Martin MacEwan portrait pic. He has a bald head and grey beard and moustache with black glasses. He wears a blue fleece and smiles at the camera.

Humanist Society interview series: Martin MacEwen on his new book to raise money for Humanist Society Scotland

April 24, 2025

Long-time humanist Martin MacEwen’s new book offers atheist perspectives on a number of key ethical questions of our age. He tells us about the inspiration for writing the book and some of its key topics. If you would like to order a copy please email admin@humanism.scot or use our contact form.

Hello Martin, please tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m an old, curmudgeonly codger of 81, supported by a wife, two daughters and four grand-daughters; what of my earlier days? After school in Edinburgh, I did one year with VSO in Sarawak, thereafter a law degree at Aberdeen University, followed by two years as a District Officer then Assistant Secretary for Protectorate Affairs in the Solomon Islands, as they prepared for independence.

After qualifying as a solicitor with Dunfermline District Council, I joined the then Race Relations Board as an Assistant Conciliation Officer for a couple of years, before spending some 26 years as an academic at Edinburgh College of Art, ending up as Acting Principal in 2000. I lectured on planning and housing law to students undertaking planning and architectural courses. I also researched and published, mostly on discrimination law, for which I obtained my doctorate. I did voluntary work with Edinburgh and Lothian Community Relations Council and co-founded the Scottish Ethnic Minorities Research Unit.

My last employment was as a visiting professor at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. This institution was at the heart of apartheid policy development and we were trying to assess the extent of necessary change in staffing and related policy in the Western Cape. This research was published by Sun Press as ‘Employment Equity in the Higher Education Centre’.

What inspired you to write the book?

The idea for the book, God Riddance, was drawn from monthly meetings of an Edinburgh humanist group and the topics chosen for discussion, a number of which feature as chapters. Although we had considered a joint enterprise, this proved impracticable and I assumed responsibility for the book, its content, and its publication. The objective was twofold firstly to explore a humanist perspective on some contemporary issues to demonstrate a constructive approach to the resolution of frequently conflicting concerns, and secondly to raise money to support the work of Humanist Society Scotland.

I want to suggest that a fulfilling and meaningful life, with moral integrity, may be enjoyed by any individual, of whatever ethnicity or background, whatever community they find themselves in. The need for a God as a prop or an afterlife as an incentive is entirely superfluous to this.

What are some of the key themes covered?

The book includes chapters on humanism itself, hate crime, nationalism, climate change, animal welfare, Stoicism and the idea of the “just war”. In debating humanism, the text tries to identify its pros and cons as a way of life which links with Stoicism, particularly in the current climate of political conflict. The latter emphasises the advantages of being emotionally detached from issues over which we have no influence while advocating involvement in those we may have.

Nationalism in the context of the UK is hotly debated. The essay here attempts an objective assessment of the case for Scottish independence while referencing the historical and emotional underpinning. Climate change and animal welfare may not seem that interlinked, but our carbon footprint as well as our treatment of sentient animals in their natural habitat, as well as husbandry, are common concerns. The theme of “just war” and the ideas of fairness and justice are demonstrably contradictory when considering the current conflicts in Gaza and the Ukraine. This essay attempts to identify expectations before, during, and after conflict in the hope that more sage counsel will prevail.

Are such arguments and concerns confined to humanists? Clearly not, but the essays attempt to emphasise the humanist ideals in dealing with the issues addressed?

What would be your one key positive message to take from the book?

I want to suggest that a fulfilling and meaningful life, with moral integrity, may be enjoyed by any individual, of whatever ethnicity or background, whatever community they find themselves in. The need for a God as a prop or an afterlife as an incentive is entirely superfluous to this.

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