THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMANISM - Corliss Lamont

[Pages:100]THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMANISM

Books by Corliss Lamont

The Philosophy of Humanism, Eighth Edition, 1997 (posthumous) Lover's Credo: Poems of Love, 1994 The Illusion of Immortality, Fifth Edition, 1990 Freedom of Choice Affirmed, Third Edition, 1990 Freedom Is as Freedom Does: Civil Liberties in America, Fourth Edition, 1990 Yes To Life: Memoirs of Corliss Lamont, 1990 Remembering John Masefield, 1990 A Lifetime of Dissent, 1988 A Humanist Funeral Service, 1977 Voice in the Wilderness: Collected Essays of Fifty Years, 1974 A Humanist Wedding Service, 1970 Soviet Civilization, Second Edition, 1955 The Independent Mind, 1951 The Peoples of the Soviet Union, 1946 You Might Like Socialism, 1939 Russia Day by Day Co-author (with Margaret I. Lamont), 1933

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THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMANISM

CORLISS LAMONT

EIGHTH EDITION, REVISED

HALF-MOON FOUNDATION, INC.

The Half-Moon Foundation was formed to promote enduring international peace, support for the United Nations, the conservation of our country's natural environment, and to safeguard and extend civil liberties as guaranteed under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

AMHERST, NEW YORK 14226

To My Mother

FLORENCE CORLISS LAMONT

discerning companion in philosophy

Published 1997 by

Humanist Press A division of the American Humanist Association

7 Harwood Drive, P.O. Box 1188 Amherst, NY 14226-7188

Eighth Edition

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 96-77244 ISBN 0-931779-07-3

Copyright ? 1949, 1957, 1965, 1982, 1990, 1992 by Corliss Lamont. Copyright ? 1997 by Half-Moon Foundation, Inc.

Copy Editor, Rick Szykowny ~ Page Layout, F. J. O'Neill

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CONTENTS

Introduction to the Eighth Edition

Foreword to the Eighth Edition

Preface to the Seventh Edition

Introduction to the Sixth Edition

Foreword to the Fifth Edition

Preface to the Fifth Edition

I. The Meaning of Humanism 1. The Importance of Philosophy 2. Humanism Defined 3. Different Kinds of Humanists

II. The Humanist Tradition 1. Philosophic Forerunners 2. Religious Roots of Humanism 3. The Cultural Background

III. This Life Is All and Enough 1. The Unity of Body and Personality 2. Some Other Considerations 3. The Destiny of Humankind

IV. Humanism's Theory of the Universe 1. Science and Its Implications 2. The Rejection of Dualism and Idealism 3. The Universe of Nature 4. Contingency, Determinism, and Freedom 5. The Ultimates of Existence 6. The Appreciation of Nature

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3 3 12 21

33 33 53 65

88 88 103 117

126 126 143 158 169 185 193

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CONTENTS

V. Reliance on Reason and Science

208

1. Five Ways of Seeking Knowledge

208

2. Modern Scientific Method

214

3. Science and the Meaning of Truth

234

VI. The Affirmation of Life

248

1. The Ethics of Humanism

248

2. The Social Good and Individual Happiness 271

3. Humanism and Democracy

285

4. A Humanist Civilization

298

Appendix

311

HUMANIST MANIFESTO I, 1933

311

HUMANIST MANIFESTO II, 1973

316

Reference Notes

329

Selected Bibliography

341

Index

345

Note: In this Eighth Edition of The Philosophy of Humanism, the terms B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini) have been changed to BCE (Before the Common Era) and CE (Common Era), respectively, to reflect modern usage.

Introduction to the Eighth Edition

Nearly 50 years has passed since Corliss Lamont wrote Humanism as a Philosophy. He was steadfast in his faith* that "this world is all and enough." He admitted that it would be comforting to contemplate some heavenly home as he advanced in age, even delighting in his little joke that in moments of great good fortune his mother was still influencing his life and watching over him. But it was a sentimental tie to days gone by, much like the emotional tug of the Christmas carols that he loved to sing though he disagreed intellectually with the lyrics.

Corliss Lamont slipped away peacefully in his own garden overlooking the Hudson River in April of 1995 at age 93.

He was forever an optimist no matter how dismal the outlook. He believed fervently that reason and compassion and concern for his fellow humans would prevail. He loved to cite instances of progress and enlightenment and longed to believe that Humanist-generated activities were making an impact on the world around us. Corliss Lamont was ever an activist promoting civil liberties and the right to dissent. You would find him writing or attending demonstrations

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* Research for my doctoral dissertation on the Humanist faith brought me to consult with Corliss Lamont, who corroborated my insistence that the word "faith" is a perfectly good Humanist expression not to be usurped by any supernatural concepts. Faith refers to a fundamental commitment to that which a person regards as of ultimate value. It is an attitude rather than a belief. It is a commitment of the heart to one's most significant beliefs and is therefore humanity's safeguard against indifference. The difference between Humanist faith and others is often not faith itself, but the particular beliefs in which it is expressed. --B. E.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE EIGHTH EDITION

protesting U. S. military involvement in Central America or the Persian Gulf, and waving a banner championing the right of Cuba to survive. He worked toward normalizing our relationship with Cuba, visiting and encouraging Fidel Castro in 1993.

In these recent years some earth-shaking events have taken place. One of them was the end of the Cold War between the U. S. and the Soviet Union, strangely leaving those persons who had long promoted friendship between the two countries still unforgiven for their "un-American activities"--among them, Corliss Lamont. He deplored the artificially induced anti-Communist hysteria which still prevails in the U. S., shaping our foreign policy and eroding our own democracy. Corliss Lamont was intrigued with the concept of a planned economy guaranteeing full employment and equitable access to health care and education, and in the interest of human dignity wanted to see the "great experiment" succeed.

But if Socialism has failed, what of Capitalism? Capitalism fails to honor its own workers, fails to nurture the new generation and the powerless, fails to protect and safeguard our one and only human habitat, and creates without conscience death-machines to sell to the fearful.

The ideal of valuing people over profits is a long-range wisdom which will re-invent itself as governments try to deal with the societal problems emanating from the almighty profit motive.

Corliss Lamont wrote of the so-called Moral Majority in 1990 describing their hatred of Humanism. The bad news is that the situation has not improved. In 1996 they might better be called the Radical Religious Right. They still denounce Humanism; they are still a powerful influence in Congress and the schools; and they still pretend to have invented "family values." They still misunderstand and fear

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