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HUMANISM AND ECONOMICS PART ONE You do not have to be a doctor to know that good hygiene, nutrition, and exercise are important to help maintain good health. You do not have to be a psychologist to know that repeated and uncontrolled behaviour that is destructive to yourself or others is an addiction. You do not have to be a lawyer to know that robbery is a crime and that terms of a contract must be fulfilled. Similarly, we do not need to be economists to understand and apply some basic ideas that aid in improving our personal lives or… Read more: Humanism and Economics

  In an age when noise is mistaken for argument and outrage for conviction, the New Enlightenment Project stands apart – a quiet, deliberate insistence that reason has not had its day. Founded by Canadian humanists who refuse to treat the Enlightenment as a museum piece, NEP reminds us that liberty, toleration, and the sovereignty of evidence are not relics of the eighteenth century but urgent necessities of the twenty-first. Here is a place where one may speak without screaming, debate without destroying, and inquire without fear. Through its library, its podcasts, its essays on humanism and democracy and art… Read more: My first impressions of the New Enlightenment project

Previously published in: humanistfreedoms The rise of modern individualism, scientific inquiry, and pluralistic thought did not emerge in Europe because Christianity was uniquely compatible with Enlightenment values. Rather, these developments became possible as the Roman Catholic Church gradually lost its monopoly over the dominant narrative that defined truth. This shift allowed alternative perspectives to surface and compete. From this vantage point, the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, the Commercial and Industrial Revolutions, and the Enlightenment were not isolated historical episodes. They formed a continuous, mutually reinforcing process that progressively loosened institutional constraints on individual knowledge, expression, and volition.… Read more: Humanism as Resistance: Reclaiming Dialogue in Divided Times

Two distinct interpretations of secularism are discussed by Leslie Rosenblood, Secularism Chair of the Centre for Inquiry Canada, and Michel Virard, President of the Association Humaniste du Québec. Moderator: Robert Hamilton, Vice-President of The New Enlightenment Project. Michel’s positionSecularism (laïcité) requires strict state neutrality, especially visible neutrality. Public servants exercising state authority—teachers, judges, police—must not display religious symbols at work, as they incarnate the state. Visible symbols project religious endorsement, breach appearance of neutrality (per 2015 Supreme Court ruling), and exert subtle influence (“passive advertisement”). Teachers model values for children over long periods, normalizing religious concepts and potentially conflicting with… Read more: Two Solitudes of Secularism

PART ONE I Humanism seeks truth from evidence and rational analysis. It engages in calm and open discussions that display a desire to understand various points of view. There is, however, no acceptance of divinity, doctrine, or dogma. Therefore, humanists are by definition not religious. At the same time, humanists believe in freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Freedom of religion and conscience are to be defended in Canada unless they oppose the law, challenge democracy, or attempt to impose policies that are unacceptable. Law must always trump religious practices when there is a conflict of values. Humanists can benefit… Read more: Humanism and Religion

PART ONE Democracy in government essentially means “rule by the people” rather than rule by a monarch, aristocracy or dictator. Democracy is not a new idea but it is one that has not been put into practice all that often. Members of small, nomadic groups were roughly equal in power, because there was little to distinguish one individual from another except for skill in hunting, fighting or speech-making. Decisions were usually taken collectively, although certain leaders could stand out and be especially prominent. In some groups women had more influence than in others. In the ancient world there is little… Read more: Humanism, Democracy, and Freedom