HUMANISM
Humanism Initiative - Chautauqua 2023
The Initiative
Humanism is an approach to life based on reason, empathy and our common humanity. There is widespread misunderstanding about what it means to be a humanist, or to live a life without supernatural considerations. Neither seeking converts nor selling a secular approach to life, the Humanism Initiative seeks only to provide a place for Chautauquans to explore a way to look at the world as something that is within the power of humans to make better.
Class Objective
Whether you are affiliated with a religion or one of the growing number of “nones” defined by the Pew Research Center as 29% of the U.S. population that identifies itself as “religiously unaffiliated,” this class will provide a foundation for further exploration of the spiritual nature of humanism.
Humanism Seminar Descrip/on
The Introduc/on to Humanism Seminar is being offered to provide a basic understanding of:
1. The origins and development of the Humanist perspec/ve,
2. How Humanism has changed as a result of deeper understanding of how we humans interact with each other and the world around us, and
3. The u/lity of ra/onal and loving Humanism in living a happy, fulfilling life with faith that we humans, working together, can create a world of jus/ce, understanding, and empathic kindness.
John Hooper, Coordinator & Instructor
John Hooper, Ph.D., is a retired scientist and industrial research director, having pursued a career in molecular imaging and spectroscopy. John has held local and national leadership positions in organizations involving naturalism, Humanism, and Unitarian Universalist (UU) social action. He is treasurer of the American Humanist Association (AHA) Board of Directors (and chair of that board’s Finance and Strategic Planning Committees); a trustee of the Humanist Foundation; a board member of The Institute for Humanist Studies; and chair of the steering committee of the Humanist Special Collection at Meadville Lombard Theological School. John serves as a trustee of the UU Fellowship at Chautauqua and leads the Humanism Initiative.
Contact: jhooper@americanhumanist.org
Reference Materials
Some defini*ons of Humanism - hHps:// americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/defini/on-ofhumanism/
A brief history of Humanism – Chapter 1 of Becoming More Fully Human
The history of American Humanism - hHps:// americanhumanist.org/about/our-history/ and hHps:// americanhumanist.org/?s=Manifesto
Summary of a new perspec*ve in cogni*ve science – Chapter 12 of Out of the Cave
The Ten Commitments of Humanism - hHps:// americanhumanistcenterforeduca/on.org/ten-commitments/ To dig deeper:
William R. Murry, Becoming More Fully Human: Religious Humanism as a Way of Life - hHps://www.amazon.com/ Becoming-More-Fully-Human-Religious/dp/B00E7VH9NO/ ref=sr_1_1?
crid=1FPEN2MKMJR1B&keywords=Becoming+more+fully&qid =1655039218&sprefix=becoming+more+fully%2Caps%2C66&s r=8-1
Mark L. Johnson and Don M. Tucker, “Out of the Cave:” A Natural Philosophy of Mind and Knowing - hHps://
www.amazon.com/Out-Cave-Natural-Philosophy-Knowing/dp/ 0262046210/ref=sr_1_1?
crid=3KIJL83TFJM8J&keywords=out+of+the+cave+Mark+johns on&qid=1655039499&sprefix=out+of+the+cave+mark+johnso n%2Caps%2C61&sr=8-1
Roy Speckhardt, CreaDng Change Through Humanism - hHps://www.amazon.com/Crea/ng-Change-ThroughHumanism/dp/B079835P4L/ref=sr_1_1?
crid=134XPMZZPPVDJ&keywords=crea/ng+change+through+h umanism&qid=1655039723&sprefix=crea/ng+change%2Caps %2C80&sr=8-1
Ursula Goodenough, The Sacred Depths of Nature, 2nd Edi/on hHps://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Depths-Nature-EmergedEvolved-ebook/dp/B0BSNVVT1V/ref=sr_1_1?
crid=1A8MA4393O6OO&keywords=the+sacred+depths+of+na ture+ursula+goodenough&qid=1688148672&sprefix=goodeno ugh,aps,118&sr=8-1