Secular Humanism What Does That Mean

By Pauline Schiappa

In the meantime, in between time, the Industrial Revolution began to occur in Europe in 1760, and, in the United States between 1820-1840. The Industrial Revolution paid no attention to Human Nature cognitive metaphysical development___human intelligence. Nor to any ethical, or, moral humanness innate metaphysical proclivity. The Industrial Revolution fostered Herbert Spencer’s, (1820-1910), evolutionary human development “survival of the fittest,” as well as Karl Marx, (1818-1883), economic human development neglecting human intellectual development. Earthy reality notion of Secular Humanism began with Auguste Comte, (1789-1857), and, Emile Durkheim, (1858-1917), as the result of the French Revolution, (1798-1857), when Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself in Notre Dame Cathedral as Emperor of The French Empire. The French Revolution was not able to acquire democracy for France, nor, humanity, equality, fraternite.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728332024

Pauline Schiappa

The author holds five degrees, two Bachelor of Arts, one in History, one in Philosophy, two Master of Arts, one in Educational Psychology, one in Educational Administration, and completed studies at Fordham University, in New York City, toward a doctorate in Cognitive Development. The author, once upon a time, began her professional careers as an educator. The author has owned her own Investment Company, and, has been the CEO of a fashion chain of stores selling Italian made fashion. The author has traveled to over 100 countries, all 50 United States, The Seven Wonders of the World, the North Pole, the South Pole, and, stood on the Equator in Ouito, Eucador. She has worked in child services, in bartered women facilities, as well as, serving on a hospital board, a mental health board, a university board, a high school board, a Chamber of Commerce board.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 Pauline Schiappa. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  10/17/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3203-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3201-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3202-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019916685

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1    Classical Humanism

Chapter 2    Secularistic Materialistic Dialectic

Chapter 3    Secular Humanism

Chapter 4    A Man For The 21St Century

Chater 5    Human Nature

Chapter 6    Prolegomena

Chapter 7    Disruptive Language

Bibliography

CHAPTER ONE

CLASSICAL HUMANISM

C oncept of Classical Humanism traces itself back to the Ancient Greeks. Classical Humanism was structured upon earthly human intellectual acumen, and, not upon Secular Humanism socio-political awareness. Both the Ancient Greeks and the Romans studied logic, grammar, and ethos rhetoric, as well as, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and the arts. In cognitive order for earthly human to regard himself as intellectually astute, he must become learned in these subjects. Over time, moving into Renaissance Humanism the humanities broadened into languages, literature, philosophy, theosophy, history, geography, law, and politics. Renaissance scholars were called humanists because they were learned in the studies aforementioned. Classical humanists were learned men, broadly ecumenically educated. Contemporary Secular Humanists are not learned in Classical Humanism studies. In contemporary time the perception exists that becoming classically learned does not adequately prepare contemporary, technologically minded earthly humans to become sufficiently prepared for contemporary technological employment. Contemporary education has moved definition of being educated toward professionalism, and, away from intellectualism.

What are politicians and secular sociologists, or, socialists? They are neither professionals nor are they intellectuals. They are not educators; they are indoctrinators. The fundamental question for secular humanists becomes what does it benefit an earthly human to become learned in Classical Humanism Humanitas? What does it mean to be human___earthly reality socially aware, or, logically reasonable aware? The studies suggested by Classical Humanism offer earthly human an attempt to become consciously aware in cognitive order to become and behave moral, to become and behave ethical, to become and think logically reasonable, to discover truth, to discover self in spite of earthly reality irrationality, uncertainty, social desalination, and social disenchantment. Do earthly humans discover their Human Nature by method of empirical, earthly-oriented Science, or, do earthly humans discover their Human Nature by method of Intellectual Mind Life Reason? Classical Humanists chose scholarship and the pursuit of knowledge.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, which had lasted for 2000 years, the continent of Europe, under barbarian acculturation, went into a Dark Age, in Europe 300-800 AD, the next 500 years. Historically clarified as barbarian acculturation because the northern European tribal acculturation had never been privy to Classical Ancient Greek Classical Intellectual Humanism, nor, to Roman rule by law___rather by a tribal set group perception of earthly reality unruly, non-intellectual, self-centered human existence.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Byzantine World, there existed intellectual scholars, Avicenna, (980-1037), Averroes, (1126-1198), and Maimonides, (1135-1204), who would remain intellectually curious seeking the writings of Plato. These three men translated Plato’s writings into Arab, then into Hebrew, then into Latin. Plato’s knowledge spread all the way to Aquinas, (1225-1274) into Italy and France. Aquinas established the School of Scholasticism establishing European universities beginning with Aquinas’ Scholasticism studying the Classical Humanistic writings of Plato.

