What we believe - Humanism

On our pathway towards setting up the belief system that drives our work, humanism became central to the conversation. Perhaps this initial statement is oversimplified, and by all means, please continue to read our more detailed understanding of humanism - but we believe in the power of humans to evolve towards empathy, to fight for what is right and to celebrate their connection to each other and the natural world through stewardship of our communities and our planet. Here is a little more on humanism, one of the key building blocks of our work at Salt and Clay.

Humanism first surfaced with Cicero in Rome, a statesman and thinker who described art philosophy, literature and history as humanitas, in Latin. This term resurfaced in the Italian Renaissance, with Petrarch building off of Cicero’s writings to create four major disciplines (rhetoric, moral philosophy, poetry and grammar) that would form the base of humanistic studies. With the Enlightenment, humanistic values were reinforced by the advances in science technology, giving confidence to humans in their exploration of the world. This trend towards science and further away from religion would define humanism. As science, reason and intellectualism advanced, the mind replaced God as the means with which to understand the world. The abstract conception of humankind started forming—a critical juncture for the construction of humanist philosophy.

According to the International Humanist and Ethical Union: "Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.” Essentially, humanism believes in advancing the dignity of all humans rationally and through secularism.

Understanding Humanism divides the humanist approach to life into five core features:

1) Human Beings: we have the potential evolve and lead good and happy lives

2) Understanding the world: Humanists believe the world is a natural place with no supernatural side (they will be atheists or agnostics).

3) The one life: Humanists believe this is the one life we have and so we need to make the most of it. For humanists, there is no single ‘ultimate’ meaning of life. Instead, it is up to us to make our own lives meaningful.

4) Humanist ethics: Humanists believe our moral capacities enable us to use reason and empathy to consider our actions and their impacts.

5) Humanism in society: Humanists believe that human beings alone are responsible for making the world a better place. Many celebrate the progress humanity has made, but recognise the work that is still to be done.

At Salt and Clay, we embrace the humanist approach to life, celebrating the opportunity to engage with our own consciousness in order to make the world a better place. We especially subscribe to the final feature that through community, humans can strive to make the world a better place together.

The only question that remains is: Will you start that journey with us today?