Humanist Perspectives The following are a selection of quotes from well known humanist thinkers, these help to illustrate how humanists approach some of life’s big questions! “Reason, Observation and Experience – the Holy Trinity of Science – have taught us that happiness is the only good; that the time to be happy is now, and the way to be happy is to make others so.” – Robert Green Ingersoll, The Gods, 1876 “It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving, it consists in professing to believe what one does not believe.” – Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason, 1794 “Do not do to others what you would not like for yourself.” – Confucius, Analects, C 500 BCE “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.” – John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, 1863 “Faith: a firm belief for which there is no evidence.” – Bertrand Russell, Human Society in Ethics and Politics, 1954 “The wisest is he who realises, like Socrates, that in respect of wisdom he knows nothing.” – Plato, Apology (C 375 BCE)
Find out more You can visit Humanitie which is our opinion and lifestyle section to find out more about Humanism in Scotland. If you are not a member, you should consider joining, or visiting a local event to find out more. Further reading: Humanitie – Our opinion and lifestyle section featuring podcasts, videos and feature articles On Humanism (Routledge) – a great introduction to Humanism by Richard Norman Humanism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press) by Stephen Law Humanism: A Beginner’s Guide (OneWorld) by Peter Cave Humanist FAQ answering some common questions and challenges to the humanist outlook
Login Username or Email Address Password Lost your password? Not a member yet? Become a member Secure Server