Moroz O.P.

The book by O.P. Moroz is a lively and entertaining story by a writer and journalist about modern pseudoscientific theories: about the “miracles” of life “on the other side,” “plates” from other planets, “super children,” “thinking” plants, etc. The author, expressing his point of view, considers mainly the socio-psychological reasons for the increasing interest in pseudoscience in our days. Designed for a wide range of readers.

As you know, true knowledge begins with skepticism. The world's most famous skeptic, Michael Shermer, decided to confirm this. In the book, which is called “Skeptic. A Rational View of the World,” Shermer advocates an exclusively rational view of the world. Being a popularizer of science, he not only debunks parapsychology or ufology, but explains why it seems scientific knowledge it is not. Specifically in Russia and specifically now, the book may turn out to be soul-saving amid the growing obscurantism.

Alexander Markov

Alexander Markov discusses the phenomenon of miracles and whether science - religion of the 21st century - can give miracles the character of laws.

The religious picture of the world contains an idea of ​​the supernatural, a belief in the reality of the supernatural. This feature makes it possible to distinguish a religious picture of the world from a non-religious one, even if the latter in any particular case will be no less erroneous than the first. Belief in the supernatural means that, along with the ordinary, natural world that a person encounters in his daily practice and to the knowledge of which the laws of logical thinking are applied, another world is also recognized, radically different from the first, existing on completely different grounds, obeying completely different principles than those patterns that dominate in real world. The nature of these principles is so undefined and unclear for the believers themselves that they are interpreted more negatively than positively - from the point of view of what is not in the supernatural world, rather than what is in it. Perhaps the only positive sign that religious consciousness attributes to the supernatural world is that everything is possible in it, or at least much of what is impossible in the natural world.

In the 17th century Astronomy was born, and astrology finally moved into the category of fortune telling. Nevertheless, it now occupies a very high position in the public consciousness. For Russia, this became relevant during the period of glasnost: the surge of interest in astrology in the early 1990s was very strong. But over the past years, the “forbidden fruit effect” has dried up, and one can already appreciate the stabilized interest of our society in astrology: unfortunately, it is still great.

Nikita Zhukov

How does subjectivity breed and feed anti-scientific ideas and why can objectivity also hide deception? Is it necessary to love scientific approach: a difficult choice between proven methods and empty promises. Why do medical scammers have no problems with conscience? Several stories from the world of charlatans.

The idea for such research arose in 1979 from Robert Jahn, who at that time worked as dean of the School of Applied Science and Engineering at Princeton University and set out to “conduct rigorous scientific studies of the interaction of human consciousness with sensitive physical devices, systems and processes using the latest technological advances.” . In other words, he decided to engage in parapsychology and explore the phenomenon of psychokinesis and far-sightedness.

People don't want to die. Many simply cannot imagine that one day they will be gone. The reluctance to believe in one's own mortality logically gives rise to belief in immortality. But the body is definitely mortal - one day it ceases to function once and for all and begins to decompose. Therefore, those who are afraid of death to the point of refusing to believe in it, came up with a “soul” - a certain substance that continues to live after the body dies.

The famous debunker of paranormal phenomena and pseudoscientific theories, James Randi, exposes America's most popular "psychic" - James Heidrick. James Heidrick tells how he deceived people by attributing telekinetic abilities to himself.

They reproach physicists: why are you doing this nonsense - you are only exalting psychics, saying that they can, after all, do something - catch something, somehow influence it, touch images... Journalists are reproached: Why are you writing about these works of physicists - by doing this you are only inflating interest in psychics... How many times have I heard such reproaches! I am firmly convinced that a well-studied miracle is no longer a miracle. Whatever abilities scientists identify in psychics, this does not lead to their exaltation, but to their overthrow from the pedestal. Because when everything is explained and put into pieces by science, the average person instantly becomes bored and turns away.

Joyful and Creative
Exuberance

PB Prometheus Books

59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, New York 14228-2197

RUSSIAN HUMANIST SOCIETY
Library of the magazine "Common Sense"

PAUL KURTZ

STATEMENTS

A life full of joy
and creativity

MOSCOW ● 2005

Kurtz Paul

Affirmations: A Life Full of Joy and Creativity / Ed. V. Kuvakin and A. Kruglova. Per. from English V. Kuvakin, E. Novikov. – M.: Ros. humanist. o-vo, 2005. – 111 p. – (B-magazine “Common Sense”). – ISBN 5-87387-030-6

In this optimistic, life-affirming book, the outstanding American thinker and public figure Paul Kurtz briefly outlines the main signs of what is called human happiness. “Affirmations” are thoughts about the joy of life, about the inexhaustible possibilities of a person, about ways to realize them, about the unique value of life as such and about the unique beauty of each of its moments.

The author composes a real hymn in the name of man, his mind, his unique resources of humanity. The all-conquering power of life helps us reach ever higher levels of creativity, goodness and justice. We are opening today, argues Paul Kurtz, new prospects for life, the most striking phenomena of which are a free, courageous, moral and creative person, planetary humanism and the emergence of a single - democratic and global - community of people.

ISBN 5-87387-030-6 © Paul Kurtz, 2004
© Paul Kurtz 2005
© V.A. Kuvakin, preface, 2005
© V.A. Kuvakin, E. Novikov,
translation into Russian, 2005
© A.G. Kruglov, design, 2005

Format 60x90/16. Times typeface. Volume 1.66 p.l., 7.0 ed.l. Circulation 500 copies.
Order No.
Printed from the finished original layout at the State Unitary Enterprise “Kolomensk Interdistrict Printing House”.
140400 Kolomna, Moscow region, st. 3 International, 2A. Tel. (8-261) 2-21-16,
fax (8-261) 2-82-87

From the editor
Introduction
First. Principles of Humanism
Second. New skepticism
Third. New paradigm
Fourth. Eupraxophy
Fifth. General moral virtues
Sixth. Paths of Excellence
Seventh. The joy of abundance and fullness of life
Eighth. Creating your own meanings
Ninth. Eros
Tenth. Loving another person
Eleventh. Worthy marriage
or civil union
Twelfth. Loving parents
Thirteenth. Favourite buisness
Fourteenth. Planetary humanism
The fifteenth. Facing Death with Courage
For the sake of a new future

From the editor

My colleagues from Prometheus Books, with whom I have been collaborating for more than ten years, sent me this small book, which I liked in its design, form, and content.

When, during another visit to Russia, this time to St. Petersburg, where Paul Kurtz met with St. Petersburg philosophers, searched for his “roots” and admired the beauty of the northern capital, I asked him about this book, he smiled and said that his friends asked him to take it the most significant, from his own point of view, ideas and thoughts that he expressed in his numerous works. In the end, he gave in to their requests, and the result was the publication of what was somewhat humorously called a humanistic testament.

But, a joke is a joke, and everything has its time. Including this kind of results. This year, Professor Emeritus of the State University of New York, the creator of the Transnational Research Center, which unites many humanistic, scientific, research and educational organizations and has its branches in many countries of the world, turns 80 years old. Behind him is the incredibly interesting and instructive life of a World War II veteran, a tireless researcher, the author of more than 40 scientific monographs and hundreds of articles on philosophy, scientific methodology, religious studies, cultural studies, pseudoscience and paranormal beliefs, the author of the internationally recognized document “Humanistic Manifesto 2000: A Call for a New Planetary humanism." Dr. P. Kurtz is the founder of a social movement for scientific and independent examination of claims of paranormal phenomena, as well as claims of supernatural and religious-mystical phenomena, if they are of a factual nature and serious social significance.

In the USA, P. Kurtz is called the father of secular humanism. With no less justification, he can be called today the father of modern planetary secular humanism. The works of this internationally recognized scientist and public figure present a significantly updated humanistic paradigm that meets the requirements of modern research methodology for fundamental sciences and humanities and takes into account global trends in the development of the world community.

