Contemporary Humanism
The Beginning of Contemporary Humanism (Post-1945)
Contemporary humanism arose as a direct reaction to the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. Technology and science had demonstrated a great capacity for destruction, and the world needed to redefine the value of human life.
The Existentialist Manifesto: In 1945, the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre delivered his famous lecture "Existentialism Is a Humanism," which marked the starting point of the modern debate.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): It is the great political and legal document of this new humanism, in which the human being, his freedom and his dignity are placed as the center and limit of the power of States.
Secular and plural humanism: Unlike historically (which was deeply Christian), current humanism is mostly secular, focusing on civil rights, pacifism, social justice and, more recently, on man's relationship with the planet (ecohumanism).
It cannot strictly be said that Jean-Paul Sartre is the founder of current humanism, although his figure is essential to understand how this movement was born and how it was structured in the mid-20th century.
Sartre was not its sole creator, but rather one of its great public catalysts and the father of existentialist humanism.
The configuration of contemporary humanism is the result of a broader process in which different currents and authors coexist:
1. The key text: "Existentialism is a Humanism" (1945)
Sartre delivered this famous lecture at the very end of World War II to defend himself against criticism. He formulated the idea that "existence precedes essence": human beings do not have a fixed or God-given nature, but rather construct themselves through their own choices in complete freedom. With this text, Sartre placed the absolute freedom and responsibility of the individual at the center of the postwar intellectual debate.
2. Co-creators of the contemporary spirit
The resurgence of interest in humanity after the Holocaust was a collective movement with other key thinkers:
Albert Camus: With works like *The Rebel*, he championed a humanism based on solidarity, the rejection of political violence, and dignity in the face of life's absurdities. His more pragmatic and ethical humanism often clashed with Sartre's..
Simone de Beauvoir: She contributed a key dimension to contemporary humanism through feminism. She demonstrated that Sartre's existentialist freedom should also be applied to women in order to break with historically imposed roles ("One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman").
3. Other branches of contemporary humanism
While Sartre was developing an atheistic humanism centered on radical freedom, other currents were being founded that define the humanism of our time:
Christian Humanism:
Thinkers like Jacques Maritain directly influenced the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), placing the inherent dignity of the person, rooted in Christian values, as a limit to the power of states.
Marxist Humanism:
Authors like Erich Fromm and the Frankfurt School attempted to reclaim Karl Marx's early writings to center communism on the liberation of humanity from labor and technological alienation.
In short, Sartre fired the intellectual starting gun for the postwar debate with considerable media impact, but contemporary humanism is the result of a pluralistic ethical reconstruction in which existentialism, secularism, Christian personalism, and critical Marxism converged.
It is entirely accurate to assert that classical and Renaissance authors are the initial models for contemporary humanism. The movement that originated in 14th-century Italy with figures like Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio laid the foundations of anthropocentrism, arguing that human beings, their reason, and their free will should be the center of thought, displacing medieval theocentrism.
Contemporary humanism has inherited this commitment to human dignity, culture, and critical thinking, while adapting it to the technological, social, and scientific challenges of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Currently, humanism has diversified into different branches (secular, Christian, existentialist, and posthumanist). These are the most prominent figures in contemporary humanism, divided by area:
Philosophical Humanism:
Jean-Paul Sartre: A proponent of existentialist humanism, in which human beings are "condemned to be free" and are fully responsible for shaping their own destiny.
Martha Nussbaum: A philosopher who developed the capabilities approach, arguing that the goal of society and economic development should be to enable each person to reach their full human potential.
Jacques Maritain: A leading exponent of integral or Christian humanism, which seeks to harmonize the values of faith with human rights and civil liberties.
Humanistic Psychology:
Abraham Maslow: Known for his hierarchy of needs, he focused his work on self-actualization and the positive potential of individuals.
Carl Rogers: Developer of client-centered therapy, based on empathy, unconditional acceptance, and the premise that human beings have an innate tendency toward health and personal growth.
Critical Thinking and Challenges of the 21st Century:
Edgar Morin: A philosopher of complexity who proposes a "regenerated humanism," capable of uniting the sciences and the humanities to address humanity's global problems.
