A.C. Grayling: What is Humanism? (An Alternative to Religion)

A.C. Grayling sits down with Lawrence Krauss and talks about humanism as an alternative to religion in this episode of The Origins Podcast.

The Origins Podcast features in-depth conversations with some of the most interesting people in the world about the issues that impact all of us in the 21st century. Host, theoretical physicist, lecturer, and author, Lawrence M. Krauss, will be joined by guests from a wide range of fields, including science, the arts, and journalism. The topics discussed on The Origins Podcast reflect the full range of the human experience - exploring science and culture in a way that seeks to entertain, educate, and inspire.

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[andybeans]

I love when I find yet another free thinker, added the full interview to my Watchlist. I like Krauss' beard

[LucAnderssen]

Humanism, Secularism, Atheism
The Perfect Match
😙😙😙😙

[Nuevohumanismoparalaeradigital]

Greek and Roman humanism and Renaissance humanism were open to transcendence. Proof of this is that the main edifice of medieval Christianity (the Summa theologica by St. Thomas) is composed of many Aristotelian bricks, and that Renaissance humanism is a mature synthesis between the Greco-Roman tradition and the Christian tradition.

[Nuevohumanismoparalaeradigital]

The human mind is open to truth. Greek, Roman, medieval and Renaissance humanists were open to truth and have sought it both through reason and religious traditions. Reason and Christian faith have gone hand in hand for many centuries. It was only after the so-called reformation that there was a hiatus between faith and reason.
Faith is a judgment of reason. Without reason no one can say: I believe. Anyway, most people throughout history have been religious, and we cannot say that most people have been stupid. Perhaps the conclusion is that modern agnostics and atheists are presumptuous.
There is a poor way of thinking that is bipolar: faith or reason, churches or states, religion or science... but it is a a theoretical thinking, far from life. The reality is that we can relate all these concepts and talk about faith and reason, churches and states, religion and science…
I propose to recover ideas of renaissance humanism for our cultural period and thus achieve a more balanced thinking.

[ianlacey]

Some think we might be good because of Religion, others because of Humanism, and in both cases some good may come from those reasons. But what about, it is logical to be good?
There is plenty of research that indicates how benefits spread across an entire community when its participants look out for each other and make an effort to work together. I personally am a fan of the Contact Hypothesis. The potential benefits are real, not only an abstract intellectual exercise. I feel this view that we somehow have to make a decision to act against our natural mode of behaviour or self interest focussed momentum in order to make progress has also tainted the Climate Debate to a degree. There are real tangible lifestyle improvements that will come hand in hand with a greener economy ranging from financial right through to psychological, but instead of highlighting the sacrifices or contradictory aspects of the potential change.
Perhaps the flow on benefits of being good for ones own sake are harder to frame or pitch than the immediate pay off of getting in to get what we want first, but I will always be left wondering if we tried hard enough.

[tomashromnik]

Humanism does not solve issue of death. How are humanists reconciled with death?

[postnutclarity]

What if I don't love humanity enough to be a humanist either?