:23 PM
        
        Yes, and the Pandora bit. - Mary Anne - 9/13/2006 5:24:10 AM
- re: What is morality? - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 7:02:28 AM
  - I can accept that. - ER - 9/10/2006 12:02:31 PM
    - A proper moral code isn't just about other people. - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 6:08:24 PM
      - A third alternative - ER - 9/10/2006 7:29:33 PM
        
        Not really. - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 8:18:25 PM
        
        The post was just a goof, Tom, - ER - 9/10/2006 8:39:52 PM
        
        re: The post was just a goof - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 8:47:27 PM
    - Anything's OK as long as no one gets hurt. - Mary Anne - 9/10/2006 3:17:20 PM
      - re: Anything's OK as long as no one gets hurt. - Publius - 9/10/2006 10:58:32 PM
- You don't have to be religious to have morality. - Lee - 9/10/2006 3:18:23 AM
  - It's an existential thing - ER - 9/10/2006 4:01:59 AM
    - I do wonder sometimes... - Lee - 9/10/2006 4:35:50 AM
      - Another "behind the veil" moment - ER - 9/10/2006 12:58:18 PM
        
        Rachel Carson, trying like hell to see a dog where there isn't one. - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 6:09:50 PM
        
        From the edge of the sea - ER - 9/10/2006 6:37:50 PM
        
        re: From the edge of the sea - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 8:21:51 PM
        
        Quote from some guy - LJK - 9/12/2006 2:45:48 PM
      - A feature, or a bug? - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 7:34:07 AM
        
        Naaah. - SDAI-Tech1 - 9/11/2006 1:03:12 AM
        
        "There is no chaos in the universe." Q.E.D. - Tom Brosz - 9/11/2006 4:09:55 AM
        
        Tom's famous spotted dog! - ER - 9/10/2006 12:11:41 PM
        
        re: Tom's famous spotted dog! - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 6:21:45 PM
        
        You could be right. - Lee - 9/10/2006 8:02:02 AM
        
        If somebody offers you two colored pills, let us know. - Tom Brosz - 9/10/2006 8:16:33 AM
- An issue. Involves empathy, which is lacking in True Believers. - Bowser - 9/10/2006 3:11:31 AM
  - Can you spell Hijack? - ER - 9/10/2006 3:53:54 AM
    - re: Can you spell Hijack? - azstrummer - 9/11/2006 10:44:44 PM
    - How do you spell "topical relevant example"? - Bowser - 9/10/2006 6:17:28 AM
    - How do you spell "topical relevant example"? - Bowser - 9/10/2006 6:17:26 AM
      - re: How do you spell "topical relevant example"? - ER - 9/10/2006 11:52:02 AM

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The whole thread (60 posts)