The scientific reputation of Dr. P. Kurtz is impeccable. His authority as a serious and objective scientist became the core around which a variety of intellectual communities emerged, consisting of world-famous scientists and public figures. As president of the International Academy of Humanism, more than a third of whose members are Nobel laureates, he presented diplomas to its full members and laureates to academicians A.D. Sakharov (1988) and V.L. Ginzburg (2004). On the initiative of P. Kurtz, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of Paranormal Phenomena was created in 1980; he was also at the origins of the modern movement of scientists for broad public recognition of science, its active role in protecting the population from quackery and disinformation, from mediocrats (the power of international information and financial conglomerates) and manipulation of funds mass media consciousness and interests of the population. On his initiative and support, since 1996, world congresses of scientific skeptics have begun to be held regularly.

The outstanding merit of Paul Kurtz is the development and practical implementation of the ideas of institutionalization and socialization of humanism as a worldview based on the latest methods of scientific and free research, common ethical, civil and environmental values, and a non-theistic view of the world and man. As a result, perhaps for the first time in the history of humanism, it was possible to create its self-sufficient and viable organizations, independent of the state and oligarchic transnational corporations. Today these are specialized social - scientific, educational and educational - institutions, not only equipped with the latest technical means and network organizational technologies, but also reliably present in the current dense and highly competitive information space.

Paul Kurtz is one of the leaders of the international humanist movement. For many years he was co-president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHUE). In 2000, at the World Humanist Congress in India, he was recognized as an IHES Laureate for his outstanding services in protecting and promoting world culture fundamental human values. In 2005, the Transnational Research Center and all its branches were officially recognized by the UN as organizations associated with UNESCO.

At the same time, the American scientist and humanist treats Russia with special kindness and respect, highly appreciating its human potential, its achievements in culture and science. He, as always, strives to express this kind attitude not only in word, but also in deed. So, for example, during the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Moscow state university(2005), as his guest of honor, he announced a donation to the Moscow State University library of a collection of 3,000 volumes of books published in the United States on the latest areas of fundamental and human sciences.

Anyone who personally knows Paul Kurtz cannot help but feel the charm of this wise, virtuous, sympathetic and open man. At 80 years old, despite coronary bypass surgery, he remains a very active and productive person. I was lucky enough to meet P. Kurtz about 15 years ago. Both then and now I look with admiration at his titanic activity. I am amazed by the power of his theoretical and practical mind, his art of living a full-blooded, courageous and happy life. It seems that there are no barriers to the Promethean spirit of this skeptic, optimist and humanist. Eupraxophy, a term he introduced to denote the unity of goodness, wisdom and their practical implementation, refers primarily to himself, Paul Kurtz, a worthy citizen of his country, a citizen of the world and a reliable friend of Russia.

The Executive Committee of the Russian Humanist Society (RHS) decided to celebrate the 80th anniversary of our American colleague, the first foreign honorary member of our Society, in our own way: we decided to publish in Russian this small selection of his thoughts, although it is clear that this is not a scientific publication and not a systematic exposition of a particular theory. Nevertheless, such a lapidary enumeration of ideas about the most important issues of the secular humanistic worldview will be useful as a simple exposition to introduce it to people who have heard little about this phenomenon of our days. Such directness and spontaneity of expression of the judgments of our outstanding contemporary may allow them to more easily break through to their minds and hearts. And this would be fair, since the minds and hearts of Russians today are besieged by far from bright images and by no means optimistic and humanistic ideas. This would also be true because our oppressive information atmosphere should at least sometimes be broken by a story about those principles that in some countries, fortunately, have left the pages of books about a decent existence and have become an everyday way of life for the majority of their citizens. A normal, prosperous, honest and truly free life.

And one last thing. Let the Russian reader, especially one who is concerned about clericalization and the forced state “re-religion” of citizens, not be confused by the somewhat preachy tone of this book. P. Kurtz is a sober scientist, a deeply non-religious person. I completely share his conviction that secular humanism will never be a kind of religion, although it is so common for people to mystify ordinary things, elevate the mundane to the otherworldly and go into the world of illusions, depriving themselves of the real ground under their feet.

Valery Kuvakin,
President of the Russian
humane society

INTRODUCTION

This small book is compiled from a series of statements of humanistic eupraxophy, which means virtuous, practical wisdom. They express naturalistic and secular ideas, which can be said to constitute a new humanistic testament.

I offer them with care and love, in the hope that they can become guiding stars for courageous seekers who pave the way to the New Enlightenment.

Although the statements I propose are based on scientific rationality and moral reflection, they are, I believe, complete good wishes and understanding of personal conditions human existence and the existence of the world community. They express the belief and hope that every person has some opportunity to achieve a happy, abundant and creative life.

Paul Kurtz

First

PRINCIPLES OF HUMANISM

Humanists are committed to the application of reason and science to understand the Universe and solve human problems.

 We are filled with the desire to protect and preserve planet Earth, preserve it for future generations, and avoid causing suffering to living beings living on it with humans.
 We strive to overcome divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, gender, nationality, ideology, class, sexuality and ethnicity and strive to work together for the benefit of all humanity.
 We believe in an open and pluralistic society, and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian power elites and repressive majorities.
 We believe in the possibility and fruitfulness of moral improvement.
 We are convinced of the real significance of general moral virtues: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, fairness, responsibility. Humanistic ethics is subject to the guidance of critical reason. Together we discover and develop ethical standards. Moral principles are tested by the consequences of their application.
 We are deeply concerned with the moral education of children. We want to nurture and strengthen their intelligence and compassion.
 We believe that scientific discoveries and technology can improve people's lives.
 We cultivate the art of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving disputes and achieving mutual understanding.
 We are deeply concerned about ensuring justice and fairness in society and eliminating discrimination and intolerance.
 We are committed to the principle of separation of church and state.
 We advocate such support for the poor and disabled, as a result of which they are able to help themselves.
 We are confident that life can be not a burden, but a joy here on Earth, and not in heaven, and now, and not in the vague future, that unlimited development of our creative abilities is possible.
 We respect the right to privacy. Adults should be allowed to exercise their sexual preferences, their reproductive freedoms, have access to meaningful and informed health care, and have the right to die with dignity.
 We value the arts as much as the sciences.
 We are citizens of the universe and are inspired by the promise of discovery in space exploration.
 We are skeptical of baseless claims to true knowledge, but we are open to new ideas and seek new ways of thinking.
 We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence; we view it as a deeply personal value and as a worldview that allows us to experience true satisfaction in serving our fellow human beings.
 We are optimists, not pessimists; we are full of hope, not despair; we rely on learning, not dogma; we prefer truth to ignorance; joy – to feelings of sin and guilt; tolerance - fear; love - hate; compassion - selfishness; beauty - ugliness, reason - blind faith or irrationalism.
 We are confident in the possibility of achieving the best and noblest of which we are capable as human beings.

Second

NEW SKEPTICISM

The methods of critical inquiry, so effectively used in science, must be extended to all spheres of human interest and activity. People's beliefs should be considered as hypotheses and proven by facts, logical consistency and experimental consequences. All claims that claim to be true knowledge must be subject to the test of scientific inquiry. It is as a result of this kind of processes that we have progress in the field of knowledge.

Skeptical inquiry is an essential part of human knowledge, the growth and progress of human knowledge. It has a rich historical tradition in science, philosophy and learning. One must distinguish skeptical inquiry, with emphasis on the word “inquiry,” from classical skepticism, which tends to be totally negative, even nihilistic. The form of skepticism presented here is the new skepticism, so called because it includes itself in the overall positive and constructive process of inquiry; its principles are essential for the development of knowledge about nature and human behavior. Moreover, its methods are necessary for resolving ethical, political and social problems.
Taking these considerations into account, the following set of statements is proposed as guiding principles for research skepticism.