Yuval Noah Harari: A historian and thinker who critically analyzes the future of humanism in the age of artificial intelligence and biotechnology, warning about the risks of "dataism" and posthumanism.
Of the authors mentioned, two are still alive and active, while a third has recently passed away. Here is the current status of each:
Living authors actively engaged in humanist thought:
Yuval Noah Harari (50 years old): The Israeli historian and thinker is currently at the height of his career. He focuses on alerting the world to the dangers that Artificial Intelligence poses to humanism, democracy, and the social fabric, actively participating in global forums such as Davos and in digital security organizations.
Martha Nussbaum (79 years old): The American philosopher remains fully active as a professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago. She continues to publish and lecture on her "capabilities approach," social justice, women's rights, and humanist education.
Deceased very recently:
Edgar Morin (1921–2026): The celebrated philosopher of "complex thought" was an extraordinary example of active intellectual longevity. He published his last book at the end of 2025 and recently passed away in May 2026 at the age of 104.
Modern Historical Authors (Deceased):
The remaining figures belong to the foundational generations of mid-20th-century humanism and have already died:
Carl Rogers (Died in 1987)
Abraham Maslow (Died in 1970)
Jacques Maritain (Died in 1973)
Besides the names mentioned, there are several other leading living intellectual figures who define 21st-century humanism, adapting it to global crises, globalization, and digital capitalism. These are the active thinkers and philosophers who lead contemporary humanist thought:
1. Byung-Chul Han (66 years old)
This South Korean philosopher, based in Germany, is one of the most widely read analysts in the world. His work is a staunch defense of the human condition in the face of digital exploitation. His humanist vision: Through works such as *The Burnout Society*, he denounces how the current system leads human beings to self-exploit while believing they are free. He calls for the recovery of the right to silence, to deep thought, to play, and to contemplation—things that make us genuinely human.
2. Jürgen Habermas (96 years old)
He is the last great representative of the Frankfurt School and one of the most important living philosophers on the planet. Despite his advanced age, he continues to publish and participate in public debates. His humanist vision: He defends an enlightened and secular humanism. His great contribution is the Theory of Communicative Action, in which he argues that what defines us as human is the capacity to reason and reach agreements through free dialogue, rejecting dogmatism and authoritarianism.
3. Fernando Savater (78 years old)
A well-known Spanish philosopher and writer in the Hispanic world, especially for his work in disseminating ethics and humanism to new generations. His humanist vision: Author of books such as *Ethics for Amador* and *The Value of Educating*, he defends a vitalist, practical, and democratic humanism. He champions education as the primary tool for creating free, critical citizens capable of choosing their own destiny.
4. Adela Cortina (79 years old)
Professor of Ethics at the University of Valencia and one of the most influential thinkers in the field of civic ethics in Europe and Latin America. Her humanist vision: She has developed key concepts such as "the ethics of compassionate reason" and coined the term *aporophobia* (the rejection of the poor). Her humanism focuses on social justice, human rights applied to the economy, and the need for a global ethic for business and politics.
5. Judith Butler (70 years old)
An American philosopher who has transformed humanist thought from a critical perspective, linked to civil rights and feminism. Her humanist vision: Beyond her theories on gender, her current humanism focuses on the ethics of vulnerability and nonviolence. She argues that recognizing the fragility of human life is the necessary path to building more compassionate societies that protect marginalized groups.
Today's humanism is no longer confined to offices translating classical Latin, as Petrarch did, but is a grassroots movement fighting against technological isolation, social injustice, and the erosion of democratic values.
Humanism is a philosophical and cultural current that places human beings and the human condition at the center of its concerns. It rejects dogmatism and promotes values such as dignity, reason, freedom, critical thinking, and personal self-realization.
Declaration of Modern Humanism. International Humanism
3. Humanists strive to achieve fulfillment in their lives.
They value all sources of joy and individual fulfillment that do not harm others, and they believe that personal development through cultivating a creative and ethical life is a lifelong endeavor.
Therefore, they value artistic creativity and imagination and recognize the transformative power of literature, music, and the visual and performing arts. They appreciate the beauty of the natural world and its potential to generate serenity, peace, and tranquility. They appreciate individual and communal effort in physical activity and the scope it offers for fellowship and achievement. They value the pursuit of knowledge and the humility, wisdom, and insight it bestows.
