HumanLight 2009: Humanism and humanist values

23 December 2009

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ZJ: HumanLight is a winter holiday on December 23, celebrating humanism and humanist values. It's one of the more recent holidays, developed in 2001 to serve as a humanist alternative to the prevailing winter festivals, most of which have religious origins. And many people have wondered: What is humanism? And what does it stand for?

Humanism is a philosophy of life that affirms the importance of humanity and human well-being. It is neither religious nor supernatural. It emphasizes the inherent worth and value of all people, taking a positive outlook of human potential, with confidence in our ability to do good. And most people find this quite obvious and uncontroversial, although many religions believe exactly the opposite: that people are inherently bad and inclined toward evil, and possibly even deserve to be punished forever. Humanists do not consider this a healthy or productive way of looking at the world.

Humanist ethics are results-oriented and place human welfare first, working to develop moral systems that lead to the best possible outcomes for people. This stands in contrast to the common religions, which insist on unwavering obedience to moral absolutes, with no room for rational evaluation and reconsideration, and no concern for the impact on human well-being.

Humanism seeks to improve our understanding of nature, our world, and the cosmos, through the use of reason, observation, and scientific methodology. Evidence is necessary to develop an accurate picture of our reality; faith is insufficient. For that reason, humanism does not accept religious claims regarding the nature of reality or the history of the world, which are presented without evidence or contrary to evidence.

Humanism holds human rights and freedoms in the highest regard, supporting the freedom to believe as one chooses, to speak as one pleases, and to conduct oneself in accordance with one's conscience, provided that this does not infringe upon others' freedom to do the same. Therefore, humanism rejects any attempts by religions to place arbitrary restrictions on human freedom, which are derived only from their belief in the supernatural and the dictates of various ancient texts.

Humanists believe that this world, and this life, is the only one that matters. This is not a test, or a dress rehearsal for another life to come. This is the only life we can be certain of. There's no sense in waiting for a greater world after this one; if we want a better life, this is what we have to work with. We won't get another shot at this, so let's make the most of the life we have here and now, and help others do the same.

Humanism stresses the importance of human self-reliance. When we see that the world could use some improvement, it's up to us to make it happen. There's no use in looking to the heavens above, hoping for divine intervention or miraculous assistance. We have only ourselves to rely on. Humanism offers the possibility of a brighter future, one that will be achieved by people working together. We can make the world a better place, for ourselves and those to come.

Finally, humanism does not endorse any kind of universal meaning of life that is imposed upon everyone regardless of their beliefs. Instead, it supports the freedom to discover meaning in one's own life, and define that meaning however one chooses. In this sense, the meaning of our lives is to give meaning to our lives.

HumanLight celebrates the values that comprise the philosophy of humanism. In keeping with these values, how or if you choose to celebrate HumanLight is entirely at your discretion. This is a relatively new holiday, and there's plenty of room for innovation. Use your intellect, reason and creativity, and find something that works for you.

Help out at a soup kitchen, or spend time with your loved ones. Tell your friends about HumanLight, or reflect on how best to practice the values of humanism in your life. Rejoice in the power of humanity to build a more humane world, and celebrate the blueprint that humanism gives us for a better life.

This holiday season, we don't need a savior to be the light of the world. We are that light. Happy HumanLight, to everyone.

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