 We believe in the possibility of reliable human knowledge. We affirm that human intelligence contains positive forces. We believe that scientific research methods expand the boundaries of knowledge that can be used to improve the human condition.
 We believe that skepticism is an essential part of scientific inquiry and that it should be extended to all areas human activity, for science, daily life, law, religion, paranormal beliefs, economics, politics, ethics and society - and that the standards of rationality apply to any sphere of human interest.
 We believe that critical thinking is inherent in any worthwhile exploration of reality, and that it should be taken as an ally in solving problems, in overcoming hostility, reconciling hatred and discussing differences.
 We rely on transparency and purity of thoughts, and not on vague reasoning, on their clarity, and not on confusion, on strict linguistic principles that can dispel the vagueness and ambiguity of judgments.
 We obviously do not reject any claims to true knowledge before conducting research. We only insist that they be formulated in a verifiable form and that the burden of proof rests primarily with the party making a claim to the truth.
 We ask for facts, not assumptions; experimental data, not entertaining rumors and guesses; logical conclusions and deductive conclusions, not religious faith or intuition.
 We do not believe in absolute dogmas or creeds, whether carved in stone or proclaimed as official doctrine.
 We reject old and new mythologies of salvation, based both on eternal fears and on messianic illusions and without reliable foundations. We trust research over authority, reason over tradition.
 We champion the belief that reason and science can be used to develop new technologies that alleviate human suffering, reduce pain and increase human happiness.
 We claim that rational inquiry can help us develop and test ethical principles, moral values and social policy and thus can contribute to human well-being.
 We are not negative skeptics, sweeping deniers, debunkers, cynics or nihilists. We simply want to oppose hypocrisy, hypocrisy, scams and misconceptions. We contrast them with verification of the evidence presented and rationality. In short, we believe that critical inquiry is the best way to determine our means and realize our ends.

Third

NEW PARADIGM

Today a new paradigm is emerging.

 It is firmly based on the idea of ​​free exploration of all areas of human interest.
 It states that valid and reliable knowledge is possible. It views beliefs as hypotheses that need to be tested against the results of experiments, as well as their logical coherence and consistency.
 It is naturalistic. Within its framework, the need to extend the methods of science and reason to understand nature and solve human problems is realized.
 She is skeptical. It questions claims to ownership true knowledge, if they are supported by unsatisfactory evidence and explanations, including revelation, mystical experience, religious belief, authority or tradition.
 It gives special meaning education, cultivation critical thinking and reasonable belief as the best means achieving social change.
 It is consistently and entirely humanistic.
 It places the focus on ways to achieve and realize human happiness in the conditions of earthly existence.
 Within its framework, there is a search for what is our common basis: all-common rights, shared interests and common values. She is tolerant of a variety of lifestyles.
 It expresses a desire to maximize the value of creativity and self-realization.
 It is secular because it favors the principle of separation of state from church (or mosque or temple), politics from theology, and civic morality from religion.
 It is democratic. It places great emphasis on the self-esteem and worth of each individual; she strives to expand spaces human freedom; it defends social justice, equality and the rule of law, as well as the opportunity for every individual to achieve a life worth living.
 It is called to rise above the narrowness and limitations of archaic interests for the sake of building a global community based on planetary ethics.
 It is realistic and at the same time optimistic, since it expresses strong confidence in the ability of people to solve their problems themselves.
 It pays tribute to goodwill and the art of negotiation, compromise and peaceful means of resolving conflicts.
 It is melioristic, because it defends the idea of ​​​​the possibility of creating a better world.
 She does not advise indulging in moods of silent submission and piety, but encourages the virtues of courage, perseverance in order to overcome difficulties and achieve what we believe in.
 It is not isolated on the tragic sides of human existence, on fear or hopelessness, it is addressed to the best that we are able to create for ourselves and our own kind, i.e. what by human standards is called a life full of perfection and nobility,
 It contains the desire to develop human wisdom as the guiding principle of life.

Fourth

EUPRAXOPHY

There is no word in the English language that adequately conveys the meaning of the word “humanism.” This is not a religion. It represents a philosophical, scientific and moral worldview. Therefore, I introduced a new term, eupraxophy, to distinguish humanistic views and practices from religious systems of belief and belief.

This term can be used in many languages. It is composed of Greek words: eu, praxis and sophia. “Eu” is a prefix that means “excellent”, “good”, “favourable”. It is part of the Greek word “eudaimonia” (“eudaimonia”), which means “dignified existence” or “happiness”, “bliss”, and it is also used in words such as “eulogy” and “euphoria”. " "euphoria".

“Praxis” (or “prassein”) means “action,” “doing,” or “practice.” “Eupraxía” means “right action”, “exemplary behavior”.

"Sophía" means "wisdom". This word appears in the term "philosophy", connecting "philo" ("love") and "Sophía" in the sense of "love of wisdom". The concept of “eupraxophy” is intended for its use in cultural space, in a society where various ideas and ideas exist and collide with each other. Unlike pure philosophy, it focuses not simply on the love of wisdom, although this is of course implied, but on the practice of wisdom. Moral philosophers should be interested in developing practical skills to critical ethical judgments. This is a lofty goal. But eupraxophy goes further, as it focuses on developing a consistently moral life position. Moreover, it includes hypotheses, natural science and cosmic theories, which in each period human history based on the best scientific knowledge of their time. Humanistic eupraxophy advocates a set of criteria for testing and evaluating claims that claim to be true. At each particular socio-historical point in time, it can help justify a particular combination of political preferences and ideals. Eupraxophy combines a common worldview and philosophy of everyday life. At the same time, it gives us the opportunity to gain and do something more, because it is connected with our commitment and obligations. Being based on understanding and awareness, it is inextricably linked with human passions. It entails applying wisdom to our lives as a series of actions.

Eupraxophs make decisions and choices—the choices that make the most sense in light of the best evidence or evidence available—and this enables them to act knowledgeably and responsibly. Theologians, politicians, generals, engineers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, artists, poets and simple people act on the basis of their beliefs. Then why should we deny this right to an informed person, a scientist and a philosopher, i.e. Eupraxophus? However, I am convinced that every person's beliefs should be based on common sense, critical reason and wisdom. This is exactly what the suffix “sophi” means. Wisdom in in a broad sense includes not only philosophical and practical judgments, but also scientific understanding.

The scientific component is inherent in the concept of “eupraxophy”, since true wisdom embodies the most reliable knowledge obtained as a result of scientific research, education and the study of various sciences. Theoretical research is ethically neutral. Scientists are interested in series of cause-and-effect relationships, hypotheses and theories that can be verified experimentally. Scientists describe or explain how knowledge influences the behavior of a subject, refraining from normative assessments.

At the same time, humanistic eupraxophy seeks to apply philosophical generalizations of scientific knowledge to human life. It tries to develop in people a sense of the integrity of the world and a cosmic perspective, which is based on the most reliable discoveries made at the forefront of science. She recognizes that there are gaps in current knowledge, and these areas require further research. And although within its framework it is quite well understood that it is common for a person to make mistakes and act wrongly, especially in situations of uncertainty and uncertainty, Jupraxophists advise boldly applying scientific knowledge and practical wisdom to life.

Therefore, the primary task of eupraxophy is to understand nature and life and formulate specific normative prescriptions on the basis of this knowledge. Thus, eupraxophy focuses on two things: a cosmic perspective of man and the world, and a set of normative principles and values ​​by which we can live properly.
Humanists do not look to heaven for promises of divine salvation. Their feet are firmly planted on the ground. At the same time, their fortitude is such that they are engaged in education, art, science, they are familiar with sympathy and a wide range of positive emotions and passions, they are determined to create better world for themselves and for subsequent generations of people.

From a human point of view, happiness is achieved not by passivity and withdrawal from the world, but by the desire for an active life, full of exciting adventures and achievements in which our gifts and abilities are realized. There are so many opportunities for enjoyment from life and creativity that every moment of our existence can be considered precious; All of them combine and nourish each other and form a full, abundant and generous life.