4. Humanism satisfies the widespread demand for a source of meaning and purpose that stands as an alternative to dogmatic religion, authoritarian nationalism, tribal sectarianism, and selfish nihilism.
While they believe that commitment to human well-being is ageless, their particular views are not based on fixed revelations. Humanists recognize that no one is infallible or omniscient, and that knowledge of the world and humanity can only be gained through a continuous process of observation, learning, and rethinking.
For these reasons, we do not seek to avoid scrutiny or impose our vision on all of humanity. On the contrary, we are committed to the unrestricted expression and exchange of ideas and seek to cooperate with people of diverse beliefs who share our values, all in the cause of building a better world.
We believe that humanity has the potential to solve the problems we face through free inquiry, science, empathy, and imagination, in the name of peace and human flourishing.
We call upon all who share these convictions to join us in this inspiring endeavor.
Suggested academic reference:
'Declaration of Modern Humanism', International of Humanists, General Assembly, Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2022
Another perspective on contemporary humanism:
Mario Luis Rodríguez Cobos (SILO):
Founder of "Universalist Humanism" or "New Humanism," a current of thought that has given rise to numerous institutions: The Community for Human Development, the Humanist Party, the Center for Cultures (now called Convergence of Cultures), the World Center for Humanist Studies, World Without Wars and Without Violence, and multiple other fronts. These organizations carried out the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, which traveled the globe, starting in Wellington, New Zealand on October 2, 2009, and concluding in Punta de Vacas, Mendoza, Argentina on January 2, 2010.
In recent years, with the aim of spreading Silo's Message, his friends and disciples have created numerous Study and Reflection Parks in Punta de Vacas (Mendoza), La Reja (Buenos Aires), and Deus (near Santiago, Chile). Another 27 are under construction, at varying stages of development, scattered throughout Africa, Europe, and North America.
Currently, thousands of people worldwide are dedicated to completing their preliminary studies in the Four Disciplines (Energetic, Formal, Material, and Mental), while thousands more are enrolled, and several hundred have already graduated and are eager to begin teaching. Simultaneously, political movements, organizations that promote Nonviolence, those that fight against all forms of discrimination, those that advocate for nuclear disarmament and march for Peace, and those that dedicate themselves to the study of the ethics of knowledge, as well as those that seek the convergence of cultures, are working socially to lay the foundations.
The work of Master Silo is in the world, and his memory will endure in the minds of those who have known his doctrine, whose fundamental value and concern is the human being.
Guillermo Sulling, General Secretary; Luis Ammann, Secretary of Relations; Hugo Novotny, Press Secretary
On the night of Thursday, September 16, 2010, Mario Luis Rodríguez Cobos, (SILO), a universal Argentine, died in Mendoza. We transcribe a reference to his life and work made by Luis Ammann on the occasion of the presentation of Silo's book "Notes on Psychology" at the Book Fair in Tandil, Buenos Aires, on August 16, 2007. We said this then:
In Apuntes de Psicología, the latest book published by Silo (Ulrica Ediciones, Rosario, Argentina, 2006), the editor presents the author's "biography" in thirty-three words.
This synthesis was sent by Silo himself in an attitude that has been reiterated: we never had a biographical comment made by the author that exceeded half a folio. Therefore, what we are going to present below is a kind of unauthorized biographical reference that is made under our responsibility and with the desire to provide some information closer to the person and work of this man who has spoken and written about all topics except about himself.
In 1999, in a booklet titled The Thought of Silo, we wrote: The atmosphere of singularity that surrounds Silo does not come from his ideas which, acceptable or not, are clear and have a well-structured discourse. Rather, we must look for the reasons for the mystery and ambiguity that surrounds it in three factors, two foreign to it and one that competes with it. The extraneous factors: 1. the mental state of the Argentine leadership, military and civil, and 2. the attitude of the local media. 3. What is attributable to Silo is his annoying independence from the factors of power and the exercise of his freedom.
