Since the tragic events of 9/11, the most controversial issue that "organised humanism" has ever faced is the battle over where humanism stands in regard to real-world politics. Can humanism, as set forth in the "Affirmations of Humanism" and the "Humanistic Manifestos I, II, and 2000", continue to stay neutral on issue not obviously tied to religion or superstition, but which shape our daily lives and our collective future? If the human community must solve its own problems through collective ingenuity and the scientific method, then those who call themselves humanists need a political voice to counter those who would undermine the vast potential for human achievement in all areas of life.At a time when religious fundamentalism has made powerful inroads into the political arena, secular humanists must play an especially important role in transforming humanist ideals into political reality. To help achieve this vital goal, Barry F Seidman and Neil J Murphy have made political awareness and social action the unifying theme of "Towards a New Political Humanism", a powerful collection of essays by leading humanists. Topics discussed include the role of political humanism in America, identity politics from a humanist perspective, gay rights, George W Bush's anti-humanist policies, humanism and patriotism, humanism as an antidote to nationalism, prospects for a global humanism, humanist solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, humanism as the foundation for human rights and international peace, and many other issues.The time is right to develop an all-encompassing humanist political platform, including both political and economic agendas, envisioning a world where people build co-operative structures instead of competitive ones; a world in which humanistic economics, universal human rights, and respecting human needs take precedence over corporate capitalism, religious intolerance, and ultraconservative ideologies. Unique in its focus on the need for political, economic, and social action, this outstanding collection contains many ground-breaking new ideas and lays a firm foundation for humanist action in the twenty-first century.
Barry F. Seidman is the New Jersey Coordinator for the Center for Inquiry-Metro NY and the producer of Equal Time for Freethought, a New York City radio program on WBAI-NY. Neil J. Murphy also works for Equal Time for Freethought. His education background is in political science, history, and education. He has taught at William Paterson University in New Jersey.