What is truly vital about humanistic eupraxophy is that humanists are not overwhelmed by the tragic nature of human existence. They face grief, misfortune, suffering and death with courage and composure. They have confidence in a person's ability to overcome adversity and difficulties in life, as well as in his ability to share material benefits with your own kind and empathize with them. Often the theist has a perverted view of human beings who, supposedly, are afflicted original sin are unable to decide on their own life problems and therefore are forced to search God's help in otherworldly realms. The humanist accepts the fact that the human species is imperfect and limited and that some things cannot be restored and some actions cannot be corrected. But even in such situations, people understand, if they are capable of it, that the best thing is not to retreat to the unknown, but to show intelligence and fortitude in order to cope with life’s circumstances. The life position of a humanist seems to be the most adequate precisely because he evaluates the conditions of human existence based on reason and science. The secular humanist does not want to bow either to the forces of nature or to the imaginary teachers of humanity. On the contrary, they exhibit the high virtues of the heroic spirit of Prometheus: courage, nobility and developed moral sensitivity to the needs of others!

Fifth

GENERAL MORAL VIRTUES

The question often arises: can a society or a person be moral without being religious? My answer to that is: of course, yes. Morality is deeply rooted in universal human ethical standards, so that they are directly related to moral social relations.

Common moral virtues are shared by the vast majority of people. They are divided by both religious believers and those who do not believe in any of the gods. These rules of decent behavior are essential for the survival of any human community. It is impossible for people to live together in any meaningful way if they constantly flout all sorts of norms. Having reached us through countless generations of people, these general rules of behavior are recognized in relations between friends, relatives, colleagues, and in the team of workers, between native residents, among emigrants... They are the basic norms and rules of social interactions. They provide the very foundations of moral education. They are taught to children in the family and at school. These rules of decent behavior express the essence of the values ​​of courtesy, politeness and empathy, which are so important for people to live together. Indeed, they are the basis of civilized life as such.

The general rules of a decent life are transnational in scope. They are rooted in the depths of human needs. There is no doubt that these rules arise and develop historically during the evolutionary struggle for survival. It is even possible that they have sociobiological roots, although their absence may be observed in some individuals or communities, since their origin depends on the presence of certain prerequisites for social and moral development itself. What is offered here is a non-exhaustive catalog of virtues.
 The first moral rule is personal integrity (integrity), i.e. this means: to be truthful, not to lie and not to deceive; to be sincere, honest, open, not hypocritical, respecting one’s obligations, keeping one’s word and fulfilling the terms of agreements; be honest, do not deceive or cheat.
 Second is reliability. We feel loyalty towards those we love, our parents, friends and colleagues. We must earn the trust of the people who rely on us and be responsible.
 The third rule of decent behavior is benevolence, which includes good will and generous consideration for other people, showing positive concern for them. This means gentleness, the desire to avoid causing damage to a person or his property. We should not kill and rob or physically harm people, be rude, vindictive, or behave offensively. In the sphere of relations between the sexes, we should not forcefully satisfy our erotic desires. In relationships between adults, it is necessary to strive for mutual agreement. This means that we have responsibilities to be beneficent, kind, and to awaken feelings of sympathy and compassion. We must reach out to those in distress and, when we are able to do so, strive to reduce their suffering and help them restore their well-being.
 Fourth is the principle of justice. We must show gratitude and appreciate those who deserve it. A civilized society must judge men by their deeds, strictly enforcing the principle that those who deserve it cannot escape punishment; these individuals must compensate for the damage they have caused. This is due to the principle of equality and social equality. Tolerance is also a fundamental moral virtue. We must recognize that others have the right to their own beliefs and lifestyles, although both may differ from our own. We may not agree with them, but everyone has the right to their own beliefs, as long as they do not harm other people, do not prevent them from having their own beliefs and exercising their rights. We must strive to cooperate with others, seek ways to discuss differences peacefully, and avoid hatred and violence.

These widely accepted rules of decent behavior are precisely general moral principles. Although individuals or nations may deviate from them or refuse to follow them in practice, they nevertheless provide general boundaries that provide guidelines for our conduct. People value some of them so much that it is quite difficult to violate them. And yet they are not absolutes. Sometimes they even come into conflict with each other and do not need to be of divine origin to be a moral force. Ultimately their worth can be tested by the consequences that practically follow from their application, as well as by their essential role in our lives. Morally developed individuals accept these principles and strive to live in accordance with them. At the same time, they understand that some personal concessions in the moral sphere may be necessary in order to avoid social conflicts. Thus, practical moral wisdom recognizes the obligatory nature of responsible behavior.

