Humanism and Its Aspirations
Humanism and Its Aspirations (subtitled Humanist Manifesto III, a successor to the Humanist Manifesto of 1933) is the most recent of the Humanist Manifestos, published in 2003 by the American Humanist Association (AHA). The newest one is much shorter, listing six primary beliefs, which echo themes from its predecessors:
- Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, trial and error, and rational analysis.
- The human species is an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change.
- Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience;
- Life's fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals;
- Humans are social animals by nature and find meaning in relationships;
- Working to benefit human societies maximizes individual happiness and collective well-being.
It has been used as source material for secular and atheistic ethics.