Rational/Scientific humanism

[-pari-]

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can someone elaborate on the difference between the two? [rational & scientific humanism]

my textbook doesnt' explain it very well :S


cheers

[snapperhead]

Originally Posted by -pari-

can someone elaborate on the difference between the two? [rational & scientific humanism]

my textbook doesnt' explain it very well :S


cheers

wow...R & NR so soon....interesting


Assume you know what humaism is and that there are many types (see http://www.religioustolerance.org/humanism1.htm for a small list)

rational also known as secular humanism-humanity is the measure of all things, not quite atheism/agnosticism (despite what they think!!) but rather that an emphasis on the humanity/human face....we are responsible, not God

scientific also known as ethical humanism-emphasis on scientific method fpr solving humanities problems. Rejects the notion that science can answer everything but empahisises that science can solve majority of earths problems

hope this helps...its such a big area that is gioven little room in the syllabus as such so I wouldnt stress too much about it as you only have to

• outline the positions of:
– Rational Humanism
– Scientific Humanism

HTH

[-pari-]

wow...R & NR so soon....interesting

yea...we're obviously jumping around the syllabus a bit lol


yea those are the ideas i kinda got in the textbook....but it really confused me since it wasn't the same as what i was reading in other handouts i'd got + the net etc

"rational" humanism was harder since i couldn't find it on the net...

n yeah i know it's got a real small part in the syllabus, but i think i'm quite confuddled, so if u could take a glimpse through my interpretation that'd be great

------
rational

i kinda got the impression that what it was trying to say that this was the humanism that initially developed, and so at that stage in history God was a dominant part of society.
so this initial form of humanism didn't totally refute God, just associated a less active role with God and emphasised the human capacity to solve problems ladeeda

so i classified this as "religious" or "ethical" humanism, coz from what i was reading...you had ethical culture ( the one that started with the felix adler dude or whatever) and that was kinda humanistic in that it was "functionally" religious & from this emerged religious humanism.

& i thought those characteristics fit rational humanism...
coz i couldn't see how rational humanism could be "secular" if it didn't entirley refute the concept of God......

--- or wait.....it was that [above interpreation ]OR :
....they did reject the supernatural and transcendant but that this was viewed by some "followers" as a sort of functionally religious thing that provided guidance etc
like a "religion" of humanity

so ..i kinda related it more to the ethical humanism than the secular humanism

am i confused, or am i confused?

so then i thought well Scientific humanism is "secular" because it totally rejects anything of the transcendant dimension.....

[snapperhead]

yeah, its confusing.

I had not come across the terms either (used to secular and ethical) but that is how they were defined at an inservice I went to.

Whats more annoying is that it doesnt really say what "positions" you are supposed to analyse as such (in the point I mean).
Im guessing its refering to fulfilment as thats mentioned in the learn about column but thats so broad (esp. in the light of "non-religion")

[srourp]

Rational: focuses on the value of human life and elevates human reason as the highest from of authrity.
Scientific: based on the view that science, rather than human reason, is the ultimate authority