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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 (Continued on last page of book) THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMANISM CORLISS LAMONT EIGHTH EDITION, REVISED HALF-MOON FOUNDATION, INC. The Half-Moon Foundation was formed to promote enduring inter- national 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 The following special copyright information applies to this electronic text version of The Philosophy of Humanism, Eighth Edition: THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHT © 1997 BY HALF-MOON FOUNDATION, INC. It may be freely copied, reproduced, forwarded, and distributed for personal and educational purposes provided you copy, reproduce, forward, and distribute it in its entirety, and in accordance with the copyright notice below. THIS DOCUMENT AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. This document may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All text and graphics must be copied without modification and all pages must be included; 2) All copies must contain Half-Moon Foundation's copyright notice and any other notices provided therein; and 3) This document may not be distributed for profit. CONTENTS Introduction to the Eighth Edition vii Foreword to the Eighth Edition xi Preface to the Seventh Edition xii Introduction to the Sixth Edition xiii Foreword to the Fifth Edition xxx Preface to the Fifth Edition xxxiv I. The Meaning of Humanism 3 1. The Importance of Philosophy 3 2. Humanism Defined 12 3. Different Kinds of Humanists 21 II. The Humanist Tradition 33 1. Philosophic Forerunners 33 2. Religious Roots of Humanism 53 3. The Cultural Background 65 III. This Life Is All and Enough 88 1. The Unity of Body and Personality 88 2. Some Other Considerations 103 3. The Destiny of Humankind 117 IV. Humanism’s Theory of the Universe 126 1. Science and Its Implications 126 2. The Rejection of Dualism and Idealism 143 3. The Universe of Nature 158 4. Contingency, Determinism, and Freedom 169 5. The Ultimates of Existence 185 6. The Appreciation of Nature 193 v vi 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 Human- ism, 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 influenc- ing 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 gar- den 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 __________ * 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 ex- pression not to be usurped by any supernatural concepts. Faith re- fers 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 differ- ence between Humanist faith and others is often not faith itself, but the particular beliefs in which it is expressed. —B. E. vii viii 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 rela- tionship 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 be- tween 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 activi- ties”—among them, Corliss Lamont. He deplored the artifi- cially 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 in- terest of human dignity wanted to see the “great experiment” succeed. But if Socialism has failed, what of Capitalism? Capital- ism 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 con- science 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 bet- ter be called the Radical Religious Right. They still de- nounce Humanism; they are still a powerful influence in Congress and the schools; and they still pretend to have in- vented “family values.” They still misunderstand and fear INTRODUCTION TO THE EIGHTH EDITION ix the efforts of organizations such as the Sex Information and Education Council of the U. S. (SIECUS), which helps peo- ple to make responsible choices regarding their own sexual- ity. Outraged fundamentalists are blaming SIECUS for cor- rupting our school children, and are bombarding the SIECUS office with postcards cursing them to burn in hell for their wickedness (and sending copies of the postcards to Con- gress). And Congress is busy these days dismantling 30 years of progressive social programs. What a pity they’re not targeting the CIA or the Pentagon. There is also a myopic move in Congress to withhold our dues of more than a billion dollars owed to the United Na- tions; to withdraw from the U. N. altogether; and to require it to leave U. S. soil by the year 2000. How backward and isolationist at a time when U. N. peace-making and peace- keeping efforts are needed more than ever. The Cold War may be over, but hot wars and hatred still rage with ever new instances of tribal, ethnic, and religious barbarism. Corliss Lamont believed passionately that it was within our power to create peace on earth. He pointed out the need for human solutions to human problems, reminding that Hu- manists have nowhere else to go. Just ruling out a supernatural connection which favors one group of people over another makes clear our common plight. Except for zealots who would sacrifice themselves, each human being is primarily concerned with the survival and well-being of loved ones and self. Zealots seem to have some celestial or nationalistic escape-hatch which allows them to bail out while the rest of us are stuck with the com- plex task of learning to work together trying to solve earth’s problems.
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