Sixth

MORAL EXCELLENCE

General moral rules of decent behavior harmonize our relationships with others. In addition there is big number humanistic values ​​that we strive to realize within our personal lives. These include ethical perfections. There are standards for ethical development and excellence that are recognized as outstanding achievements. They are associated with perfections that have manifested themselves fully and in the best possible way. These character traits are good in themselves, but they give life a special weight. Here is a list of key perfections characteristic of a value-rich personal life.
 First, it is an outstanding mastery of being an autonomous person, or what Ralph Emerson called self-reliance. This means the ability of an individual to take control, as far as possible, of his own destiny, to accept responsibility for starting a family, acquiring a profession, for his way of life and knowledge of the world, for his moral principles and those values ​​​​that are most dear to him. Such a person determines his own life. He is self-governing. Personal independence is one of the expressions of human freedom. Some see freedom as a burden. They would like to transfer their rights to self-determination to someone else - parents or husband (wife), workmates, colleagues, despots or gurus, prophets or prophetesses. A free individual recognizes that he has only one life, and how he lives it is the essence of the very choice that is more important than all others. This also means that we do not live alone, there are people around us with whom we are united by many values ​​and ideals. At the same time, central to the ethics of democratic consciousness is a deep understanding of the exceptional importance of individual choice, no matter how original and unique it may be.
 Second, intelligence and reason rank high on the scale of values. To achieve a life worth living, we must develop our cognitive skills - not just technical erudition or skillful virtuosity of thought and speech, but also a correct understanding of how to make intelligent decisions and actions. right choice, i.e., essentially, how to act, how to behave, how to live. Many critics of reason betray their own limitations when they downplay human intelligence and denigrate the effectiveness and power of intelligent human choice. They believe that we cannot solve our problems by relying entirely on our own cognitive attitudes and intellectual resources. They seek to renounce the right of a human being to autonomy and sovereignty of mind in favor of others or something else: faith, insight, otherworldly, etc. The mind is not omnipotent, it cannot achieve success in solving any problems - sometimes we must choose the lesser of two evils or the greater of two goods. Nevertheless, it is the most reliable method we have for overcoming and achieving, for making the most appropriate moral decisions and for dealing with everyday adversity.
 Third is the need for a certain self-discipline in relation to one’s own passions and emotions. We need to satisfy our desires, feelings and needs. But this should be achieved with some moderation, guided by the rules of rational choice, calculating the consequences and cost of this or that action, realizing the possible harmful consequences of an unthought-out choice for oneself and for others. We are able to dream of exciting plans and projects, knowing that their implementation involves heroic effort and sacrifice. But we must also understand that these goals cannot be achieved at the cost of recklessness and loss of rational control over our decisions and actions.
 The fourth is a certain degree of self-respect, which is so vital for our psychological stability. Self-hatred turns into self-doubt and cowardice in an individual. A person needs to develop a sense of self-esteem, i.e. positive acceptance of oneself as one is, as well as a realistic sense of one's own unique individuality. A lack of self-esteem can impoverish a person and make him feel weak and worthless. Confidence that success is possible and can be achieved is essential to achieving a life worth living.
 The fifth, high on the scale of values, is creative abilities, which constitute the source of originality and ingenuity, limitless striving for new achievements and discoveries. They are somewhat similar to sovereignty and freedom of mind and self-respect, for an independent person is confident in his abilities and has the courage to express his unique talents. An uncreative person is usually a conformist, unwilling to break new ground, timid and afraid of new things. In a creative person, life is in full swing, it takes the form of exciting adventures, and becomes a process of continuous discovery. Creativity perhaps best demonstrates who and what we are as people: we are masters of our own destinies, creators and creators of new worlds. We can always add something new to the joys of life if only we have the courage to do so.
 Sixth, we need to develop high motivation, be always ready to take advantage of the opportunities life provides us, be open to new ideas and experiences and act in unknown directions. A motivated person finds life itself interesting and exciting. A considerable number of people experience life as a burden. “She's boring,” they say. They consider their work a heavy duty. Perhaps this is simply a consequence of a lack of motivation, intensity of life, commitment to higher and more inspiring aspirations. In fact, they are ready to waste their lives on the trivialities of superficial taste and fashion, always following the crowd, afraid to be different or to be honest with themselves, not daring to admit the unrealization of many of their opportunities and the abandonment of their own cherished aspirations.
 Seventh is an affirmative and positive attitude towards life. We need a good measure of optimism, the confidence that our lives and causes matter, that we can leave our marks on the world and change the future. Although we may experience failure or defeat, we must still believe that we can overcome difficulties and achieve goals despite any obstacles in our way. And having achieved the goal, we accept a new challenge. The courage to become is essential necessary condition and a component of a life well lived. Do not drown out the voice of your deep vital forces, let them express themselves, express themselves as the awe and power of a human being. We can and will realize our potential. We can and do use the chances that life is full of or that we create ourselves.
 Eighth, a positive personality is capable of joie de vivre, of high intensity and ardor of joyful experiences. It captures almost the entire fullness of human satisfaction and pleasure: bodily pleasures from eating food and drink, happiness love relationship and pleasure from sex, kissing and hugging, laughing and singing, joy from good deeds, from reading and learning, from experience and research, i.e. from what you took and gave to life in generous measure.
 Ninth, if we want to live well, we should take care of our good health as a condition for all good. To have and maintain health, we should avoid addictions. We can drink alcohol, but only in moderation. Some tension and stress are inevitable in life, but you need to experience them within acceptable limits. We need proper nutrition, a balanced diet, at least the minimum necessary physical activity, sufficient rest and leisure. We should love others and seek reciprocal love, share our daily life with friends and people close to us; it is important to feel involved in broader communities of people and participate in their activities, whether it be work, civic engagement or sports; We also need time for solitude and reflection - silent, respectful and kind dialogue with ourselves.
 Tenth, all these advantages clearly indicate the high value of life. The real good we strive to achieve is creative happiness and lasting well-being. The most suitable word that can designate this state of life is abundance (exuberance), or the best of the best (excelsior); this is an active life, not passivity and alienation. An abundant life embodies the high quality of realization of our talents and strengths, needs and desires, goals and aspirations. The highest goal of life is to live fully and creatively without losing any of its moments of beauty and splendor. The meaning of life is not to discover oneself only after death in some secret, mystical kingdom, thanks to salvation. This fairy tale led to the scattering of countless lives, plunging them into an ocean of illusions. On the contrary, the meaning of life can only be found through eating the juicy fruit of the Tree of Life, in life here and now - as intense and reverent as it is balanced, rational and reflective. Every moment of life is precious, it is good by nature in itself and for its own sake. The pains and sorrows, tragedies and misfortunes that people experience can be overcome and conquered by its virtues and joys, its virtues and riches, its very beauty that can be discovered and enjoyed. ABOUT! Living and living well, breathing and celebrating life and everything that makes it all worthwhile! Life is our reward. And there is no higher joy than living and being alive!

Seventh

JOY AND FULLNESS OF LIFE

Humanists consider abundant life (exuberance) to be a value in itself. It is usually identified with happiness. The Greeks called this eudaimonia or well-being. They meant the realization of opportunities and talents human nature accompanied by pleasure or joy as its natural consequence. And this joy of life is not instantaneous or situational, but constitutes a natural state of the entire course of life. It presupposes some restraint of our passions and desires. But I will add that in the fullness of such a life there is a high pathos, an intensity, a pulsating passion that encourages bold action, initiative and adventure.

Eighth

CREATING YOUR OWN MEANINGS

The meaning of life cannot be found by some secret formula revealed by ancient prophets or modern gurus who flee from life, immersing themselves in silent contemplation and striving for liberation from the world. Essentially, life has no meaning. At the same time, it, as a continuous present, gives us countless opportunities that we can recklessly miss or abandon them in fear, or master them in all their fullness and richness.
 It can be acquired by anyone and everyone who can awaken their innate zest for life. It is found within life itself as one turns to new conditions and one is open to new experiences.
 The fruits of the Tree of Life fill us with enthusiasm and give us generous joy. The main thing here is the belief that life can be a good in itself. Every moment of it is precious and attractive.
 The so-called secret of life is an open scenario that can be staged and played out in our own way by each of us. This secret is revealed in the variety of life experiences: in the admiration of a feast at the feast of life in the circle of loved ones, it is revealed in hard work that requires intense effort, in the touching melodies of a symphony, in gratitude for an altruistic act, in the excitement of the embrace of someone whom you love, in the elegance of a mathematical proof, in an inspiring adventure, in climbing a mountain, in the satisfaction of a solitary retreat, in the ovations and shouts of joy when you rejoice at the victory of your team in a sports competition, in the reading of an exquisite sonnet, in the joy of being a parent, in the pleasures of friendship, in the pleasure of serving our fellow human beings - in all these activities, as in infinitely many others.
 It is in the present moment of life experience, leading to the achievement of goals, as well as in the enchanting memories of past impressions and in anticipation of future ones, that the richness of life is manifested and realized. The meaning of life is that it can be good, beautiful and exciting - for each of us, for those we love, and for all other sentient beings. It is found in genuine satisfaction from creativity, wisdom and justice. There is hardly any need for anything more and, presumably, for something less.
 The meaning of life is closely related to our plans and projects, to the goals we set for ourselves, to our dreams and their successful achievement.
 We create our own, understandable meanings; we decorate the cultural and natural worlds with our meanings and interpretations. We discover nature, we take advantage of its benefits and try to decorate it.
 We discover meanings in the lives of the ancient Egyptians, in their culture created around the pyramids and cults of Isis and Osiris, or in the thoughts of the ancient Old Testament prophets. We see their manifestations in the speeches of Athenian philosophers discussing the ideas of a just city state on the Acropolis. We notice them in the structure of the medieval city, embedded in feudal economic and social hierarchies and based on Christian traditions. We can feel these meanings in the samurai knights - symbols of Japanese culture, in the hopes and dreams of the Peruvian Incas, in the beliefs of African tribes, in Islamic cultures. We see new meanings in modern post-industrial civilizations, which open up for us the opportunity to foresee the symbols and meanings of future eras.
 People find their own meanings in the context of historical cultural experience and in the way they live and participate in this never-ending process. Life has meaning for them. But for each of us the content of this context is individual, while its forms and functions are approximately the same. Life, when it lasts as a dynamic diversity in different cultural conditions, can be triumphant and optimistic. It can be joyful in its experience and amazing in its manifestation.

