What Is Secular Humanism?

by Paul Kurtz

Are there any ethical values and principles that nonreligious individuals can live by? In a time when many have forsaken otherworldly religions, what does human life mean? What is its significance? Secular humanism attempts to answer these questions in a way that resonates with human aspirations and the findings of science. In this succinct, engaging overview of the secular humanist perspective, philosopher Paul Kurtz describes the many ways in which secular humanism's scientific, philosophical, and ethical outlook has exerted a profound influence on civilization from the ancient world to the present. Today many schools of thought broadly identify with humanist ideas and values. But Kurtz suggests that secular humanism is especially suitable for the needs of our increasingly secular world because it rejects supernatural accounts of reality and seeks to optimize the fullness of human life in a naturalistic universe. In tune with the most progressive trends of the contemporary world, secular humanism finds meaning in life here and now and expresses confidence in the power of human beings to solve their problems and conquer uncharted frontiers. Kurtz concludes by emphasizing that secular humanism is a bold new paradigm, which weaves together many historical threads, while adding much more that is relevant to our rapidly emerging planetary civilization.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Atheism

42 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2007

About the author

Dr. Paul W. Kurtz was a prominent American skeptic and secular humanist. Before his retirement, he was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, having previously also taught at Vassar, Trinity, and Union colleges, and the New School for Social Research.

Reviews

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very basic overview. I was able to read it in just two sittings. Gave a nice summation and is a good starting-off point for further reading and research.

[Shinynickel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh Paul Kurtz, I hope your writing is much better in your other books, because it is not so good here. Also, weird font activity, and odd formatting throughout book. It's like a quickly-written pamphlet forced against its will to serve as a book.

You could get a better idea about what secular humanism is from its wikipedia entry.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an introduction to secular humanism, this does the job. It often veers into (to me) confusing academic jargon, but I got the gist. For me, it will serve mainly as a bibliography for further reading, but also as the means of happy realization that there is a name for what I believe.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short introductory book. Wise readers will use this as a jumping off point and look to additional resources for more in-depth study

[Michael Dorais · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I received the book I was surprised how small it was. This book is more like a pamphlet. It might be just what you are looking for if you want a little bit more than an encyclopedic entry about secular humanism. Although I have been sympathetic to secular humanism for a long time and have read writings by people who were more or less secular humanist, I never really pondered or researched the question "What is secular humanism". This little book did provide a good answer, going a bit beyond definition and providing historical background and discussion of some of the diversity found under the secular humanism umbrella. This was worth reading for me because I needed such a quick introduction.

[Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief introduction into the humanist philosophy. The author does a good job of explaining the premise to it, but it's quite short and doesn't dive too deep into the subject.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of philosophy-based morals, not based on an organized religious system, very interesting.