In September, I’ll be holding an event in the Chicago area on the topic of secular identity and virtue ethics. I’ve been persuaded to name the event after my book, Passionate Humanism. Here’s what to expect at the event.

Humanism

Humanists, atheists, and skeptics do not believe in the supernatural. We typically believe in free speech, human rights, democracy, and open societies. We believe in reason, that we can know the world and improve human life through science, and that learning is a good thing.

Humanist communities celebrate these values and emphasize solutions that maximize good and minimize suffering. We tend to be utilitarian.

Almost every secular person I have met is on board with these principles, but the principles are a little… generic?

What can make us more passionate about humanism, live an even more meaningful life, and feel more in touch with our humanist communities?

Passionate Humanism

Taking cues from positive psychology, I think the answer has three parts: identity, virtue ethics, and personalization.

Secular identity tends to highlight facts about ourselves, like our political, sexual, gender orientation, our hobbies or our ethnic backgrounds.

But do you celebrate an identity that guides you? An identity that shapes you to be a better person in whatever respect matters to you?

We tend to be utilitarian, and this is, by definition, useful. But it’s not as meaningful to us as virtue. Perhaps we do much of what we do because it is intrinsically good – it’s the right thing to do, even if it’s not the most profitable. Perhaps the alternative is profane.

Finally, what would attract me to a humanist community is an emphasis on the virtues I care about the most and a quest to amplify my sense of meaning. For this, a generic set of principles will not do. I want to be part of a special interest subgroup.

Making It Happen

I believe that moving in this direction could have dramatic consequences for humanism and secular culture more generally, but the goal here is not strictly utilitarian.* The goal here is meaning-oriented.

At the event, I’ll give a short presentation to lay out this conceptual framework. Then I’ll describe six kinds of humanist virtue and we will break out into groups to discuss how we can develop our virtues and and strengthen our aspirational identity.

The virtues I propose to talk about are these:

• Science, Reason, and Knowledge
• Compassion, Service and Human Flourishing
• Civic Engagement
• Futurism and Optimism
• Artistic Creativity
• Excellence

Excellence is a bit of a catch all, but I think that there are many areas of excellence that have great virtue, whether it’s gardening, martial arts, electronics, public speaking, or baking.

We all partake in these virtues to some degree, and I think we all wish we could be better. But I expect there are some virtues that have special appeal to you and which can be a driving force for your own expression of, and participation in, humanism.

After the breakout sessions, we will get together once again to network and plan our next event.

I should add that art has a very special place in celebrating meaning. In all of these domains, I think art can help focus and inspire us to be better.

I’ll post details of the event when the event is formally scheduled.

Sapere aude!

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*Fundamentalist utilitarians may claim that our meaning-oriented objectives can be cashed out in terms of some utility. Perhaps I can agree to define terms that way, if that will make them happy. But, for better or for worse, to our primate brains, there is a distinction between utilitarian judgments and virtue judgments.