1. What are the values inherent in this faith tradition?

2. What is the source of these values, morality, ethical behaviour?

3. What is considered right and wrong?

4. What behaviour is expected within the faith community from the individual? Community?

5. What moral code is expected?

6. How have moral codes informed the lives of the people of faith?

7. What religious response are there to contemporary moral and ethical issues such as euthanasia, sex and abortion, crime and punishment and war?

Like many of the world's religions, HumanismIn the 20th century Humanism came to mean a naturalistic worldview that includes a rejection of religious beliefs and the conviction that moral values are founded on human nature and experience alone; a humanist is someone who holds these beliefs. values human happiness and flourishing and the morality of the "golden rule": "Treat other people as you would like to be treated yourself". The 20th century humanist philosopher, A J Ayer, described the basis of humanist values in ‘The Humanist Outlook', 1968: "The only possible basis for a sound morality is mutual tolerance and respect: tolerance of one another's customs and opinions; respect for one another's rights and feelings; awareness of one another's needs."

Humanists see the source of all moral values in shared human nature and needs. Human nature includes the abilities to understand and empathise with others and to learn from experience, and human needs include security and friendship. Even those values that are not directly concerned with human relationships, for example those that influence how we treat other species or the environment, are founded in human needs - for a safe and sustaining Earth, for the pleasures of seeing and interacting with the natural world.

Many humanists agree with the utilitarian principle expressed by 19th century philosopher John Stuart Mill: "Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness."

Within Humanism there are few, if any, rules, just the hope or expectation that humanists will try to live by the general principles outlined above and base their values and behaviour on reason and experience rather than on unthinking obedience, prejudice or fear. In the wider community, humanists have been influenced by the concept of human rightsFormal attempts to guarantee, for all human beings, decent treatment and protection from discrimination and abuses of power. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is based on belief in the 'dignity and worth of the human person'. The universality of human rights appeals very much to humanists., which supports the humanist viewpoint that there are universal moral values shared by everyone, regardless of race, culture or religion. See also "Humanism; Rights and Responsibilities".

Many have been influenced by a humanist worldview to use their talents to try to make the world a better place. Some have been famous for their contributions to society, scienceScience is really a process, based on scientific method, hypothesis, observation, testing and prediction., medicine and the arts, for example, Charles Bradlaugh, the first openly atheistAtheism is a disbelief in the existence of deities, the opposite of theism. Atheism may include or lead to other beliefs or disbeliefs (e g disbelief in the supernatural), but not necessarily. Atheists are people who do not believe in gods. Humanism today is usually atheistic, but not just atheistic, and some humanists like to call themselves “positive atheists”. MP, the Curies, Thomas Hardy and Percy Bysshe Shelley in the 19th century; and A J Ayer, Fenner Brockway, E M Forster , Sigmund Freud, Julian Huxley, Nehru , M N Roy, and Bertrand Russell in the 20th. Humanists Brock Chisholm, Peter Ritchie Calder and John Boyd Orr were instrumental in setting up the institutions of the United Nations in the mid-20th century. Today many distinguished and influential humanists continue to work to improve the world.

Not all humanists have achieved fame of course. As one distinguished freethinker of the 19th century, writer George Eliot suggested: "… the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."

Humanists respond to contemporary ethical issues using the tools of reason and empathy. These do not, however, always lead to the same conclusions; for example, some humanists are pacifists while others would support a humanitarian war or a war of self-defence. But humanist responses are usually liberal and permissive on issues such as voluntary euthanasia, sexuality and abortion. They do not tend to believe that all human life from conception to death is "sacred" or inviolable, and set great store by personal autonomyPersonal freedom, the freedom to make decisions about, and take responsibility for, one's own life, an important element of Humanism. on issues such as the expression of sexuality or the value of one's own life and when to end it, as long as one's actions do not harm others. Thus this apparent license is constrained by respect for others and the desire to do as much good and as little harm as possible.

Websites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page - for more biographical information on the figures mentioned above.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/thought/documents/t20071026.sht... - a Christian "Thought for the Day" by Rev Dr Alan Billings, on the values we all share

http://www.humanism.org.uk - for contemporary "Distinguished Supporters of Humanism".

http://www.humanism.org.uk - for Humanist Philosophers ' Group's answers to some common questions and challenges, "So you think you can live without God?"

http://www.humanism.org.uk - for pages on humanist history

http://www.humanismforschools.org.uk/humanist-perspective.php - for pages on "Abortion"; Embryo Research; "Euthanasia"; "Family Matters"; "Human Rights"; "Genetic Research and Engineering"; "War"; "World Poverty"; and many other contemporary moral issues

http://www.humanismforschools.org.uk/library-videos.php - for video clips on a range of humanist topics and themes.

http://www.humanismforschools.org.uk/pdfs/thinking%20about%20ethics.pdf - BHA's "Thinking about Ethics"

http://www.humanismforschools.org.uk/teachingtoolkits/index.php - for BHA's Teaching Toolkits on a range of humanist topics and themes;

http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/ - The Philosophers' Magazine website is a good source of philosophical and ethical games and interactive activities.

