The following is a summary of a presentation given by University of Utah Professor, William N. Whistler, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy at the May meeting of the Humanists of Utah.

I would like to suggest some philosophical ideas that are compatible with humanism. You are a group with whom I have a great deal of sympathy, so I am arguing for your position.

Modes of Inquiry

There appears to be a resurgence of American Pragmatism during the last few years. Charles Pierce was the first to expound on it. In an essay entitled "Fixation of Belief" he examined various modes of inquiry people use to substantiate their belief system. He argued for the view that there is one reliable method wherein we can justify our basic beliefs. Pierce identified three methods, the first which he felt was the best. First, there is the tenacity mode. This is the "head in the sand" thinking. People tenaciously hold onto their belief system even in the light of other evidence presented to them. They have already made up their mind, so there is no need to question any further. Then there is the authority mode. These type of thinkers believe in God, or do not believe in God, because some authority says so. It is an uncritical type of approach to belief. The third and best mode according to Pierce is the empirical mode. This approach is open-minded and gives us the most reliable evidence. It is scientific in nature, because people can change their mind in light of new evidence discovered. This mode is open-ended, self-correcting, and independent of any institutional authority.

The empirical mode of thinking has a tradition which goes back to Plato and his independent way of pursuing truth. Plato taught that moral rightness should not be determined just because the gods command, nor because they love piety. Instead, our standards for truth should be chosen independent of religion or of the gods. It is a personal quest.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Kant, a German philosopher, believed in God and at the same time was a pure rationalist. He felt that religion could be justified by reason alone because mankind has a moral nature. And because of this innate quality, man could arrive at some Universal Moral Laws. Kant also believed humans to have an innate dignity and worth, and all we need to do in order to reach a moral belief system is to use our powers of reason.

Existentialism

During the 20th century there have been different movements which prove compatible with Humanism. In the Existential Movement, there emerged an idea which espoused the notion that human beings are a source of value in and of themselves. This concept elevated mankind to a higher status than before.

John Dewey

John Dewey believed there was reflective morality and an unreflective morality. Reflective morality happens when people get to the point where they not only have a belief system, but they begin to think critically about those beliefs; they get to wondering if their beliefs have any grounding. Reflective morality moves beyond authority, because one personally examines life critically. We create our own personal values through critical reflection.

Dewey also believed in sincerity, in that, if we believe we are a source of value, then we will avoid self-deception. Self deception is either totally blaming our present condition on our environmental conditions, which is not taking responsibility; or it is believing we are the absolute masters of our fate, because we always have choices. Dewey felt we are in the process of becoming, and as a result, we can't say exactly what we are essentially. So it is bad faith to say "I am an honest person," because honesty is not a permanent characteristic. We are always in a condition of what we can become. The struggle to be a good person is a never-ending process, for there will always be more choices to make tomorrow.

Dewey also believed people need to have a cooperative quest for truth which should be based on diversity of opinion and mutual trust. There needs to be an open marketplace for ideas where the approach is both open-minded and broad-minded; with a breadth of outlook and wide sympathy. (I must interject here that there is room for Religious Humanism, and it can be compatible with science. However, we cannot make gains with any type of dogmatic tenacity.)

A Set of Virtues

The exercise of good judgment is critical to thinking properly. Good judgment is when we apply a set of virtues in pursuing a problem. We need virtues such as open-mindedness, sincerity, and fairness. We should also weigh conflicting information in order to gain insight so we can make wise decisions. We need to be flexible in our depositions when we think of how we confront moral issues. Moral courage is crucial in developing a moral philosophy because the minority, who are usually on the cutting edge of change, will always be bucking the majority, who usually maintain the status quo.

It is important that a particular end, like happiness, also be considered in developing a belief system; and that both ends and means are seen as being vitally important.

Critical Thinking Brings Doubt and Fear

When we use the process of critical reflection, then it opens the door to doubting, and once that door is opened, it comes into play, because we see our accepted beliefs begin to crumble; and we dread the consequences. In some cases, critical thinking itself might be sinful, because our accepted belief considers it immoral to question. This is tenacious type of thinking.

We need to discover what kind of casual factors create and encourage people not to think critically. We should ask ourselves "Why is there a resistance to critical thinking?" Education is the answer to help others learn the value of critical thinking.

I would like to leave you with the idea that it is a fallacy to believe that the subject of philosophy is the private domain of professional philosophers. It is not. Philosophy is within the reach of everyone.

--Nancy Moore