Ninth

EROS

 A vital part of a fulfilling life is the ability to experience and appreciate erotic pleasures, to be in the luxury of sensuality, to be aroused by beauty, to be seduced by the caress of touch, to feel the forms of flesh, to smell fragrance and to experience the romance of eros and love.
 Although a good life involves cheerfulness of spirit and activities that require effort to maintain it, it also implies states of rest and peace, but also the ability to seize moments of tenderness and rapturous ecstasy.
 Not experiencing temptations and attacks of passion or not allowing them to manifest themselves freely means not drawing life to its fullest measure. Without passion, life will be flawed, it will not have the thrill of sensations. That is why erotica, as a particularly bright and concentrated expression of passions and feelings, is so an important part abundant life.
 However, there are adherents of “chastity” and those who declare a crusade against “sin”. They consider the main thing in their lives to be the eradication of eros or control of our sensuality. Erotophobia is just one manifestation of hedophobia, aversion or fear of pleasure. Those who are against eroticism are enemies human life.
 Sensuality has many dimensions. It awakens in us a high appreciation of love. Eros, son of Aphrodite, was the god of love; and erotica means romantic affection. But its meaning is also in the pleasures of sexual arousal, the culmination of which is orgasm. Starting with sexual intercourse, it leads to a high appreciation of a wider range of sensual attractions and passions - from kissing and touching to caress, tenderness and other forms of erotic pleasure.
 Erotica is diverse. It can manifest itself in different forms and in different emotional combinations. Having its roots in sexual acts, it can be expressed and performed skillfully, with subtlety and grace. To be open to eroticism means to enter into new world aesthetic-hedonic perception of life, its very realization. At the heart of this art of living is the ability to discover the pleasures and values ​​of the sensual as they are revealed in us and in other people. To be closed to these pleasures is to turn away from the fullness and richness of life.

Tenth

LOVE OTHER PERSON

 Living together with can be a wonderful and deepest source of affection.
A person can rely on another to varying degrees. IN family life this may be due not only to intimacy, but also with altruistic love, joint professional growth, raising children, caring for the home, and a variety of other common concerns and affairs.
 Leading a lonely life, doing everything alone is not such a rare occurrence. Some say that they do not want to enter into any relationships with others so as not to limit themselves in any way. However, to reject the love of someone who seeks it but cannot find it means to generate despair.
 Many are discovering the truth that sharing your life with the life of another human being is the source of your deepest satisfaction.
 If a person loves someone with romantic love and the feeling is mutual, then they are allowed to retire, throw away the masks that we wear in public, and experience the joys and sorrows of love without any falsehood.
 The opportunity to intimately love another person is the priceless luxury of a life well lived, something beautiful and valuable in itself.

Eleventh

HAPPY MARRIAGE OR CIVIL UNION

 A happy marriage or civil union is a union in which a deep and life-giving truth is revealed: giving love is better than receiving it.
 True love of a person consists in the desire for the loved one to develop and enrich himself in the way he himself desires.
 Married life or civil marriage, which has stood the test of time and difficulties, will always be full of joy and smiles. But they will be familiar with grief and sadness, harmony and disharmony, as each side strives to overcome adversity and achieve both their dreams and common goals.
 The special value of a full-blooded marital union is that it is open to intimacy between husband and wife; they can experience joy from mutual closeness, from the fact that they have common ideals and life plans, that they can share their failures and anxieties; all together this constitutes the fullness of the possibilities and joys of living together.
 When a married couple builds their family home, achieves success in work and service, and raises children, then the family becomes an art in which each party gives it special features and shapes, colors and shades.
 Spouses must be prepared to face the various difficulties of everyday life with dignity and try to ensure that their relationship helps them overcome these difficulties. If they succeed in this, then their union will become their favorite creation, the embodiment of human beauty, a reliable and proven value.

Twelfth

LOVING PARENTS

Truly loving parents will do everything they can for their children, but this requires their willingness to allow their children to become individuals. Let your child be whoever he or she wants to be. Our job is to be guides and support them where necessary. We must be willing to make sacrifices for their well-being, but if we truly love our children, then we must want them to develop their own personalities.
 We must be able to love our children even when we completely disagree with their choices regarding marriage, future profession or lifestyle.
 We must help our children understand the limits of what is permissible, as well as their own virtues. You shouldn’t demand the impossible from them, you just need to love them for who they are.
 It is our duty to cherish, take care of the physical and mental development our children. At the same time, we must be prepared to allow them to independently enter the world around them, to give them the opportunity to discover their own perspectives and create their own destinies.
 From the point of view of common sense, to love someone, whether it be a husband or wife, son or daughter, means to wish the person to prosper according to his own understanding, to help him strengthen his independence. Parents should not give their children what they want and not allow them to do whatever they want. The relationship between parents and children should be discussed with love, care and reason.
 Loving parents should cultivate in their children a sense of individuality, assertiveness, independence and freedom. In addition, they should instill in children a sense of responsibility towards others.
 Loving parents want their children to be decent and worthy people. If they do not give them examples of how wonderful it is to love and give love, then all their explanations of the importance of it will be in vain.
 Loving our children for their own sake is already a great joy. To see this love and affection returned to ourselves and others is to be part of those eloquent bonds which enable us all to feel the process of moral growth reaching its flowering stage.

Thirteenth

FAVOURITE BUISNESS

To be committed to a love union that goes beyond the interests of one of the parties means to overcome the boundaries of the individual. Too many of us are completely preoccupied with the day-to-day, which makes our lives and our tasks limited and of little meaning. They become confined to a narrow circle of interests, to a small number of friends and acquaintances. If we manage to define our lives in a broader perspective, then this can become a new enlightenment and freedom. This helps to move beyond the tight confines of routine.
 We can be connected to others by something greater – a commitment to greater life goals. You can live for the sake of something noble. There is a huge variety of highly significant problems, the resolution of which fascinates us. They are as numerous and varied as human culture itself: well-fed and hungry, with homes and homeless; this could be activities in the name of peace, democracy and the creation of global public organizations, participation in political campaigns, the fight for freedom, justice and civil rights, educational activities, participation in environmental movements, propaganda of medical knowledge, the fight against fascism or alcoholism...
 Support and participation in any common noble cause - whatever it may be - is very important for the person involved in it, since it allows us to overcome the boundaries of our individuality.
 To participate in a common cause and experience feelings of common solidarity and enthusiasm means to develop as a person.
 Solving personal problems, of course, requires certain efforts of the individual; participation in achieving collective goals also presupposes the will to overcome difficulties and commitment to a common cause.
 To be indifferent to the needs of our time and the social issues of our time is to be a morally insensitive person.
 We need to cultivate a special kind of passion and commitment to making a difference in the world; devotion to this devotion is itself a moral virtue.

Fourteenth

PLANETARY HUMANISM

The optimal way to solve political and social issues is to rely on the methods of reason and use its resources. Although the content of our political programs and actions may vary widely, the principles and procedures offered by critical thinking are reliable enough to guide our public affairs.
 The first is a commitment to democracy. An enlightened civil society is the best guarantee of success in achieving the common good. Democracy depends on the openness of society, the degree of civil liberties, a free press, the expression of the will of the majority and the protection of the rights of minorities, the right to legal opposition and fair legislation. An essential condition for guaranteeing civil liberties and equality is the free market of ideas.
 The second is related to the important role of the principle of secularism of the state, i.e. separation of state and church and prevention of any attempts to introduce religion into secular institutions, municipal and state schools and institutes. Any efforts by the forces of theocracy to determine the social policy of the state are unlawful.
 The vital importance of the third principle is due to its global scope. Now we have obligations to all inhabitants of planet Earth, to the global community. Consequently, the scale of the ethics of humanism is the entire family of peoples inhabiting the planet. The exciting discoveries in space exploration are helping us recognize our interdependence on a global level. Our moral duty is no longer limited to our locality, region or nation, but extends to the entire planet. Our moral obligations now apply to all members of the planetary community, not just to our loved ones.
Planetary humanism is inherent in the following imperatives.
 Our actions are subject to evaluation based on the consequences that we face in our social relationships at various levels. And the horizon of these relations must be expanded to include in the scope of our obligations the green-blue dot, as the Earth appears to us from outer space.
 We have no right to pollute, destroy or desecrate the natural environment.
 We must care for the well-being and happiness of all members of the human race inhabiting the planet; each of us must be considered equal to others in dignity and worth.
These requirements take on special significance when we see
 predatory plunder of shared global resources,
 uncontrolled population growth,
 degradation of the planetary habitat,
 global warming,
 an unfairly large gap in the level of wealth and income between people and nations,
 the rise of organized forms of fanaticism and terrorism that proclaim themselves to be righteous.
 constant resort to violence and war as a means of resolving disagreements.
These problems force us to recognize a new moral responsibility: each of us has not only a duty to present and future generations of people, but also an obligation to preserve, improve and ensure the well-being of all life on planet Earth.

