What is Humanism?

Some people have asked what I mean when I say I am an existentialist, humanist, and a free thinker. I feel that I need to describe what this means. First, existentialism is the viewpoint that we find meaning in life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. This is contrary to the idea that we live life for a supernatural entity that we cannot see or touch. Existentialism emphasizes the here and now.

Second, humanism is the viewpoint that we should rely on ourselves instead of making appeals to invisible supernatural entities. It is a philosophy that encourages rational thought, logic, and skepticism. Humanism, like existentialism, emphasizes the here and now. It is a philosophy of compassion which strives to find solutions to human problems such as poverty, hunger, and violence. Humanism looks for solutions to problems in the context of human life without worrying about the possibility of life after death.

Third, free thinking refers to looking at different sides to issues. Many people assume that being a free thinker means thinking that anything might exist (such as psychic ability, clairvoyance, etc.). However, being a true free thinker means entertaining the idea that things like god and the paranormal may not exist. This kind of thinking is difficult for many people to wrap their hands around because it goes contrary to core beliefs imparted to them when they were children.

You may not agree with my ideas but I hope you take the time to examine your own beliefs. I grew up Catholic, became a born again Christian, had no specific religion, became an atheist, and now am more or less agnostic. The conclusions I made about the world are based on my study of religion, philosophy, psychology, and science, along with discussions I had with family, friends, and students. I was reluctant to accept the conclusions I made about god and the paranormal at first but I have found that you can live more freely without the constraints of religion and the supernatural. You can be a moral person and have a good life without believing in weird things. That's more than I can say for a lot of religious people.