The first to ban and defame Silo was the dictator Juan Carlos Onganía. His most persistent persecutors were José López Rega, responsible for the triple A police gang, and Ramon J. Camps, a convicted genocide. These characters perceived that Silo's preaching of "non-violence" endangered their interests and the violent system they defended. Thus, they persecuted their ideas, threatened and committed attacks and homicides against the members of the Movement spontaneously generated by these ideas.
On the other hand, Silo is a man of simple and austere habits, oblivious to the spectacle of power and publicity. He is not a "media relations" man. Finally, he has thought, written and spoken about all the topics that interest human beings, decisively rubbing or incursions into the terrain of psychology, religion and politics, always promoting the methodology of active "non-violence" for social and personal change. In short, he harmed interests, put the ridiculous in their place and ignored those who dispensed fame. But what is irritating for the System is that Silo, although he does not intend to be, is a leader, a spiritual Guide. A person whose behavior is inspiring; Ideas fill a void and, above all, give a different direction for the future.
"Let him think, go and pass," has been the pragmatic position. But that an original thought, which encompasses human existence and experience, arouses the support of very diverse people and gives rise to an active and growing volunteer organization, this has been "intolerable" for the right-thinking.
The harassment always followed the same path: they tried to detract from their contributions, their writings and sayings were hidden for plagiarism, their strong ideas were distorted using advertising slogans. None of that prevented his vision of the world from breaking through and his words from reaching the hearts of simple people.
The intention to degrade is what underlies the various insults that have been done to him from the power in power. It is certainly not the prejudiced view of the Russian academics who awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1993. This is how we wrote in 1999.
The dissemination of his non-violent ideology led him, in 1981, to give lectures in different cities in Europe, a tour that included an event in India. They were difficult events to frame, because Silo gave his message before thousands of people gathered in indoor halls and stadiums and in large open spaces, such as Choupaty beach, in Bombay. Thus, what they themselves called the "non-violent current with Latin American roots" became known. Subsequently, his conferences have taken place at universities, cultural centers and public roads in almost the entire world, achieving a growing adhesion that already involves millions of people in 140 countries.
Recently, the position of the mass media seems to have changed and recognition is coming from institutions, personalities and media outlets in Europe, Asia and – more timidly – in our country. The media have lowered the barriers of prejudice and are willing to allow this thinker's freedom of expression. In 2006, his preaching for world peace, which focused on nuclear disarmament, won the squares, the streets and, for the first time.
Television screens, cinemas, and stadiums. Today, millions listen to Silo, and many more seem ready to listen to a good man whose words gently inspire the spirit.
His recent public appearances in the mountains have become massive pilgrimages. In 1999, commemorating the 30th anniversary of his first public address, some four thousand people went to hear him at "Punta de Vacas," the desolate spot where he first spoke to about two hundred people. In 2004, there were around seven thousand, and in 2007, the number grew to more than ten thousand. The park built there receives constant visits and has been called by the press "Watchtower of Faith."
Since 2002, the year Silo presented The Message (a reclaiming of individuality in full accordance with his socially conscious vision), urban installations and parks have been springing up all over the world. These spaces for meditation and spiritual inspiration are being developed on all five continents. Some of these are Punta de Vacas, Manantiales, La Reja, Kohanoff, and Caucaia National Parks in South America; Red Bluff in North America; Attigliano and Toledo in Europe; and, with projects already underway, parks in Asia and Africa.
Silo's personal details are brief: his name is Mario Luis Rodríguez Cobos, he was born in Mendoza on January 6, 1938. He is married to Ana Cremaschi, is the father of Alejandro and Federico, and lives in a small town (Chacras de Coria) near Mendoza. He is a writer and, for some years now, has partially abandoned his agricultural activities.
His main published works are: Humanizing the Earth, Contributions to Thought, The Day of the Winged Lion, Guided Experiences, Universal Root Myths, Letters to My Friends, Dictionary of New Humanism, Silo Speaks, and Notes on Psychology. Two volumes of his complete works have also been published. These books have been translated and published in the major languages and dialects and are commonly read by young protesters, members of the Nova Esquerra movement, humanists, environmentalists, and pacifists. From 2002 onwards, as mentioned, Silo promoted The Message, a spiritual dimension.
