Humanism: A Beginner's Guide

Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Publications)

by Peter Cave

Why should we believe in God without any evidence? How can there be meaning in life when death is final? Does a Godless universe imply moral relativism? With adherents including Einstein, Freud, Philip Pullman, and Frank Zappa, and often described as the thinking person’s religion, Humanism aims to make sense of such questions by appealing to shared human values, rationality, and tolerance. This lively and provocative book is essential reading for atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, rationalists, sceptics, and believers alike. Peter Cave is a writer, presenter, and lecturer in philosophy at The Open University and City University, London.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

Peter Cave lectures in philosophy for The Open University and New York University (London). He frequently contributes to philosophy magazines and journals, lectures around the world, and has scripted and presented philosophy programmes for the BBC. He is the author of eight books on philosophy, including Humanism: A Beginner’s Guide and the bestselling Can a Robot be Human?: 33 Perplexing Philosophy Puzzles.

Reviews

[christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh.

Was considering using this as part of a lecture series but have decided the patronising attitude Cave adopts throughout the book would undermine what I would hope my students could gain into learning more about Humanism's better attributes.

Apart from the fact that I don't think teaching Humanism requires consistently using religion as its foil, I also don't believe it is ever a good policy to pick and choose what is useful information and what isn't for the reader without clear evidence of its originating context. Much of this book, if not all of it, appears to be a plaintive compliant without a clear, distinctive argument. Yes, he touches on lots of different philosophers and yes, he makes arguments for and/or against them, as he chooses, without bracing those arguments within the context of the philosopher with whom he is arguing against. I understand he tried to stymie this criticism in his Intro by saying it's just an intro into philosophy and he'll have footnotes etc. and whatever in the later chapters but this doesn't excuse how amateurish and puerile his arguments are as a result of not including properly cited, properly argued evidence.

Give it a miss if you have a pittance of an education, understanding in philosophy, or, a mind that requires evidence as part and parcel to an argument; read it if you want a very basic, very broad understanding of Humanism as a contrast -- that is, Humanism as a negation rather than confirmation of its value.

[Dave Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good source for the inquisitive
There is even a little here that is new if you've read more extensively on the subject.
I like the informal tone of the opening chapters. This book presents humanism as permissive and tolerant.
And then it gets bogged down in ontological arguments that we've all heard before and don't add anything but makes Humanism sound defensive and negating.
Still, as beginner's guide you could do worse.
BUT, as a beginners guide it is weighted toward academic philosophy terms and quotes. This might be a hard sell to people who are put off by intellectual pretensions.
I, on the other hand am pretty damn comfortable with my own intellectual pretensions so I felt right at home but a bit bored with the same old arguments.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic introduction to the possibility and problem of life without supernatural beings or an afterlife. Basic introduction to philosophy of religion, ethics and the history of humanism, ranging from Epicurus to Einstein to Dewey to Sagan. Good reading, concise, clear. Even... touching.

[Eric Kalnins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and comprehensive introduction to Humanism by Peter Cave. Accessible explanation for the ignorant like myself. Recommended!!

[Andy Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really so much a beginner's guide to humanism as a beginner's guide to philosophy with a humanist slant.
For someone interested in getting a basic understanding of humanism, it's heavy going (although that's probably because it tries to get to the heart of some fairly complex issues, which is something you can't do without it all getting heavy!).
Worth a read, but only for those who really want to get into the nuts and bolts of humanism.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggest takeaway from this read is that it's all about perspective, experience and the setting of the lines regardless of what your belief system is. Not an easy read, at least for me, a lot of overlapping of concepts boiling it down to deciding what and how to practice one's beliefs. Not an easy subject to tackle for sure.

[Mahesh Sharma · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most abstract books I have read so far. The title should have been "Wild Ramblings on God and Human Nature". Don't expect anything about Humanism as a historical and philosophical term. Was disappointed with the book.

[Carlijn Van Der Hart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eerder een betoog over dat Humanisme anti-religious is dan een beginner's guide. Erg eenzijdig beeld wat naar mijn mening niet correct is.

[Jb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is both obvious and not universal. Humanism is not moral relativism for sure, but it is not blind following of superstition either.

[Shinynickel]

Library recalled - stopped on p72