Bibliography

Aesop's Fables, ancient secular stories with strong moral (and practical) messages

Baggini, J., 2003. Atheism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford Very Short Introductions). Oxford: OUP.

Blackburn, S., 2002. Being Good: A Short Introduction to Ethics. Oxford: Oxford Paperback.

Blackburn, S., 2006. Truth: A Guide for the Perplexed. London: Penguin.

Cicero, (tr. Grant, M.), 1979. On the Good Life. London: Penguin Classics.

Condon, R.J., 1974. Our Pagan Christmas. London: National Secular Society.

Dawkins, R., 1998. Unweaving the Rainbow. London: Allen Lane, Penguin Press.

Dawkins, R., 2006. The God Delusion. London: Bantam Press. (Dawkins believes that science and religion are incompatible, as does Dick Taverne (see below). Other humanists do not (see Richard Norman at http://newhumanist.org.uk/1623)

Fisher, R. 1996. Stories for Thinking. London: Nash Pollock Publishing. (useful classroom resources for KS1 and KS2)

Fisher, R. 1999. First Stories for Thinking. London, Nash Pollock Publishing.

Gould, S.J., 2002. Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life. London: Ballantine Books.

Grayling, A.C., 2003. What is Good?. London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson.

Herrick, J., 2005. Introduction to Humanism. London: Rationalist Association. (chapters "The Humanist Tradition" and "Organised Humanism")

Hinde, R., 1997. Religion and Darwinism. London: British Humanist Association.

Hobson, A. & Jenkins, N., 2000. Modern Humanism - Living Without Religion. London: Rationalist Press Association.

Holloway, R., 2004. Godless Morality. London: Canongate.

Humanist Philosophers' Group, 2002. What is Humanism?. London: British Humanist Association.

Humanist Philosophers' Group, 2004. Thinking about Death. London: British Humanist Association

Humanist Philosophers' Group, 2005. Humanist Perspectives 1. London: British Humanist Association. (primary teachers, including sections on humanist beliefs, ethics, history and Humanism today.)

Humanist Philosophers' Group, 2005. Humanist Perspectives 2. London: British Humanist Association. (Information and guidance on teaching about Humanism for secondary teachers, with concise versions of BHA's most popular ethical and philosophical briefings for students)

Humanist Philosophers' Group, 2007. The Case for Secularism. London: British Humanist Association. (pamphlet arguing that the liberal secular state, "a neutral state in an open society", is the best guarantee of religious equality and freedom for all. )

Inwood, B., & Gerson, L.P., (trans.), 1994. The Epicurus Reader. London: Hackett.

Knight, M. & Herrick, J. (eds.), 1961. Humanist Anthology. London: Rationalist Press Association.

Knight, M. & Herrick, J. (eds.), 2000. Humanist Anthology. London: Rationalist Press Association.

Law, S., 2007. The War for Children's Minds. London: Routledge. (a defence of the humane, liberal life against authoritarianism by a humanist philosopher. Law argues that children should learn about right and wrong and respect for others, but that their moral education should be grounded in the hard-won values of the Enlightenment.)

Lipman, M. & Stottlemeier, H., 1982. Discovery. London: Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children. (Stories for stimulating philosophical discussion in the primary class.)

Midgley, M., 2007. Intelligent Design Theory and other ideological problems (Impact pamphlet no. 15). London: Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain.

Mill, J.S., 1863. Utiliarianism. London: Methuen.

Norman, R., 2004. On Humanism (Thinking in Action). London, Routledge.

Rogers, B., (ed.), 2004. Is Nothing Sacred?. London: Routledcge. (Chapter 11 Richard Dawkins "The Sacred and the Scientist".)

Russell, B., 1927. Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects. London: Routledge Classics. (See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_I_Am_Not_a_Christian)

Sagan, C., 1997. Billions and Billions. London: Headline. (Chapter 19 "In the Valley of the Shadow" - an atheist scientist faces illness and death.)

Taverne, D., 2007. Are Religion and Science Compatible?. London: British Humanist Association.

Walter, N., 1997. Humanism: What's in the Word?. London: Rationalist Press Association.

Warburton, N. 2004. Philosophy: The Basics. London: Routledge Paperback.

Wilson, E.O., 2006. The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth. London: W W Norton. (A humanist scientist proposes an alliance between science and religion to save Earth's vanishing biodiversity.)

Wynne Willson, J. & Ashby, R., n.d. New Arrivals. London: British Humanist Association. (a practical guide to humanist and non-religious baby naming and welcoming ceremonies.)

Wynne Willson, J., n.d. Funerals Without God. London: British Humanist Association. (a practical guide to humanist and non-religious funerals)

Wynne Willson, J., n.d. Sharing the Future. London: British Humanist Association. (a practical guide to humanist and non-religious weddings, affirmations and civil ceremonies.)

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