If we had to outline a profile, we would say that Silo is the ideologue of a current of thought: New Humanism or Universalist Humanism (or Siloist Humanism, although he rejects this term), a non-violent socio-political movement: the Humanist Movement, and a spiritual expression: The Message.
In short, Silo's doctrine encompasses the fundamental themes that concern humankind.
PS. Silo is also the founder of "Universalist Humanism" or "New Humanism," a current of thought that has given rise to numerous institutions: The Community for Human Development, the Humanist Party, the Center for Cultures (now called Convergence of Cultures), the World Center for Humanist Studies, World Without Wars, and Without Wars. These organizations carried out the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, which traveled the globe, starting in Wellington, New Zealand, on October 2, 2009, and concluding in Punta de Vacas, Mendoza, Argentina, on January 2, 2010.
Who is Silo?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd-uxpFb3Nk&feature=player_embedded
Silo and Humanism:
- The human being as the central value
- The affirmation of equal opportunities for all
- The recognition of personal and cultural diversity
- The affirmation of freedom of thought and belief
http://www.pressenza.com/npermalink/el-maestro-silo
The death of Silo, founder of modern humanism:
Silo, founder of the Humanist Movement, has died.
He passed away on September 16, 2010, at 11:05 PM in Mendoza, Argentina.
The International Coordination Team of the Humanist Party regrets to announce the death of the thinker Mario Luis Rodríguez Cobos (Silo), founder of "Universalist Humanism" or "New Humanism."
In its strictest historical sense, it was an intellectual movement that arose in Europe (14th and 15th centuries) and marked the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age.
Anthropocentric vision: It shifted the medieval view centered on God (theocentrism) to focus on human capacities and potential.
Classical influence: Inspired by classical antiquity (Greco-Roman), it revived the study of the humanities: grammar, rhetoric, history, literature, and philosophy.
Prominent figures: Thinkers such as Erasmus of Rotterdam and Thomas More.
2. Contemporary Philosophy and Ethics
Today, humanism is a philosophy of ethical and democratic life.
It affirms that human beings have the responsibility and the right to give meaning and form to their own lives.
It advocates for the use of reason, science, and empirical evidence over blind faith or dogma.
It promotes universal respect for dignity, social justice, human potential, and environmental stewardship.
3. Humanistic Psychology:
Emerging in the mid-20th century, this therapeutic approach focuses its study on human beings from a positive perspective.
It considers that people have a natural tendency toward self-actualization and personal growth.
It centers on the development of individual potential, acceptance, and freedom of choice, highlighting authors such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
Humanism: what it is, types and philosophical characteristics
A summary of the characteristics of humanism as a cultural, artistic, and philosophical phenomenon:
Psychology and the Mind:
The word humanism is often mentioned in contexts as seemingly disparate as the Renaissance, modern philosophy, and psychology. Its name suggests something to do with human beings, but what?
The term "humanist" has many meanings depending on the historical period and the branch of knowledge it relates to, although all of them are closely connected beyond simply sharing the same adjective. Below, we discuss what humanism is, its history, and what it means to be a humanist.
In a broad and general sense, being a humanist means valuing human beings and the human condition. This term is related to generosity, compassion, and concern for the appreciation of human traits and attributes, interpersonal relationships, and well-being.
Secular Humanism:
Secular Humanism refers primarily to contemporary humanism, not Renaissance humanism, although it has historical roots in the latter.
The difference is this:
1. Renaissance Humanism (14th-16th centuries)
- It revived the works of Greek and Roman authors.
- It placed humankind at the center of education and culture, but most humanists remained Christian.
- Figures like Francesco Petrarch, Desideri Erasmus, and Thomas More did not seek to replace religion, but rather to renew culture and, often, Christianity as well.
2. Secular Humanism (19th-20th centuries to the present)
- It argues that values, ethics, and human rights can be established without resorting to God or any religion.
- It is based on reason, science, critical thinking, and human dignity.
- It is one of the main forms of contemporary humanism.
Therefore, if today you see simply "Secular Humanism" written, it is almost always referring to the contemporary philosophical movement.
