‘Understanding Humanism’ What is Humanism? Richard Norman ‘Understanding Humanism’ Teachers’ Conference 11 July 2017

Humanism “I always teach the case against religious belief as well as the case for.” Presenting humanism as a positive view of life Belief in living a good life without religion

Why ‘humanism’? Human Reason Human Creativity Human Responsibility Human Values

Human Reason Scientific progress: Copernican theory of planets Newtonian physics Kant-Laplace nebular hypothesis Scientific geology, age of the earth Evolution by natural selection No short cuts, no divinely revealed truths Humans are physical beings, no continuing consciousness after death – we have one life

Human Creativity Science isn’t everything Use of our imagination to express our thoughts and feelings and create new worlds Not just the high arts Through stories, pictures, music, we make sense of our own lives We come to understand other people’s lives and are able to imagine what it is like for them.

Käthe Kollwitz, ‘Mothers’

Rembrandt – ‘Self-portrait’

Constable – ‘Boatbuilding near Flatford Mill’

Turner – ‘Shape and Darkness – the Evening of the Deluge’

Monet – ‘Poppies’

Van Gogh – ‘Wheatfield with Crows’

Human Responsibility No divine plan, no fate, no pre-given meaning or purpose We find our own meaning We can make a better world for ourselves We have to make our own moral decisions

Human Values Core values which are shared human values Kindness, compassion, honesty, loyalty, fairness, justice, etc. The golden rule: treat others as you would wish to be treated Built into human life - we are social beings

Humanism Why Humanism doesn’t fit easily into RE templates What are your symbols, rituals, practices, festivals, sacred texts, sacred places? They are ones which we share with everyone.