The fifteenth

FACING DEATH WITH COURAGE

 The highest good of every individual and the fundamental source of all human values ​​is life. All living things constantly struggle with death, strive to overcome, push back or delay it. Life fights for life and its continuation by all means. However, there is perhaps only one certainty in our ambiguous universe and that is that the life of a particular being will someday end.
 At some point in time, every person eventually accepts the conditions of death. But it is also true that life may not acquire meaning in the full sense of the word until we are faced with death. The only way out in this situation of existential struggle between life and death is to put life in proper perspective and balance human values ​​in the right way.
 One thing must be certain: in the pulsations of life there is such an abundance of potential for good that it is simply impossible to allow it to be wasted.
 In this profound confrontation with death, the truth is revealed that the only thing that truly matters is life. We must do everything possible to endlessly prolong it, implement it and improve it. Every day, every moment matters. Our best way out in this situation is to live an intense life, joyfully - in thoughts, in experiences, in actions and deeds.
 My life in all its totality is my project. She is my work of art. Every moment of my life is connected with everyone, every tone, every pattern, every color, every flash - all this is my own formation and creation.
 And yet death is a part of life, its moment. And you need to meet it courageously.
 We have nothing to fear from death. Since there are no guarantees of posthumous existence, there is no suffering. Undoubtedly we feel regret and pity when leaving such a delightful world, especially if the death is premature.
 Not acknowledging the reality of imminent death or not allowing the dying person to face it if he so desires can be an insult to a person's spirit. Being forced to die in a hospital, doomed to spend his last hours and days alone and abandoned by others can be a cruel and unnecessary punishment for a person. A person should be allowed, if he wishes, to die in a comfortable environment, surrounded by family and friends who love him, so that at the last moment of his life he feels the beauty of the world.
 There is no doubt that a dying person will regret what he did or did not do, that he hurt someone, or made a grave mistake. But memories of another past may emerge - of love, passionate feelings, friendship, creativity, achievements, highs of spirit, the joy and luxury of life.
 With tears in his eyes, maybe even with clenched teeth, a person will part with people. But if he lived life to the fullest, in the end, when he no longer has any energy or vitality, he can tell others before leaving: “How wonderful it all was.” Life, no matter how long, is too short. But one can face death with courage and pathos. And maybe, if a person has lived a happy life, he will say before dying: “I loved life, and I did not waste it. It was wonderful while it lasted!”

For the sake of a new future

There comes a time when we leave behind the ancient dogmas and doctrines of the past, when we reach a new future. Through science, reason, free inquiry, combined with empathy and caring, we have the opportunity to create a new civilization, not bogged down in the mires of misconceptions and illusions that drag us into the childhood of humanity.

Everything points to the emergence of a new global culture in which general rules of decent behavior, moral excellence, fullness of life and eupraxophy can become cornerstones. Planetary humanism can help humanity reach a new stage of human development.

genus. 1925, Newark, USA) - philosopher, cultural scientist, theorist and practitioner of secular humanism. one of the representatives of modern American freethinking. Graduated from Columbia University (1949). Honorary Professor at the State University of New York (Buffalo, USA). Kurtz belongs to the naturalistic and pragmatic tradition, was influenced by the ideas of K. Marx, J. Dewey, and a student of S. Hook.

In his works “Fullness of Life” (1974), “Abundance: The Philosophy of Happiness” (1978), “Eupraxophy: Life Without Religion” (1989), he developed the concept of “eupraxsophy” (Eupraxsophy, where eu - good: praxis - behavior; sophia - wisdom ) is an ethical and social-philosophical doctrine based on a combination of universal moral norms and rationally comprehended dilemmas of existential choice. Kurty is a supporter of a new humanistic reformation, designed to resist new and old irrationalism and mediocracy (the power of global financial and information conglomerates, owners of mass media) and the dominance of average standards of behavior and taste, vulgarity and mediocrity. The central principle of Kurtz's ethics of humanity is “the courage to become,” i.e., the determination to overcome difficulties, create, and improve humanistically. Together with caring for oneself and others as the main personal and social value, this principle forms the basis of a decent human life (“The Courage to Become. The Virtues of Humanism”, 1977).

Kurtz is an active critic of anti-rationalism in culture, science, ethics and education, an opponent of traditional and modern religions and paranormal beliefs. Kurtz's methodology is selective and methodological skepticism, the basis of which is the recognition of social pluralism and the diversity of lifestyles, thinking and moral codes, as well as rational analysis; he pioneered the practical use of advances and experimental capabilities of the natural and behavioral sciences to investigate claims of supernatural phenomena.

Kurtz is a prominent public figure, president of the International Academy of Humanism, founder of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of Paranormal Phenomena (CSICOP) and the Center for Inquiry, chairman of the Council for Secular Humanism, etc.

Works: Decision and the Condition of Man. Seattle, 1965; Humanist Manifesto 11. Amherst-N. Y. 1973; The Fullness of Life. N. Y, 1974; Exuberance: A Philosophy of Happiness. Los Ang., 1978; A Secular Humanist Decir.ition. Amherst-N. Y, 1980; The Transcendental Temptation: A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal. Amherst-N. Y, 1986; Forbidden Fruit: Trie Fillies of Humanism. Amherst-N. Y, 1988; Eupraxophy: Liing without Religion. Amherst-N. Y, 1989; Philosophical Essay in Pragmatic Natunilisin. Amherst-N. Y, 1990; The New Skepticism: Inquiry,ind Reli.ible Knowledge. Amherst-N. Y, 1992; The Courage t Become: The Virtues of Humanism. Wesiport (Conn.)-L., 1997; Imbra ting llic Power of Human. Oxf, 2000; Sceptism and Human. Oxf, MP); the Forbidden fruit. Ethics of humanism. M., 1993; Temptation of the otherworldly. M., 1999: The courage to become. M.. 2000. Lit.: Toward a New Enlightenment: The Philosophy of Paul Kurtz. New Brunswick-N.Y. 1993; Modern humanism. M., 2000.

