Author: M. Asem Ismail Zahi
Humanism (Part 8)
The Humanist View on Morality
Humanism maintains that moral values have no supernatural origin and arise solely from human experiences. Without reference to human experience, no moral value can have meaning. Therefore, all theological systems that seek to derive absolute moral commands from theistic sources are considered unacceptable—whether those commands are attributed to Moses, Jesus, or Muhammad, or to other divine leaders. Since these religions belong to agricultural or nomadic cultures, they may have provided moral insights suitable for those societies; however, in the modern world, it is inconceivable that moral values should originate from philosophical foundations based on theology.
Accordingly, moral values arise solely from human beings themselves and from what people have found useful through experience. From this perspective, morality must be sought within human life, not outside it. [1]
In fact, the modern humanist viewpoint holds that the source of morality lies in human desires, emotions, and feelings. In other words, whatever a person desires is considered good, and whatever they dislike is considered bad. As Bentham states: “Good means desirable, and bad means undesirable.” [2]
Furthermore, since Humanism believes that no complete and absolute moral value or criterion exists independently of what humans choose individually or socially, it regards values as pluralistic and relative. [3]
Humanists reject absolute and monotheistic moral principles on the grounds that they are filled with illusory hopes and baseless imaginings and lack rational and demonstrative foundations. In other words, belief in a “dead God,” belief in the Hereafter, and belief in the paradox of evil in a divinely created world cannot, in the humanist view, provide a rational basis for morality, because these concepts appear meaningless and absurd to them.
From the perspective of Humanism, the only meaning that humans can assign to morality is what they themselves create. At the very least, the secular and humanist worldview is considered more realistic and free from deception, trickery, and false hope. In contrast, most monotheistic religions are portrayed as deceptive and as holding an incorrect view of humanity and human rights. [4]
Humanism and the Severance of Humanity’s Relationship with God
Supporters of Humanism believe that human happiness can only be achieved by prioritizing humanity and advocating elevated human values.
Auguste Comte was among the earliest proponents of Humanism. He regarded “humanity as a whole”—encompassing all individuals across all times—as a being worthy of worship. In his view, humanity should be helped to reach perfection, a perfection attainable only through service to humankind. The worship of humanity thus becomes the most sacred duty and obligation of humans. After Comte, thinkers such as Marx, Sartre, and many other Western intellectuals embraced Humanism. [5]
Erich Fromm is one of the contemporary thinkers who advocated Humanism. He believed that humans are the only beings who reflect upon their own existence and strive to resolve it, and that all schools of thought and religions attempt to provide answers to human existence. Fromm argued that love for humanity and justice should replace belief in God, because humanity can attain happiness and prosperity only in this way. He proposed that discussion about God should be suspended and that all efforts should be united to remove the mask of idolatry from the modern world. [6]
From the humanist perspective, no world exists beyond the human world. Everything that exists is confined to this visible world. A realm beyond nature is deemed unacceptable. Humans are considered authentic beings, possessing inherent qualities absent in other creatures. Humans themselves are responsible for their misfortunes and sufferings; responsibility cannot be placed on God or others. Human destiny lies in human hands, and people must strive to transform both themselves and nature through self-reliance.
The great mistake of Humanists is their assumption that belief in God contradicts human authenticity. They assume that accepting God negates human value and independence, stripping humans of their active capacities. In reality, a human disconnected from God becomes not only valueless but also deprived of all genuine human dimensions and potentials.
Fundamentally, the human issue is not merely about satisfying material and spiritual needs through human worship, because humans possess needs that cannot be fulfilled by human-centered devotion. Humans need a worldview; more precisely, humans are worldview-oriented beings who seek to interpret themselves and the universe. A person with a coherent worldview can better understand and explain existence. One who believes in God possesses a more complete worldview than one who lacks such belief. Anyone who has never experienced devotion to God cannot truly understand humanity and the world or assign them proper value. [7]
Belief in a transcendent realm and eternal human life has been accepted by most philosophical schools, supported by sufficient rational and logical arguments. The humanist claim that humans are authentic beings is only meaningful when eternal life and a transcendent realm are acknowledged. Reverence for humanity and the recognition of its value must be rooted in spirituality and ethics, and the ultimate goal should be God-centered devotion rather than human-centered worship.
Love and faith in God as the Creator of the universe can form the foundation for love toward humans as His creation and representatives. Otherwise, the love and authenticity advocated by Humanism remain hollow and meaningless. [8]
Continues…
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References:
[1]. Guénon, René, The Crisis of the Modern World, p. 9, translated by Zia al-Din Dehshiri, Amir Kabir Publications, 2nd edition, 1993, Tehran; and
Cupitt, Don, The Sea of Faith, p. 162, translated by Hassan Kamshad, Tarh-e Now Publications, 1st edition, 1997, Iran.
[2]. Ibid.
[3]. Arblaster, Anthony, Western Liberalism: Rise and Fall, p. 202, translated by Abbas Mokhber, Markaz Publishing, 3rd edition, 1998, Tehran.
[4]. Ibid., p. 208; and Cupitt, Don, The Sea of Faith, p. 162, translated by Hassan Kamshad, Tarh-e Now Publications, 1st edition, 1997, Iran.
[5]. Sane‘pour, Maryam, God and Religion in a Humanistic Approach, p. 44, Institute for Contemporary Culture and Thought, 2002, Tehran.
[6]. Ibid.
[7]. Tavakkoli, Gholam-Hossein, Religious Humanism and Secular Humanism, pp. 21–22, Journal of Philosophical-Theological Studies, Autumn 2003, Tehran.
[8]. Sane‘pour, Maryam, Humanism and Truth-Centeredness, p. 33, Research Article, published May 2005, Iran.
