Read History with Jack 16 Humanism

  Humanism exists everywhere in our modern day society. It is becoming a popular imagined order and many people strongly believe in it. Throughout history, humanism had also gained its status in society and many places had adopted this imagined order and integrated it into their own culture.

   Humanism is a philosophical term that focuses on the value of human beings. It emphasizes critical thinking skills and evidence. Humanism had a very long history. Different cultures envisioned different meanings and definitions for this term. Humanism could be traced back as far back as ancient times to the Indian subcontinent, specifically the ancient Indian civilization. The Lokayata system of Indian philosophy first mentioned humanism approximately in 1500 BCE. Later, ancient Greek civilization also adopted this imagined order. Pre-Socratic philosophers like Thales and Xenophanes in the 6^th century BCE talked about humanism and their thoughts on it. Then, theologians in the Renaissance in Europe also studied humanism and finally it evolved to what modern humanism looks like.

   However, the word “humanism” was not coined until the 19^th century. A theologian called Friedrich Niethammer first coined this term to refer to an educational system of classic literature.

   I think that humanism clashes with Christianity. Christians believe that humans are born sinful and you need to purge away your sins, whereas humanism emphasizes on the rights and equality of humans. Moreover, humanism prefers critical thinking and evidence while Christians submit themselves to God’s will.

   In my opinion, humanism is a positive imagined order. It is more oriented towards science and it demands evidence plus critical thinking. Another imagined order that is similar with humanism is humanitarianism. This concept also emphasizes the value of humans.

   Humans at first worshipped the gods and deities, but now we come to realize that our own rights are important, so more people today believe in humanism. This process is innovative and revolutionary. However, humans should not allow humanism to evolve into racism and other negative doctrines, otherwise it might lead to unexpected disasters.