Understanding Humanism

"There has rarely been a time when a clear statement of Humanist values has been so necessary. In intellectual life, these include a respect for evidence, the independence to follow any argument to where it leads, and an enlightened suspicion of claims to be authoritatively in possession of truth - religious or otherwise. In morality, they include an emphasis upon our fundamental equality and a respect for human rights, including the right to lead one's own life in one's own way. These values are united within the framework of a world view, premised on the recognition we each have only one life to lead, and that it is each person's own responsibility - no-one else's - to live that life to the fullest possible extent. In this welcome book, the Humanist framework is set out in terms which are both thorough and clear."

Alan Haworth, author of Political Philosophy After 1945 (2022), Totalitarianism and Philosophy (2019), and Understanding the Political Philosophers: From Ancient to Modern Times (2012).

"A great choice for students and teachers wanting a thorough modern account of humanism."

Jim Al-Khalili, Vice President of Humanists UK.

"An easy-to-read and informative overview of humanism. The manual for those wishing to delve deeper into this broad tradition of historical thought."

Shaparak Khorsandi, Vice President of Humanists UK.