“Seidman and Murphy’s book is a welcome start to a discussion that secular humanists need to engage in.”- Free Inquiry
Written by an impressively broad range of contemporary thinkers who identify themselves as humanists, this wonderful collection shines like a sun-lit opening through the storm clouds enveloping our planet. At a time when wars led by Christian, Muslim, and Jewish fundamentalists threaten to hurl us into a new Dark Age, and when some progressive forces have lost their way in the desert of postmodernism, this book shows us how we can restore belief in a common humanity capable of acting on behalf of our species and how we can transform this belief into an active political power." -
H. Bruce Franklin, the John Cotton Dana Professor of English and American Studies at Rutgers University in Newark, author of many books including Vietnam and Other American Fantasies
"Those of us who are seeking an alternative to the nightmare world of contemporary politics can find much inspiration and insight in these provocative and wide-ranging essays. Taken together they show how vastly different the realm of politics can look when it is illuminated, not by fundamentalism and thuggish 'patriotism,' but by science, logic, ethical principle, and a global outlook." -
David Detmer, Professor of Philosophy, Purdue University Calumet, author of Challenging Postmodernism: Philosophy and the Politics of Truth
In an age when religious (and other) fundamentalisms have made powerful inroads into the political arena secular humanism has an especially important role to play, not just in promoting its ideas but also in converting those ideas into political action. This is the unifying theme of this thoughtful collection of articles by leading humanists, all of whom are already engaged in putting humanist ideals into practice. The editors and contributors alike contend that the time is ripe to go beyond traditional humanist issues regarding religion and superstition to develop an all-encompassing political platform based on the humanist life stance. This should include both political and economic agendas. Toward this goal the authors in this volume offer real-world humanist solutions born out of progressive politics.
Among the topics discussed are: the beginnings of modern political humanism, rediscovering Enlightenment ideals, humanist ethics as a basis for activism, secular humanism and liberal perspectives, separation of church and state, a humanist economics, the role of political humanism in America, identity politics from a humanist perspective, humanism’s influence on woman’s changing role, gay rights, George W. Bush’s antihumanist policies, patriotism and humanism, humanism as an antidote to nationalism and as the backbone of a new United Nations, prospects for a global humanism, humanist movements in New Zealand, Nigeria, and the Middle East, humanist solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, humanism as the foundation for human rights and international peace, policy implications of the humanist commitment to science, and other stimulating topics.
Unique in its focus on the need for political, economic, and social action, this outstanding collection contains many new ideas and lays the groundwork for a humanist agenda in the 21st century.
Book Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 418
ISBN: 1-59102- 271-1
Shipping Weight: 1lbs
Author Bio:
Barry F. Seidman is the New Jersey Coordinator for the Center for Inquiry-Metro NY and the producer of Equal Time for Freethought, a New York City radio program on WBAI-NY.
Neil J. Murphy also works for Equal Time for Freethought. His education background is in political science, history, and education. He has taught at William Paterson University in New Jersey.