The 4 fundamental pillars:
Reason and science: Truth and knowledge are discovered through observation, experimentation, and critical thinking, not through divine revelations or sacred texts.
Human ethics: Morality does not come from God, but from empathy, mutual respect, and shared experience. Humans are responsible for creating a just society.
Earthly happiness: The focus of existence is to improve our current life—the only one we know exists—both individually and collectively, rather than preparing for an afterlife.
Human agency: Human beings have the power and the obligation to solve the world's problems (such as poverty, war, or climate change) without waiting millennia.
Key difference from historical humanism:
Unlike Renaissance humanism (which often coexisted with Christian faith and sought to harmonize God with human capabilities), secular humanism is explicitly non-religious and promotes the complete separation of church and state.
What are the philosophical beliefs of secular humanism?
It is also called humanism. It embraces human reason, rather than religion or revelation, as primary in determining morality.
Convincing Truth:
In the political and legislative debate of 21st-century Western democracies, secular humanism is the intellectual driving force behind the separation of church and state. In current politics, it argues that laws should be based exclusively on reason and universal human rights, and never on particular religious dogmas.
1. Philosophical Dimension: Epistemology and Normative Ethics
Moral Autonomy: It posits that moral values do not require a divine legislator. Human beings determine what is right through empathy and the evaluation of social well-being.
Methodological Naturalism: It maintains that the universe is governed by natural laws. Science and the scientific method are the only valid tools for understanding reality.
Ethical consequentialism: Evaluates actions by their practical results on Earth. The main goal is to maximize happiness and reduce actual human suffering.
2. Political Absorption: Impact and Current Debates
Secular Humanism: It articulates the progressive agenda in modern parliaments and clashes directly with conservative religious sectors on several fronts:
Civil rights and bioethics: It successfully promotes laws on dignified death (euthanasia), voluntary termination of pregnancy, and full rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
Public education: It demands school curricula based strictly on scientific evidence (such as the theory of evolution) and the elimination of religious instruction in state schools.
Institutional neutrality: It presses for the removal of religious symbols from public spaces and the elimination of tax or budgetary privileges for churches.
Freedom of expression: It defends the right to criticize religions and the abolition of blasphemy laws worldwide.
You can delve deeper into how these principles are formally structured by reading the Amsterdam Declaration, the official document that defines the consensus of secular humanism internationally.
To conduct a rigorous academic and philosophical analysis of the current political landscape, it is extremely useful to contrast these currents.
Secular humanism clashes head-on with the contemporary alliance between neofascism (identity-based authoritarianism) and hypercapitalism (extreme corporate deregulation and absolute commodification).
The contrast between these forces is detailed below along four fundamental analytical axes:
1. Conception of the Human Being and Their Value (Philosophical Anthropology)
Secular Humanism: Postulates the intrinsic value of each individual simply by existing. It promotes cosmopolitanism and the idea that human rights are universal, inalienable, and transversal to any ethnicity, gender, or nationality.
Neofascism and Hypercapitalism: Redefine human value according to criteria of economic utility and identity-based belonging. Hypercapitalism reduces the human being to mere "human capital" or consumer. Neofascism segments this value according to origin or cultural submission, marginalizing minorities through nativist rhetoric.
2. Source of Truth and Knowledge (Epistemology)
Secular Humanism: Defends science, empirical evidence, rational debate, and critical thinking as the only legitimate tools for legislating and governing.
Neofascism and Hypercapitalism: Operate under the dynamics of "post-truth" and algorithmic infotainment. Neofascism uses founding myths, conspiracy theories, and appeals to emotional grievances. Hypercapitalism, through Big Tech, commodifies attention by exploiting cognitive biases to polarize public debate.
3. The Role of the State and the Common Good (Political philosophy)
Secular Humanism: The State must be a secular and neutral arbiter, responsible for guaranteeing public services and social justice, maximizing collective well-being.
Neofascism and Hypercapitalism: They seek a paradoxical but highly effective symbiosis, sometimes called authoritarian capitalism. Hypercapitalism dismantles the welfare state to privatize public resources. Neofascism uses the power of the State not to distribute wealth, but to impose strict borders, persecute dissent, and exercise biopolitical control.
