1.1.5. TEORÍAS DE LA COMPRENSIÓN
1.1.5.1. Modelo Educativo de Van Hiele
Humanism is an ethical life stance and a non-theistic worldview. All Humanists would agree on some essential beliefs without which it is difficult to see how you could call yourself a humanist. The minimum statement agreed to by all the members of the International Humanist and Ethical Union states that: Humanism is a democratic
and ethical life stance which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.
There are no Humanist sacred texts. There are no special rituals or commandments. The words “humanism” and “humanist” are not protected brand-names and their meanings have changed over time. In Britain today to be a Humanist is understood to mean that, among other things, you are either an atheist or an agnostic. In the United States the term Secular or Scientific Humanist is preferred.
You cannot be born a humanist. Either or both of your parents may have chosen to be humanists but humanists believe that only you can decide for yourself what you believe. All humanists would defend the freedom of the individual to hold and pursue their own religious or ethical beliefs; a right enshrined in various international conventions and declarations.
Humanists believe that every person is unique but that we share a high level of biological similarity and as a result all human beings have much in common. Humanists recognise that we are all confronted by contradictions, uncertainties, dilemmas and paradoxes and that we are all subject to the powerful emotions and drives which are a part of being a human animal.
Why is reason so important to humanists?
Crucial to the humanist approach is the ability of people to think logically: to assess present circumstances, predict likely outcomes for actions taken and prepare strategies for the achievement of desired goals. It is also important to review successes and failures and modify future behaviour accordingly. Scientists, historians, philosophers and others carry out the necessary research and study to provide facts and analysis which are essential for arriving at rational responses to complex situations. There are often common features to many moral problems. For example the act of taking someone else‟s property occurs in a wide range of different
circumstances from armed robbery to borrowing a pencil without permission. Humanists accept the necessity and usefulness of generalised codes and rules of behaviour but are always aware that there may be circumstances in which a general rule may not (and possibly should not) apply. Most humanists also recognise the importance (in addition to the sciences) of drama, poetry, music and the other arts in helping us to better enjoy, explore, understand and cope with the human condition.
128
Humanists believe that the pursuit of social justice and personal happiness is made possible by agreement on rules, laws, conventions and constitutions arrived at in a democratic manner such that human beings (whatever their beliefs) can have their behaviour regulated, their responsibilities defined and their rights respected. For humanists these codes must always remain subject to revision and improvement in the light of changing circumstances.
Some, probably most, humanists believe that theistic religion can and sometimes does promote an unthinking, unquestioning acceptance of doctrine and belief. They see this as being in opposition to the freedom of thought and imagination which characterises an open society. A society engaged in a search for greater knowledge and understanding and with the aim of improving the condition of the individual and of human society.
Many humanists (including the person who wrote these notes) also believe that religions are a testament to human creativity and imagination and that many contain within them profound insights and wisdom.
Humanists believe this life is all there is
The idea of a continuation of an individual‟s life in a form which has no material existence would seem to require a supernatural explanation. Humanists reject the idea of the supernatural. This is far from saying that we understand how everything happens. There are certainly many events that occur for which there is not a satisfactory scientific explanation as yet. However where claims have been made for ghosts or spirits or disembodied souls having an influence on the material world these have never been scientifically substantiated. Science cannot deny the possibility of „things that go bump in the night‟ but humanists deny that „things that go bump in the night‟ do so without natural causes. Believing that this life is all there is, humanists consider it to be incredibly precious. It is something of a paradox that what is so plentiful (there are billions of us) can also be so rare (us as individuals). It is because humanists recognise how much they have in common with all other human beings that they want for others what they would like for themselves – a happy, healthy and productive life.
Humanist ethics
Humanists believe that the human ability to devise moral rules and codes of ethics came about through the evolutionary process of natural selection. Humanist morality is not relativist but is dependent on the situation. Behaviour can and often should vary according to the circumstances. It is a mistake to think that those who, like humanists, reject revealed authority and tradition as absolute sources of morality and look instead to human reason and human empathy must be moral relativists. It is also a mistake to suggest that some flexibility about details and situations makes one a relativist – many would simply call this compassion. Humanists have very clear values e.g. unselfishness and integrity, based for example on the Golden Rule (see KS2 : Rules for Living) and the principles of avoiding harm to others and contributing to general happiness and welfare.
What do humanists do?
Some humanists join humanist organisations – local groups which provide a social setting for meeting like-minded people, and national organisations such as the British Humanist Association (BHA) and the National Secular Society (NSS) They may become active in the work and campaigns in which these organisations engage, or simply show their support by joining and paying a subscription. Some humanists train as celebrants and officiants to provide for the needs of humanists (and others) in the provision of humanist secular ceremonies; baby namings, weddings, and funerals. Many humanists are active in public life and in a wide range of organisations and charities where the only beliefs that matter are that it is a good thing to help others, to relieve suffering and to combat injustice. These are of course beliefs also held by many religious people. Probably the vast majority of humanists just quietly get on with their lives trying to be the best possible people they can.
Key terms and concepts: Atheism, agnosticism, revelation, scepticism, the open society, the scientific method,
reason, compassion
Contribution to spiritual and moral development: Sense of personal responsibility, spirit of imaginative enquiry
in the sciences and the arts, recogniition of the significance and value of the individual.
Contribution to citizenship: human right and responsibilities, think about topical spiritual and moral issues, justify