What do you think?
Rate this book
The Case for Humanism: An Introduction
The Case for Humanism is the premier textbook on the 'big ideas' of Western humanism--secularism, rationalism, materialism, democracy, individualism, and many others. Students are invited to think critically about these powerful themes that run through Western thought from the ancient Greeks, to the Enlightenment, to the present day. The issues discussed raise some of the most provocative and relevant questions of our time, regardless of discipline--these are the major questions of science, religion, and philosophy. Drawing on an accessible, student-friendly format, the authors teach by example how to analyze arguments for and against humanist ideas, how to judge alternative theories, and how to evaluate humanism as a whole. The text breaks humanism down into 17 fundamental propositions for students to dissect. These elements make The Case for Humanism a natural for courses in introductory and comparative religion.
240 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
31 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 26, 2023
There's nothing wrong with this book per se, but it is a very unexciting read. As advertised, it is an entry level textbook that I could see getting some use in introductory college classes.
It attempts to come to a definition of humanism in the first part of the text, and uses the definitions supplied by various humanist organizations to identify several principles that the authors say are associated with humanism (the search for rational, non-theistic explanations, belief in the scientific method as the best way of knowing information, desire for pluralistic governing apparatus, etc.). In the remainder of the book, the authors devote chapters to various problems or controversies and try to make a step-by-step case for humanism.
It didn't have much objection to the content, though I did think in a few places the authors make comments that are too snide or make generalizations that are too sweeping. Mainly, it reads like any other entry level textbook you have encountered, meaning that it can be hard to keep your eyes open while reading. In addition, at less than 250 pages, it must truncate its arguments considerably and sort of hand wave away many issues that deserve a more full airing.
I don't want to be too hard on this text though since its appropriate place is probably in a class where students are supplementing their material with other books and essays, so all this really needs to be is a piece of that puzzle. I am the rare reader who is reading it as a stand-alone book, which is creating some of the frustrations I am describing.
It serves its purpose as an introduction but there is obviously a lot more out there for someone that wants to explore the topics and big questions raised between these covers.
It attempts to come to a definition of humanism in the first part of the text, and uses the definitions supplied by various humanist organizations to identify several principles that the authors say are associated with humanism (the search for rational, non-theistic explanations, belief in the scientific method as the best way of knowing information, desire for pluralistic governing apparatus, etc.). In the remainder of the book, the authors devote chapters to various problems or controversies and try to make a step-by-step case for humanism.
It didn't have much objection to the content, though I did think in a few places the authors make comments that are too snide or make generalizations that are too sweeping. Mainly, it reads like any other entry level textbook you have encountered, meaning that it can be hard to keep your eyes open while reading. In addition, at less than 250 pages, it must truncate its arguments considerably and sort of hand wave away many issues that deserve a more full airing.
I don't want to be too hard on this text though since its appropriate place is probably in a class where students are supplementing their material with other books and essays, so all this really needs to be is a piece of that puzzle. I am the rare reader who is reading it as a stand-alone book, which is creating some of the frustrations I am describing.
It serves its purpose as an introduction but there is obviously a lot more out there for someone that wants to explore the topics and big questions raised between these covers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review