The Boulder International Humanist Institute's mission is to search for a way to create a more perfect world, nation, and life.
We believe that Humanist ethics offers a better process for a more peaceful world and fulfilling life than the principle alternative world views, authoritarianism and postmodernism.
Authoritarianism is way of making moral choices and public policy decisions that look to a supernatural source or ideology as the final, unquestionable source for our values.
In this beliefs system there is no consideration of the human consequence. They believe that Holy sources or ideology trump human effects.
Ideologies include political and economic theories such as Communism, Capitalism, Nazism, Imperialism, Corporatism, Theism, Plutocracy, and Mediaocracy.
Thus, the worship of the invisible hand of the marketplace as the final authority of 'good' or 'bad' is antithetical to Humanism, in the same respect as fundamentalism.
"Managed capitalism" that incorporates public interest oversight and transparency is consistent with Humanism.
Postmodernism is a belief that morals are merely subjective preferences.
They do not believe there is an objective, common criteria for better moral choices.
The most obvious problem with postmodernism is that it would endorse hedonism, tyranny, anarchy.
Humanism, unlike the above moral systems, has an objective criteria for moral, ethical, and public policy values (contrasted with postmodernism) and a criteria for falsification.
Unlike authoritarianism if two humanists have a dispute about values, there is room for resolution of conflict by moral persuasion based on how people are effected by the conflicting choices.
On the other hand, supernatural based morality makes the holy source of dogmas the unquestionable and final decision.
What's New?
DARWIN's 200th Birthday a huge success. >
February 13 in Boulder - We celebrated the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth!
Gary Marcus, author of
Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind
spoke about his new book.
Why are we subject to irrational beliefs, inaccurate memories, even war?
We can thank evolution, Marcus says, which can only tinker with structures that already exist,
rather than create new ones: Natural selection... tends to favor genes that have immediate advantages
rather than long-term value. Marcus (
The Birth of the Mind), director of NYU's Infant Language
Learning Center, refers to this as kluge, a term engineers use to refer to a clumsily designed solution
to a problem. Thus, memory developed in our prehominid ancestry to respond with immediacy, rather than
accuracy; one result is erroneous eyewitness testimony in courtrooms. In describing the results of
studies of human perception, cognition and beliefs, Marcus encapsulates how the mind is contaminated
by emotions, moods, desires, goals, and simple self-interest....
A Religion of Realities, by
Kenneth Patton
An example of Humanist Spirituality, Naturalistic Mysticism.
Sam Harris speaks at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Video of
Believing the Unvelievable: The Clash Between Faith and
Reason in the Modern World available on
Google Videos
May event with Michelle and Damon a great success.
The talk,
Secular America under Siege -
The Rise of Chistian Nationalism, was atteneded by over 100 people and proved engaging, informative, and interesting.
How does authoritarianism in religion harm society?
Gordon Gamm, Esq. on the marketing of religion.
What is BIHI's Position on God and Religion
The Boulder International Humanist Institute is NOT anti-religion, anti-God, or anti-belief. Neither are we PRO religion, pro God, or pro belief. What matters is the social impact of God, of religion, of ideology, ideological fanaticism, or ideology trumping considerations of social impact.
What are the Components of Humanism?
Just as religions share in common a belief about morality (what is right or wrong), about truth (what do we know about the natural world), and about spirituality (what is beautiful, enobles us, gives us hope and inspiration to our better selves). Humanism says something about each of these matters. See the link about Humanist morality which is the emphasis of BIHI. See the link about Humanist spirituality.
The Humanist view of truth is equivalent to the scientific method. For Humanists, truth isn't revealed from a supernatural source. We learn truth about our universe from experiential validation. Claims of truth are not revealed to a priveleged people because of their faith, their ceremonial baptism, or their birthright as chosen people. For Humanists truth isn't revealed to religious representitives uniquely, such as the Pope.