Humanist Anthology
When this remarkable anthology was first compiled by renowned humanist and psychologist Margaret Knight in 1961, it brought together a wide range of humanist thought from classical China, Greece, and Rome; the Renaissance and Enlightenment; and the nineteenth- and twentieth-century rationalist tradition. This revised edition, by acclaimed writer and skeptic James Herrick, has updated and expanded an already impressive roster by adding Islamic skeptic Averroes; novelists Mark Twain, George Eliot, and E. M. Forster; and scientists J. Bronowski, Richard Dawkins, and David Attenborough. Herrick also includes contributions by A. J. Ayer, Antony Flew, Sidney Hook, Paul Kurtz, and Indian humanists M. N. Roy and Gora. Humanist Anthology, by bringing together the best thinkers, skeptics, and critics or religion, shows how rich is the tradition from which modern humanism derives. Its aim is to remove some misconceptions -- particularly the illusion that love and human brotherhood are purely Christian concepts that were unknown to the ancient world. The enlightening and stimulating readings in this volume provide ample ammunition for those engaged in arguments with religionists as well as a sustenance for those wishing to reconsider their own attitudes toward life. Margaret Knight was lecturer in psychology at Aberdeen University. James Herrick (London, England) is editor of the Rationalist Press Association (U. K. ), and editor of the journal New Humanist and International Humanist News.  --Midwest Book Review