Humanism

At first glance, one might think, “I’m a human, Humanism must be about me”. Sorry, no. To be sure, humans are the subjects of Humanism; and “subject” is the correct term.

Positivist Humanism
The first self-described humanist was Auguste Comte. Comte developed a philosophy the evolved into a “secular religion” called Positivism or Positivist Humanism. From 1851 through 1854 Comte wrote “religion of Humanity, called “Systeme De Politique Positive”. Under Comte’s philosophy, science and “rational” thought would dominate the superstitions and bring proper progress to the world. He developed his religion of Positivist Humanism into a replacement for the Catholic Church, creating a priesthood of brilliant metascientists and replacements for religious rituals.

Under Positivist Humanism, the welfare of all humans is the supreme objective. This objective would be defined by the priesthood of metascientists who would comprehend not only science, but all the affairs of mankind. The priesthood would be a carefully developed class of near superhuman intellects, a priesthood of intellectual elites.

Once the elite priesthood had codified the needed behaviors of the rest of humanity, every human would be expected to fully subordinate his own wishes in order to fulfill the welfare of humanity in general. Failure to cooperate would not be tolerated; re-education and coercion would be applied where necessary.

Perhaps this sounds familiar to you. Humanism is found at the core of the “secular experiments” that drove the 20th century to become the bloodiest century ever. But Humanism was not intimidated.

The Manifestos
In 1933 the first Humanist Manifesto was created. Written and signed by education philosopher, John Dewey, and a group of Unitarian ministers, the manifesto defined Humanism as a religion, and gave 15 points of belief. Among these were the position that God and religion and dualism were outdated and needed to be realigned to the scientific method. The thirteenth point is instructive:

THIRTEENTH: Religious humanism maintains that all associations and institutions exist for the fulfillment of human life. The intelligent evaluation, transformation, control, and direction of such associations and institutions with a view to the enhancement of human life is the purpose and program of humanism. Certainly religious institutions, their ritualistic forms, ecclesiastical methods, and communal activities must be reconstituted as rapidly as experience allows, in order to function effectively in the modern world.

Can there be any doubt about the intent of Humanists to wrest control of all institutions which disagreed with them? If that is not convincing, here is the fourteenth point:

FOURTEENTH: The humanists are firmly convinced that existing acquisitive and profit-motivated society has shown itself to be inadequate and that a radical change in methods, controls, and motives must be instituted. A socialized and cooperative economic order must be established to the end that the equitable distribution of the means of life be possible. The goal of humanism is a free and universal society in which people voluntarily and intelligently cooperate for the common good. Humanists demand a shared life in a shared world.

This is clearly defining Humanism as a totalitarian state, seizing an inadequate society and socializing it and cooperatizing it. And if people are smart, they will voluntarily cooperate, not for their own good, but for the common good. The Humanist demand is last: shared life in a shared world.

Humanist Manifesto II
In 1973 a second manifesto was created in order to distance the Humanists from both the original declaration that Humanism was a religion, albeit secular, and also from the humanism that was specifically Nazi. Unspoken was the removal of the seizure statements in the original Manifesto, and the term socialization was no where to be found. Most of the second manifesto was positionless rhetoric, except for the declarations against deity and religion in general. The idea that morality is non-absolute, and situational did place this Manifesto into direct opposition to all of Western government and cultural establishment. This Manifesto was not clear, and required a new writing.

Humanist Manifesto III
In 2003, the next Manifesto was released. The most glaring feature is the idea that nature is “self-existing”, this apparently meaning that the Big Bang created itself. Whatever the science behind it, the statement is clearly supporting the replacement of deity with nature.

The socialism concept is embedded in moral statements:

“We seek to minimize the inequities of circumstance and ability, and we support a just distribution of nature’s resources and the fruits of human effort so that as many as possible can enjoy a good life.”

The seizure and control of social, economic and political institutions is not addressed, either to affirm it or to deny it. Apparently the meaning of Humanism has gone under the surface.

Humanist Frederick Edwards, in his description of Humanism offers this typically veiled proposition:

"Humanism is in tune with today's enlightened social thought. Humanists are committed to civil liberties, human rights, church-state separation, the extension of participatory democracy not only in government but in the workplace and education, an expansion of global consciousness and exchange of products and ideas internationally, and an open-ended approach to solving social problems, an approach that allows for the testing of new alternatives."

In light of previous Humanist declarations, one must imagine just what “new alternatives” might be thought acceptable to a group of elite, whose situational ethic allows them to change their “manifestos” to suit their whims. The global consciousness of Christian aid across the world apparently is not the type of global consciousness that the Humanists are “committed to”.

But these veiled and contradictory generalities can mutate at any moment, and undoubtedly will, probably by 2033, for the next obscure rendition of the Humanist Manifesto.