Books and useful links on humanism

[Maria Mac]

A new member has asked for a reading list on humanism:

Out of the books for sale in the BHA website shop, my favourite is Jim Herrick's and I also enjoyed Richard Norman's.

Any other recommendations?



Edited to add 'and links' to thread title.

[StevieP]

Steven Pinker - How the Mind works.

[Phaedo]

A new member has asked for a reading list on humanism:

Any other recommendations?

I also enjoyed Richard Norman's 'On Humanism'.
Also for more in depth reading try....

Corliss Lamont - 'The Philosophy of Humanism'.

Paul Kurtz (the founder of Secular Humanism) - 'Forbidden Fruit (The Ethics of Humanism)' and 'In Defense of Secular Humanism'.
Both published by Prometheus Books.

[Zoe]

Humanism: Beliefs and Practices

[God]

Here's one Phaedo suggested I should read. No chance obviously, but someone might find it interesting:

'The Jesus Mysteries' by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy where they present a compelling scenario that the available evidence points to there having been no such person as Jesus. He was a fictional character created by the early church using previous versions of a mythical god-man deity common to a number of the polytheistic middle eastern religions of that era.

[Stark]

Although not strictly books about Humanism I’d recommend Peter Singer’s “Practical Ethics” and “How are we to live?”

If you’re looking for some inspiring quotes try “The Thinkers’ Guide to Life” edited by Marilyn Mason and published by the RPA

[Don Alhambra]

Yeah, 'Practical Ethics' is what got me interested in humanist systems of morality in the first place.

[gregory]

Yes I like Pete Singer too.

I was wondering - wasn't there a vegetarian section on this site I can't seem to find it.

Anyone see the programme about chemicals in food and how they can affect the fetus making babies born niether male nor female.

[Jem]

I hope you find this response, Gregory, only I notice that when people do respond to you, you never come back to the thread.

If you look at the front page of this forum, you will see the Vegetarian forum at the very bottom.

[Stark]

It’s time this thread was bumped up so I’m going to recommend Richard Holloway’s ‘Looking in the Distance”.

I approached this book with some trepidation – the man was a bishop after all, and apparently still describes himself as a Christian (though, having read this book, I’m guessing a very cultural one). But his explorations of the human search for meaning, the basis of morality and the challenges of facing death are conducted from a very humanist perspective. He’s not stridently anti-religious (in fact the book contains no discussion at all of the existence or otherwise of God), but he doesn’t hesitate to point out the errors religion leads people into. Not surprisingly for a man steeped in the traditions of the church you can sense a lingering fondness for Christian writings, but that’s something I, at least, can forgive him.

Overall, despite not overtly being so, this is one of the best promotions of positive side of the humanist approach to life I’ve read. An ideal gift for any religious friends who’ve not got the constitution for an unadulterated hit of Dawkins or Hitchens.

[Maria Mac]

Thanks, Stark, that's really helpful. I like the idea, in the fullness of time of having a page full of reviews like yours on the main website.

We were talking about Holloway at the Brights meeting in the pub last night because some had attended an event in Edinburgh last week where Holloway was 'in conversation with' Dawkins. One guy there opined that he found it quite hard to engage with Holloway because (as I understand it) he is so reasonable about everything. I haven't read anything of his yet, nor heard him speak but from where I'm sitting it does seem strange that he still calls himself a Christian.

As this new software lets me copy posts, I'll copy yours to the book thread in the Culture Club as well.

[grammar king]

I'd also recommend Holloway's "Godless Morality".