Humanism

Guide to Earth Part XXV.

Humanism is a great invention, because it simplifies our existence in the Universe. It’s based on a single basic premise: humans are immensely, inordinately, enormously important, other creatures aren’t. Other living beings are not subject to morality; we can do with them whatever we want. This uncomplicated attitude is so reassuring. Let us begin with the first side of the coin, ourselves, for we are the number one on this planet and most likely also in the universe.

Source: https://mymodernmet.com/maentis-99-steps-of-progress/

Humans, the Crowns of Creation, are above all. Praising Humans is superfluous as it is deeply encoded in the language of civilized peoples. We say: ‘higher’ animals (meaning: like us), ‘primates’ (even more like us), from whom we have ‘risen’. It’s also interesting to note that although Homo sapiens, ‘intelligent, wise, thinking man’, is considered by scientists to be an animal, humanism considers humans not an animal at all, but rather similar in qualities to the gods. True, gods have recently been eliminated from humanism, yet they are not absent after all, since we ourselves have become gods. We have taken over the role of the obsolete Creator, creating an ever increasing quantity of beautiful things.

Mar de plastico, ‘sea of plastic’ in Almeria, Spain. Source: kallerna, Wikipedia

Humanism considers people’s well-being to be extremely important. That’s why it’s easy to get alcohol and cigarettes, just like all the many items essential to our lives, such as chewing gum, leaf blowers or powerful weapons for our leaders.

The arms race is a bit daunting for some humanists. Is it possible to kill each other humanistically? If humans slaughter humans, is that still humanism? It’s humanism in a narrow sense, where the species is no longer important, only our own group. Since the others are not human, we can do with them whatever we desire, just as humanists do with plants and animals. Humanism in its narrowest sense is practiced by psychopaths, for whom only one humanoid matters, while everyone else is a resource to be exploited. Similar to cancer cells, which consider themselves more important than their own organism.

Humanism, unlike cancer cells, is based on the principle that all human life must be saved under all circumstances. Even if it means untold suffering for the person concerned, or even if it means more people dying in the long run. That’s why we deliver food to desert countries where nothing grows, but our aid supports a population explosion.

Source: theenvironmentalblog.org

What a joy that there are so many of us! The closeness of our specie-mates always fills our hearts with joy, not least in the rush hour, in a line at the checkout or on the beach, where our blanket touches that of both of our neighbors. Still, in spite of the masses of humans that came about because of humanism, we feel alone in the universe. So we keep looking for intelligent beings, that is to say, reflections of ourselves in outer space. Elephants, dolphins or ravens are out of the question, since they don’t have computers, credit cards or even a simple armpit deodorant. Obviously, only creatures like us can be intelligent. Any decent aliens live in cities, fly spaceships, have language and wage wars. How else could they be intelligent?

Source: Pixabay

And what about the rest of creatures on Earth? If we are the heads of a coin, they are the tails. Many of them have tails. The Scriptures make provision for them: they command us to master them. All living things were given to us for our convenience, for we are the Chosen Ones. We are the Lords of the World. Are we not the greatest, due to our ability to destroy all others?

Besides, animals are beastly, dirty, ugly, stinky and stupid. Plants are just part of the terrain, like rocks. And don’t even mention fungi who exist mostly underground, and spread on our food, yuck. Clearly, there is no need for any kind of humanitarianism regarding all these monsters.

Source: Mauro Lima, Unsplash

Experimental animals in particular have direct experience of what is known as humane treatment. Hobby animals, on the other hand, have been given a kind of human status. We’re not the only ones munching on the delicious meat of factory-grown pigs! Our dear little doggies get some too. By the way, it’s not true that you can do anything to pigs. Giving them slop is illegal in the EU, as it’s not humane to the feed manufacturers.

A humanizmus egyetlen icipici problémája, hogy csakis a pillanatra gondol. Egyes javíthatatlan optimisták felvetik, hogy — lévén ők is emberek — miért nem hagyunk valamit a jövendő nemzedékeknek is. Miféle jövő nemzedékeknek? Ha a humanizmus úgy halad tovább, ahogy eddig, akkor már a mi életünkben nem lesz levegő. Kivéve talán azokat, akik már betöltötték a kilencven évüket. A fene a piszok szerencséseit!

The only tiny problem with humanism is that it thinks only of the moment. Some incorrigible optimists complain that we should leave something for future generations. They will consist of humans, after all. What future generations? If humanism goes on as it is, breathable air will be gone in our very lives. Except perhaps those who have already passed the age of ninety. Lucky bastards!

Source: Gaurav Bagdi, Unsplash

Humanism actually evolved out of tribal group consciousness, which is a perfectly normal thing. It only needs a little bit of adjustment. We need to reintroduce something the ancient tribes had always known: that other beings are also precious and we must take care of them, because only together can we survive. When that happens, surprising as it may seem, the planet will be saved and harmony will be restored.

Source: Tài Thiện, Pixabay