- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Humanism in East Asia
- Humanism in Africa
- Humanism in the Middle East
- Humanism in the Americas
- Humanism in Europe
- Humanism in the Medieval World
- Humanism and the Renaissance
- Humanism and Enlightenment
- Humanism and the Modern Age
- Humanism Against Religion
- Humanism as a Religious Orientation?
- Humanism and Its Critics
- Humanism and Literature
- Humanism and Film
- Humanism and Music
- Humanism and Humor
- Humanism and the Visual Arts
- Humanism and Sport
- The Politics of Humanism
- Humanism and Political Identity
- Humanism and Higher Education
- Humanism and the Human
- Humanism and Environmentalism
- Humanism and Gender
- Humanism and Race
- Humanism, Sex, and Sexuality
- Humanism and Class
- The Practice of Humanism
- Humanism and the Conceptualization of Value and Well-Being
- Humanism and Aging
- The Changing Demographics of Humanism
- Humanism and Technology
- Can Humanism be the Social Norm?
- Index
Abstract and Keywords
Assaults on truth and divisions about the nature of wise governance are not momentary political challenges, unique to particular moments in history. Rather, they demonstrate fundamental weaknesses in human reasoning and core dangers in ways of construing both individual freedom and cohesive communities. It will remain an ongoing challenge to learn to deal rationally with what is an intrinsic irrationality in human cognition and with what is an intrinsic tendency toward domination and violence in human collectivities. In times of intense social divisions, it is vital to consider the ways in which humanism might function as the social norm by, paradoxically, functioning in a way different from other social norms. Humanism is not the declaration that a certain set of values or norms are universally valid. At its best and most creative, humanism is not limited to a particular set of norms, but is, rather, the commitment to a certain process in which norms are continuously created, critically evaluated, implemented, sustained or revised. Humanism is a process of connection, perception, implementation, and critique, and it applies this process as much to itself as to other traditions.
Keywords: Anthropocene, cognitive bias, ecocide, indigenous wisdom, interdependence, motivated reasoning, racism, technology violence, white supremacy
Sharon D. Welch is Provost and Professor of Religious Studies at Meadville Lombard Theological School, Chicago.
Access to the complete content on Oxford Handbooks Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can''t find the answer there, please contact us.
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Humanism in East Asia
- Humanism in Africa
- Humanism in the Middle East
- Humanism in the Americas
- Humanism in Europe
- Humanism in the Medieval World
- Humanism and the Renaissance
- Humanism and Enlightenment
- Humanism and the Modern Age
- Humanism Against Religion
- Humanism as a Religious Orientation?
- Humanism and Its Critics
- Humanism and Literature
- Humanism and Film
- Humanism and Music
- Humanism and Humor
- Humanism and the Visual Arts
- Humanism and Sport
- The Politics of Humanism
- Humanism and Political Identity
- Humanism and Higher Education
- Humanism and the Human
- Humanism and Environmentalism
- Humanism and Gender
- Humanism and Race
- Humanism, Sex, and Sexuality
- Humanism and Class
- The Practice of Humanism
- Humanism and the Conceptualization of Value and Well-Being
- Humanism and Aging
- The Changing Demographics of Humanism
- Humanism and Technology
- Can Humanism be the Social Norm?
- Index