4. Ethics and Moral Decision-Making
Secular Humanism: Ethics is secular, consequentialist, and empathetic. Laws change according to demonstrated human needs (for example, legalizing euthanasia or abortion after assessing actual suffering).
Neofascism and Hypercapitalism: They replace empathetic ethics with social Darwinism (the survival of the fittest in the market) and a nostalgic or chauvinistic welfare nationalism. Neofascism often instrumentalizes religious traditionalism (Christian identity versus other religions) to consolidate its base.
Conceptual contrast matrix:
Axis of comparison:
Secular Humanism
The universal individual
Neofascism / Hypercapitalism
National identity / The market
Secular Humanism
Reduction of earthly suffering
Neofascism / Hypercapitalism
Cultural purity and profitability
Secular Humanism
Progress and democratization
Neofascism / Hypercapitalism
Social control and monetary accumulation
Secular Humanism
Global cooperation and rights
Neofascism / Hypercapitalism
Fierce geopolitical competition
To differentiate secular humanism from historical humanism, we could point out the following:
Historical Humanism:
Humanism was a European intellectual, philosophical, and cultural movement closely linked to the Renaissance, originating in the 14th century on the Italian peninsula, particularly in Florence, Rome, and Venice.
Humanists were interested in reviving (the Renaissance) classical Greco-Roman philosophy, art, and culture, subjects that held immense interest for them.
They placed humankind at the center of interest and study in the universe (anthropocentrism), in contrast to the preceding medieval view that God was the center (theocentrism). However, this does not imply that humanists were atheists. In fact, there were many religious humanists.
Prominent humanist figures include Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarch, and Giovanni Boccaccio. Humanism maintained its hegemony in much of Europe until the end of the 16th century, when it began to transform and diversify in response to the spiritual changes brought about by the social and ideological evolution of Europe, primarily through the principles championed by the Reformation (Lutheran, Calvinist, etc.) and the Catholic Counter-Reformation.
Humanism advocated the "studia humanitatis," a comprehensive education of humankind in all aspects, based on classical Greco-Roman sources, many of which, at that time, were sought in monastic libraries and discovered in monasteries. In a few cases, these texts were translated, thanks to the work of, among others, Averroes and the tireless search for manuscripts by learned humanist monks in monasteries throughout Europe.
Within humanism, grammar, rhetoric, literature, moral philosophy, and history—sciences closely linked to the human spirit—developed within the broader framework of philosophy. Likewise, the liberal arts, or all knowledge worthy of a free person, stood in opposition to the closed dogmatism of theology.
In contrast, a multiplicity of perspectives and the living, oral word of dialogue and the epistle—typical humanistic literary genres—developed, along with the biographies of heroes and celebrated figures, which testify to the interest in humanity evident in medieval writings on the lives of saints. This was all geared toward the conquest of new scientific lands, which in turn were a consequence of the new way of thinking of modern man, who abandoned the obscurantism characteristic of the Middle Ages.
Secular Humanism
The origin of the humanist movement can be traced to Italy, where centers for the study of Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and the reading of classical works emerged in the wealthy northern cities of Florence, Venice, Milan, and Genoa, where the economic power of the bourgeoisie, the driving force behind this ideological current, was evident. Soon, humanist influence reached Germany, Spain, England, and the Netherlands.
Prominent representatives of this school of thought included the Englishman Thomas More, the Italian Giordano Bruno, Erasmus of Rotterdam, Nicholas of Cusa, Lorenzo de' Medici, and the Spaniards Luis Vives and Antonio de Nebrija, among others. Leonardo da Vinci was the quintessential humanist scholar, encompassing diverse fields of knowledge.
The fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, with the capture of Constantinople in 1453, contributed to the humanist movement, as did access to the manuscripts of classical authors, which had not been readily available until then, and the invention of the printing press, which helped disseminate these ideas.
The humanist model was the encyclopedist. Humankind sought to discover everything through the use of reason. Research into the human body, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and navigation was intensified.
Geocentrism, which was undisputed in the Middle Ages, was refuted by Nicolaus Copernicus, who asserted that the Earth revolved around the Sun (heliocentrism).
