The Courage to Become: The Virtues of Humanism
Kurtz, a former copresident of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, says he is writing not philosophy but eupraxophy?instructions for a good and practical life. So his book resembles a creed?that of a liberal Protestant except that God has been abolished and the sense of community somewhat weakened in consideration of the biological nature of man. (Kurtz finds our genes less altruistic than the abandoned God and cites the ultra-conservative philosopher Antony Flew, who rules against the imposition of egalitarianism by the state.) Humanism opens alternatives to traditional sexual arrangements and familial organization. Though we must supply the meaning of our lives, humanism is not a license to go on an egomaniacal binge; human animals live in communities and share a common reason. So Kurtz thinks we have duties to each other, future generations, and the environment. But he is sure (though he offers no arguments) that science has disposed of God and immortality. He does not ask whether there might be more than one kind of knowledge, reason, and informative language or whether all values are in space and time. This is not a book to persuade nonhumanists but rather to provide a clear, readable, and encouraging outline of the prospects for those who put their trust in science alone. The book is rather more conservative than would be most people who call themselves humanists, but, that aside, it does its job very well?as well one might expect from the author of 30 books, many of which map the same ground.?Leslie Armour, Univ. of OttawaCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.