Humanism: A Very Short Introduction

This is not Law's finest work, and the ideas he develops in another work (that annoyingly I cannot write here or the review will be deleted, but look for his book called, shall we say, "Believing BS") are more cogent and more entertainingly presented. But "Humanism: A Very Short Introduction" is perfectly fine introduction to how nontheists view issues of morality and meaning, for example.Written in a highly conversational style with just a touch of dry British wit, "Humanism" is a breezy read that sacrifices depth for brevity, but as there is a great deal of misunderstanding about what any of the tenets of humanism might be, it still does service as a "very short introduction" to it--which is, after all, what the series is about. Much more fully developed works on the topic abound, but I am unaware of another book I would rather give to a religious friend who had asked me for something that might help explain my perspective to her.I do wish, as another reviewer says, that there would have been less of a focus on atheism per se and more on a positive case for humanism. While there exists very substantial overlap, the overlap still resembles a Venn diagram more than it does two Lifesaver candies still in the roll. History in particular seemed to get fairly short shrift; while it was probably imperative to demonstrate that the seeds of humanism lie well within our past, some contemporary examples of, say, successful humanists might have been interesting. Also, while the last chapter is on a humanist approach to rituals such as weddings and funerals, I would like to have seen more about what a humanist does, how a humanist lives, and perhaps less on arguments against gods (which I came to the book already completely accepting).One thing I give Law a great deal of credit for, and that is recognizing that within humanism various ideals and approaches and values can exist. Specifically, I appreciate that he did not make automatic acceptance of abortion on demand a hallmark of humanism, because that is an issue that I feel significant ambivalence about (and before you pounce, please keep in mind that I just mean within my own skull--as I am a male and have been "fixed," I don't have real skin in the game except as a theoretical moral principle).

I could not disagree more with an earlier review of this wonderful book that boils down Humanism to its essentials. I found this text to be somewhat unique in the approach that it takes to establishing meaning in a humanistic context. I feel well-read in Humanism, see myself as a Humanist, and have generally felt unsatisfied with where most books on the topic leave you, particularly when it comes to trying to find reasons to get out of bed in the morning if one is a Humanist. I was stopped in my tracks several times as I was reading this book by insights that I have not come across before. He uses a Wittgenstein games metaphor to describe the humanist perspective on the meaning of life. Most helpful to me was his metaphor of how children create a "bubble" by believing in Santa Claus that provides them a world view that is largely based upon illusion. When the bubble bursts, all that is left is a drab view of the world that can be disconcerting. The author teaches that it is better to see things as they are rather than how we would like for them to be. He notes a wonderful quote by Douglas Adams that states..."Isn't it enough to see the garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it."He is very critical of religion, and Christianity in particular, as a book on Humanism must be since Christianity is a dominant religion in the West. He makes several strong arguments that there is little downside to living one's life by taking advantage of critical thought and reason rather than by living a worldview that is entirely dependent upon a structure of indoctrination that becomes very difficult to shake. He provides the usual examples of church prohibition against the use of critical thought throughout history.He covers familiar ground by discounting the two most popular arguments for the existence of God and he provides one of the better treatments of the arguments against the existence of God that I have read in a while. The argument from the existence of evil is well-handled.If you have interest in Humanism, I recommend that you take a look at this very short book because it contains numerous pearls of wisdom that I have not found elsewhere in my reading on this topic. It is particularly useful in practical applications to everyday life. It provides real tools to work with in adopting Humanism as a credible and workable world view.

I was very interested in learning a little about Humanism and having worked through the 140 pages of this book, I've discovered that there is either not much to learn, or that the author is not good and conveying the principles.He stated on page 5 that critics of Humanism often state that it is not 'for' anything, but only 'against religions'. Well having read the following 90 pages of the author attempting to discredit religion (predominantly Christianity), I have to agree with the critics he mentions. What was left of the book didn't add much in the way of positive principles.The main message I've taken away from this short introduction to Humanism is that it is in fact anti-Christian. I would consider myself an Agnostic, but I'll continue to look elsewhere for interesting views on life which look to establish their own set of principles, rather than looking to discredit others'

This a must read for all atheists, humanists, secularists and anti-theists, who 'dislike' religion and think humans don't need religion in society or in their lives.....on any level.This rips religious ideas of the concept of a 'supreme being' to shreds... and shows how utterly absurd it is, how our minds have been manipulated and controlled by the almightily powerful churches and their corrupt ideas for centuries...Humans are far more adept at organising themselves and they need the freedom to do it... only Humanism offers that freedom... and it doesn't need to be justified... the justification to leave people alone and not religiousize them or their minds with corrupt ideas is the hallmark of a free mind and human race....If we take a look around us the world over... religion is utterly destructive force for no good... there is nothing else on planet earth so utterly corrosive... and bad for our mental health... we need better ideas....We're all humanists until we get corrupted. This book will show you why.

This is an enjoyable little book - and makes for easy reading! It looks at all the diurnal questions - the existence of God; the meaning of life; morality - and all those conundrums we wrestle with in our lives, but rarely find the answers to! Stephen Law takes a balanced view on the matters we generally find most difficult to pin down.It's the sort of book you can read in a day or so (on the plane or or on the beach), and then quietly cogitate upon in your more thoughtful moments. Would that more 'philosophical' books were as comprehensible as this gentle analysis! But, as with all such subjects, there can never be the definitive answer - and so we go on searching!

This short book will help all of us natural humanists and atheists understand the arguments for and against their beliefs. It summarises in a very accessible manner the inadequacy of even so-called intellectual thought designed to attack and ridicule all of us who prefer the excitement of rational thinking over empty supernatural mumbo jumbo. Well done Stephen Law and thank you.

I gave this five stars as I felt it gives a clear and concise explanation of humanism, contrasting it with religious ways of thinking and organising lives, giving historical context to the development of humanism based on similar philosophical thinking and presenting some philosophical exercises in an accessible manner, considering what makes a meaningful life and why people are generally good.A lot of the book contrasts humanism with belief in God, or gods, but this is probably hard to avoid in a short introduction.I liked it as a summary reference and would recommend it for those wishing to find out what humanism is in a clearly written, short book.