Life now appeared with an optimistic outlook, no longer simply waiting for death to achieve salvation of the soul. Wealth ceased to be frowned upon. God reemerged as a benevolent father, who made man in his own image and likeness, and granted him a life in which joy was permitted. In the Middle Ages, the body served only to house the soul; in modernity, the body had intrinsic value, and its care and the pursuit of pleasure in earthly life were seen as positive.
The past was not questioned in the Middle Ages, and historical production was monopolized by the Church. With humanism came critical thinking; authors stopped writing in Latin and began to write in European languages, so people generally had access to books, which were translated into multiple languages.
The artistic manifestation of humanism was the Renaissance. And its philosophical manifestation, the Enlightenment.
Humanism influenced the very heart of the Christian church, which was challenged by Martin Luther, thus beginning the division between Catholics and Protestants.
In the 17th century, the privileged sectors of society realized that their positions were threatened by this new worldview and clung to the values of medieval, Christian, and feudal tradition. It was too late; the Enlightenment had already paved the way for the French Revolution.
See more on this topic at:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanismo
In more recent times the word "humanism" It has been gaining increasing recognition. While it has some connection to Renaissance humanism, secular humanism is an expression that can be associated with a system of thought developed in the late 19th century, in which social justice, ethics, and human reason play a central role.
Secular humanists are often followers of naturalism and also opt for atheist or agnostic positions, rejecting traditional religious doctrines, pseudosciences, superstition, and any supernatural explanation for natural phenomena. Within this current of thought, morality and decision-making are based on reason, science, personal experience, and deep reflection on historical events, which serve to develop an ethical and moral system to give meaning to life.
Humanism was an intellectual, philosophical, and cultural movement that originated in Italy between the 14th and 15th centuries. In contrast to medieval theocentrism, anthropocentrism was prioritized: reason and humankind became the center of the universe and the driving force of knowledge.
Pillars of Humanism (first):
Anthropocentrism: Humankind is the measure of all things. Human beings' rational capacities, freedom, and dignity were exalted.
Classical Revival: The thought, literature, and art of Greco-Roman antiquity were recovered. The study of Latin and Greek allowed for the reading of original texts by authors such as Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero.
New educational approach: The studia humanitatis (grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and moral philosophy) were promoted to form well-rounded and virtuous citizens.
Critical spirit: Blind dogmas and the absolute authority of the Church were questioned, promoting research, methodical doubt, and free thought.
Key Figures and Impact:
Precursors: Thinkers such as Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio are considered pioneers in the recovery of classical manuscripts and critical thinking.
Historical Influence: This movement was the intellectual driving force of the Renaissance. By fostering critical thinking about original texts, humanism paved the way for the Scientific Revolution and the Protestant Reformation.
To delve deeper into the impact of this movement on art and society, you can explore the entry dedicated to it in the Concept Encyclopedia or consult the academic perspective in the free encyclopedia Wikipedia.
Humanism (secular) in psychology:
Closely related to secular humanism, a current of thought that has called itself humanist also emerged in the field of psychology. This is humanistic psychology; it originated in the 1950s, gaining significant prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. This current became a new approach to psychotherapy, arising as a reaction to the tendency to analyze only observable behavior, based on radical behaviorism.
Based on secular humanism, phenomenology, existentialism, and functional autonomy, this psychological current aims to equip people with the necessary tools to discover their inner potential for self-actualization and use it in the way that best suits them.
Bibliographical references:
- Kristeller, Paul Oskar (1982). Renaissance Thought and Its Sources. Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica. ISBN 968-16-1014-8.
- Giustiniani, Vito. "Homo, Humanus, and the Meanings of Humanism," Journal of History of Ideas 46 (vol. 2, April-June 1985): 167-95.
- Nahum Montagud Rubio. (2021, April 26). Psychologist. Humanism: what it is, types, and philosophical characteristics. Psychology and Mind Portal. Graduate in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology from the University of Barcelona. Postgraduate course in Clinical Psychopathology at the University of Barcelona.
https://psicologiaymente.com/cultura/humanismo
https://sites.google.com/view/arcmediterrani
No hay comentarios :
Publicar un comentario