The Holy Roman Empire beginning in 800 AD with blessed crowning of the Frankish king, Charlemagne, in 800 AD, established the legal authority of the Holy Roman Empire replacing the legal authority of the fallen Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire brought the continent of Europe out of the Dark Age. The continental overwhelming Classical Scholastic status of the ecumenical Catholic Church began a European Renaissance.

In humankind history there were mysterious tremendous influences upon how earthly human thought evolved. It was the Roman Catholic Church that kept the esoteric secrets which earthly human so much desired to discover. Petrarch, (1394-1374), was haunted, as expressed in his poetry, with that dichotomy that haunts us all. Paraphrased: In the alternative argument influenced by the senses experiences within earthly space and time, how can an individual reconcile that which traditional philosophy, even if regarded as pagan, told as the nous (soul), and the modern (European Renaissance). For Petrarch, as well as Dante, as well as, Machiavelli, how could the Holy Roman Catholic Church be so secularly involved in social and political earthly reality activities when alternatively professing a spiritual attachment of human soul with the Creator who created earthly human? The Ancient Greeks, even if regarded as pagan, spoke so truthful about the spirituality of human soul so much more understandable than the the Holy Roman Church ever could. Petrarch began thought as a secular humanitas, humanitas so much different than contemporary Ideology of Secular Humanism. Hunanitas exits as a Latin noun meaning earthly human humane kindness and respect toward Human Nature. The Ancient Greeks conceived of concept of humanitas as human conscious awareness of philanthropia (loving that makes us human) with becoming learned, paideia. Toward sharing love amongst earthly humans, earthly humans must speak and behave expressing speech and behavior learned in ethos (manifesting moral character).

Italian Renaissance understood learned as holding knowledge in grammar, ethos rhetoric, poetry, history, and moral philosophy. Petrarch wrote: These studies sustain youth and entertain old age, they enhance prosperity, and offer refuge and solace in adversity; they delight us when we are at home without hindering us in the wider world, and are with us at night, when we travel and when we visit the countryside.

Peter Gay, (1997-2003), in his book, The Enlightenment: An Interpretation, described Cicero,’s (106BC-43BC), Humanitas as stoic-tinged paganism. Stoicism existed in Ancient Greece as a philosophy that professed that virtue, the highest good, based upon the acquisition of knowledge in attempt to live logically reasonably indifferent to earthly reality fortune or pleasure. Both Cicero, and Petrarch, after Cicero, regarded secular humanitas as human virtuous behavior. Contemporary Secular Humanism defines itself as pagan (There is no God), but, never affords virtue to social awareness of what does Secular Humanism mean? Presently living in acculturation of Secular Humanism, the United States of America is more divided then ever before. In a Democracy established of the people, by the people, for the people, equally, government cannot take sides. Effective government for the people, by the people, of the people, equally must hold tight to virtuous attributes of paideia, philanthropy, and, ethos.

Gay states in his book: (Paraphrased). The Ideal of Humanitas was brought to Rome by Cicero. For Cicero, humanitas was a style of thought that asserted the utmost importance of of becoming an intelligent, cultivated human being. A man who practiced humanitas was self-confident of his worth, courteous to others, decent in his social conduct, and concerned about the proper status of his political reality. Man becomes his intended intelligent nature; he even becomes godlike. To help man is man’s true God. When man becomes his intended intelligent nature, there is a resemblance between man and God. Cicero considered possession and practice of humanitas, man’s good measure of modesty, self-control, manliness, beneficence, practicality, generosity, rationality, tolerance, and obedience to his Human Nature.

Contemporary Secular Humanism killed God, and, by doing such, disrespected Human Nature. Presently we exist as the first civilization in humankind history to kill God. Secular Humanism holds no concern for intelligence, moral, logical reason. Secular Humanism exists truly pagan, godless, far more pagan than the Ancient Greek or Roman pagan___because the Ancient Greek and Roman know Humanitas, and, had created multiple gods. Secular Humanism does not know Humanitas, nor God.

As history moved forward into the 18th and 19th centuries, German theologian Johan Gottfried Herder, (1744-1803), spoke of the importance of Humanitas, man’s conscious awareness of his Human Nature. Herder spoke that Humanitas exists as a broad ecumenical unconscious awareness (Jung) of Human Nature. Humanitas enables earthly human potential toward Human Nature’s intelligent intended achievement of reason and of moral within a fairness of all classes, all ethnicities, all races, coming to provoke humanitas into the aesthetic lives of legislators, poets, artists, philosophers, inventors, and educators.

Contemporary sociopolitical Ideology of Secular Humanism holds no measure of Humanitas.

Karl Marx, (1818-1883), was a philosopher, an economist, an historian, a sociologist, a journalist, and a socialist revolutionary. Marx’s major contribution into world history existed as his socialistic worldview. Marx’s socialistic theories proclaimed that human societies do not develop in-common systems of reality, systems of truth,