Need help constructing an ethical framework for yourself?

 If you are currently on a "spiritual" or ethical journey of discover, I encourage you to consider Humanism as an option.

At some point in life, we all have to decide what sort of person we want to be. We need to figure out what we believe about life, the universe and everything. And we need to sort out our ethical framework for ourselves.

Often, we adopt what we were taught as children, but as we grow, we start to question whether what we were taught really makes sense or works for us. So we start reading and exploring to learn what others before us thought about and what approach they took to deal with the enormity of it all and the problem of existence.

My son, who is currently 15 going on 16, is asking these questions for himself right now.  I've given him a reading list of various philosophers from various traditions so he can work through this for himself.  And he does have to do this for himself.  He has to test assumptions and given wisdom to see if it makes sense for himself before he adopts it as his own.

What I know from experience though, is that most people who go through this journey - end up at something akin to Humanism. And often, eventually - Humanism.

Most philosophies and isms are people's attempts to answer the great questions in life.  That's why it's helpful to read philosophy from a variety of different standpoints.

Why people keep arriving at Humanism is because Humanism is essentially the consensus on what the various philosophies have concluded are the best answers to the big questions of life. 

Honestly, you can probably save yourself a lot of heartache, if you just read about Humanism first.  Then, as you read through the various disciplines and philosophies, you will start to recognize the common threads that run through all of them.  It really will save you quite a bit of time and anxiety if you consider Humanism as a possibility first. 

I don't say this to convert you to Humanism as there is no such thing. It's more a matter of experience as a teacher of humanism for decades now. Understanding what Humanism is - will help you get more out of all of your other readings and experiences by orienting you to look for the common human elements in all of the ethical and spiritual systems you explore as you ponder the question - what does it mean to be a good human being. 

Understanding a little bit about Humanism as a philosophy and ethical life stance and it's history will aid your personal exploration and journey through philosophy and ethical framework options by helping you understand your journey, while unique, is not unique. As long as there have been humans, there have been humans pondering the same questions you are pondering now. And I find that comforting. 

Here are some resources to help you get started: http://humanisthappiness.blogspot.com/2021/05/learning-about-humanism.html

I also offer online programs - some free and some for a fee - you may find helpful. https://humanistlearning.com/category/lifeskills/philosophy/

I do recommend one course in particular. Yes, it is for a fee, but think of this like you are purchasing a book, except, you get to ask questions of the author.  https://humanistlearning.com/livingmadesimpler1/ 

 

Who We Are vs. Who We Should Be

How accepting our flaws can help us to become better people. What can a better understanding of human nature teach us about enlightenment?

There is a wonderful website – RSA – The Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce, which at first blush seems like a weird combination of things to be encouraging. They recently changed their motto to Encouraging a 21^st Century Enlightenment.

To support this change, they created a wonderfully philosophic video about the need to reassert the ethical dimension of Humanism.  In other words, we need to not just ask about how to progress, but whether any given advance is moral or not. How do we determine what is right and what is wrong?

To do this we need to have a better understanding of who we are as humans, who we need to be, and more importantly, who we should aspire to be. To even begin that exploration, we need to have a better understanding of human nature. It is only when we understand and accept our instincts that we are able to transcend them instead of being controlled by them.

Most enlightened individuals realize that while individualism is on the whole a good thing, when taken to an extreme, it is bad not just for the individual, but to the society in which they live, meaning the rest of us.  What we should be striving for is a more enlightened self-aware socially embedded model of autonomy. We aren’t individuals going it alone. We are individuals who are mutually dependent on each other and so we ought to act in such a way that benefits not only ourselves, but the communities in which we live, because that benefits us as well.

The difficulty is that this requires us to balance our needs as individuals with the needs of our communities and the needs of the global society in which we now live. We humans are notoriously bad at finding a good balance. For me, Humanism is a reminder that I have a moral obligation to find that balance. Being a good person means not being selfish, but not subjugating myself to others either.

So, what do you think of this video? Anything you would like to add or comment on?