Humanism: A Beginner's Guide (updated edition)

by Peter Cave

Overview

Life does not become empty and meaningless in a godless universe.

This is the contention at the heart of humanism, the philosophy concerned with making sense of the world through reason, experience and shared human values.

In this thought-provoking introduction, Peter Cave explores the humanist approach to religious belief, ethics and politics, and addresses key criticisms. Revised and updated to confront today’s great crises – the climate emergency and global pandemics – and the future of humanism in the face of rapid technological advancement, this is for anyone wishing to better understand what it means to be human in the twenty-first century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780861543564
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	05/10/2022
Series:	Beginner's Guides
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Writer and broadcaster Peter Cave teaches philosophy for The Open University and City University London. Author of the bestselling Can A Robot Be Human?, he chairs the Humanist Philosophers’ Group, frequently contributes to philosophy journals and magazines, from the academic to the popular, and has presented several philosophy programmes for the BBC. He lives in London.

Table of Contents

Preface to the extended edition vii

Prologue xi

1 Humanism: scene setting 1

2 Without God 23

3 Without religion 41

4 With morality 65

5 With politics 87

6 Dying and living 110

7 Humanism: the quest for meaning 132

8 Pan-disasters, pan-deceptions and pandemonium 154

9 Whither humanism? Whither humanity? 172

Epilogue 190

Acknowledgements 193

Appendix 1 Further reading 195

Appendix 2 Notes and references 197

Index 211

Editorial Reviews

‘A book for our times.’

Polly Toynbee

‘Peter Cave brings to a serious subject his characteristic wit and humour, as well as wide knowledge and sharp insight. This is a very readable introduction to humanism – and a deeply human one.’

Richard Norman

‘An admirable guide for all those non-religious...who may wake up to the fact that they are humanists... What we have in common is, indeed, not faith but our humanity.’

Sir Bernard Crick

‘An admirable guide for all those non-religious...who may wake up to the fact that they are humanists... What we have in common is, indeed, not faith but our humanity.’

Professor Sir Bernard Crick