Before discussing the question of whether we continue to exist after death, it is necessary to find out in what sense a person is the same person as he was yesterday. Philosophers believed that there are certain substances - soul and body, and each of them continuously exists from day to day; that the soul, being created, continues to exist forever and ever, while the body temporarily ceases to exist by reason of death, until the resurrection occurs. As far as life is concerned today, this teaching is completely false. The substance of the body is constantly changing through the process of nutrition and wear. Even if this did not happen, atoms do not exist as something continuous. There is no point in saying: this is the same atom that existed a few minutes ago. The continuity of the human body is a question appearance and behavior, not substance. The same applies to consciousness. We think, feel and act; but there is not, in addition to thoughts, feelings and actions, any pure entity - consciousness or soul - which does these things or to which these things happen. The continuity of human consciousness is the continuity of habit and memory: yesterday there was a person whose feelings I remember, and I consider this person to be my yesterday; but in reality, “I am yesterday” are only certain states of consciousness that are now being remembered, and they should be considered belonging to the person who is currently recalling them. Everything that makes up a personality is a series of perceptions connected by memory and a certain kind of similarity, which we call habit. Therefore, if we want to believe that a person lives after death, then we must assume that the memories and habits that form his personality will be reproduced in new circumstances. No one can prove that this will not happen. But, as you can easily see, this is highly unlikely. Our memories and habits are connected to the structure of our brain, much like a river is connected to its bed. The water is constantly changing, but the river continues to flow in the same direction because the previous flow has formed a channel. Similarly, previous events have formed a channel in the brain, and our thoughts flow along this channel. This is the reason for memory and habits of consciousness. But the brain and its structure are destroyed with death, and memory, apparently, should also be destroyed. There is no reason to think otherwise, just as there is no reason to expect the old riverbed to remain intact after an earthquake has erected a mountain in place of a valley. All memory and, consequently, all phenomena of consciousness depend on a property that is present in some material structures, but is not characteristic of other structures or is characteristic only to a small extent. It is the ability to form habits as a result of frequent and repeated events. For example: bright light causes the pupil to contract, and if you regularly flash a flash in front of a person's eyes and hit a gong at the same time, eventually the gong alone will be enough to cause the pupils to contract. This fact concerns the brain and nervous system, in other words, a certain material structure. We will find that exactly the same facts explain our responses to language and its use, to our memories and the emotions they evoke, to our moral or immoral habits - in fact to everything that makes up our personality, except that part which is determined by heredity . Hereditary properties are transmitted to our descendants, but cannot remain with the individual after the disintegration of the body. Thus, both hereditary and acquired personality traits are associated, as far as we know, with the characteristics of certain bodily structures. We all know that memory can be erased if the brain is damaged, that a virtuous person can be turned into a vicious person if he is infected with lethargic encephalitis, and that a bright child can turn into an idiot if he is not given enough iodine. In light of these known facts, it seems unlikely that consciousness continues to exist after the complete destruction of brain structures. It is not rational arguments, but emotions that give rise to belief in an afterlife. The most important of these emotions is the fear of death, which is instinctive and biologically useful. If we believed with all our hearts in an afterlife, we would completely cease to be afraid of death. The consequences would be surprising, and perhaps most of us would regret them. But our human and subhuman ancestors fought and destroyed enemies throughout entire geological eras, and courage helped them in this; therefore, in the struggle for life, the ability to overcome sometimes the natural fear of death gives an advantage. For animals and savages, instinctive pugnacity is enough to achieve this goal, but at a certain stage, as the Muslims were the first to prove, belief in paradise acquires considerable military significance and develops natural pugnacity. We must admit, therefore, that the militarists are right in maintaining the belief in immortality and at the same time taking care that it does not become too deep and does not give rise to indifference to worldly affairs. Another emotion that promotes belief in an afterlife is admiration for the greatness of a person. As the Bishop of Birmingham says, “The human mind is a much more subtle instrument than anything that has come before - it knows what is right and what is wrong. He can build Westminster Abbey. He can build an airplane. He can calculate the distance to the Sun... So, will a person completely disappear after death? Will this incomparable instrument of his, his mind, disappear when life ceases?” The bishop further argues that “the universe is created and governed by an intelligent purpose” and that it would be unreasonable to create man and allow him to disappear. This argument can be answered in different ways. Firstly, as shown Scientific research nature, the introduction of moral or aesthetic values ​​into it has always complicated the process of discovery. We are accustomed to thinking that celestial bodies must rotate in a circle, because a circle is the most perfect of all curves; that species must be unchangeable, because God could only create that which is perfect and therefore does not need improvement; that it is useless to fight epidemics, and one only needs to repent, because they were sent down as punishment for sin, and so on. It turned out, however, that, as far as we can know, nature is indifferent to our values, and can only be comprehended if we abstract from our concepts of good and evil. The universe may have a purpose, but there is nothing to suggest that that purpose is anything like our human purposes. And this is not surprising. Dr. Barnes says that a person "knows what is right and what is wrong." But in fact, as anthropology shows, people's views on right and wrong differed to such an extent that unity was not achieved on any issue. Therefore, we cannot say that a person knows what is right and what is wrong, we can only say that some people know this. Which people exactly? Nietzsche argued for an ethics that was profoundly different from Christianity, and some powerful states adopted his teachings. If knowledge of right and wrong is an argument for immortality, we must first decide whether to believe Christ or Nietzsche, and then only prove that Christians are immortal and Hitler and Mussolini are not; or vice versa. The decision will obviously be made on the battlefield, not in the office. The ethics of the future belongs to those whose poison gas is more effective. Therefore, immortality belongs to them. Our feelings and beliefs regarding good and evil, like everything else about us, are natural qualities developed in the struggle for existence and have no divine or supernatural origin. In one of Aesop's fables, the lion is shown drawings of hunters catching lions, and the lion remarks that if he were drawing, he would depict lions catching hunters. Man, says Dr. Barnes, is a wonderful creature because he can build airplanes. Not long ago there was a popular song about smart flies that crawl upside down on the ceiling. The chorus chimed in: “Could Lloyd George do this? Could Mr. Baldwin do this? Could Ramsay MacDonald do this? Of course not". On this basis, a theologically minded fly could put forward a very strong argument, which other flies would undoubtedly find very convincing. Besides, we hold such a high opinion of a person only because we think abstractly. Most specific people are thought very poorly by most other people. Civilized states spend more than half of their income on killing citizens of other states. Consider the long history of activities inspired by moral fervor: human sacrifice, persecution of heretics, witch hunts, pogroms, and, finally, mass extermination by poison gas. This must apparently be approved by one of Dr. Barnes's Anglican colleagues, since he believes that pacifism is not inherent in Christianity. Are all these abominations, and the ethical teachings on which they are based, really evidence of the existence of an intelligent designer? And can we really want the people responsible to live forever? The world we live in can be understood as the result of confusion and chance; but if it is the result of a consciously chosen goal, then this goal apparently belongs to the enemy of the human race. As for me, I consider the case a less painful and more plausible hypothesis

Judgment after death and life after death will be

Two main types of life after death

1) Those who fulfill God's plan in creation, that is, those who believe that Christ died for their sins and rose again for their justification, and who receive God within themselves as life to become one with Him, will be with God, one with God, reign with God over all earth. This is the best it can happen to a person after death.

…The Lord God will shine on them; and they will reign forever and ever (Revelation 22:5)

…Depart from Me… into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41)

2) Those who are without God today will forever be without a loving God. They will endure the pain in the lake of fire, burning with Satan (the devil) and his fallen angels. The Lake of Fire was not intended for man, but for Satan and his angels. However, all of humanity became one with Satan as a result of the fall of Adam. Since some do not turn back to God despite many warnings and opportunities, God will have to give them up to spend eternity with Satan and share his torment. This is the worst kind of life after death. We hope that as many people as possible will turn to God and get rid of this, especially you who are reading this.

Factor that determines the type of your life after death

To live lifewhich will prepare us for the coming judgment, we must first find out what is rewarded and what is disapproved. Many people have the misconception that the one who does good while living on earth will go to heaven, and the one who does evil will go to hell. This view is not biblical. If you read carefully about the two main types of life after death, You will see something different. The determining factor in what a person's life will be like in eternity is not his behavior while living on earth, but rather what whether he believed in the death and resurrection of Christ, and whether he accepted God as life.

…to everyone who believes in Him, did not perish, but had eternal life... and the one who does not believe, already condemned (John 3:16-18)

Man's problem

...you were at that time separated from Christ...having no hope and without god in the world (Ephesians 2:12)

Although man was created by God to contain Him, man was still given the choice to accept either God as life or Satan. Man chose to accept Satan, who then entered into man and became the sinful nature in man. Man became a sinner in his composition and became full of sins in his actions. Now there is an element in man that loves unrighteousness and hates righteousness, that loves sin and darkness and hates light. Man is not anything that God intended man to be. Man without God remains in sin and is dead in his spirit, in that very part of man that was created to contact and contain God. If a person does not repent, then he is doomed to remain with Satan forever.

God's salvation

But God, rich in mercy, because of His great love (verses about love of God), with whom He loved man, does not want to see man created by Him become a victim of Satan and ends up in the lake of fire with Satan. It was love that moved God to become human, to unite with tormented humanity, to die as a perfect substitute, so that save a person from destruction. Then He rose again to become life-giving Spirit, to give life to all who believe and accept Him.	And you, though dead in your trespasses and sins... and we all once walked in the desires of our flesh... and were by nature children of wrath... but God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us , even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5)
Like newborn babes, thirst for the simple milk of words, so that by it you may grow (1 Peter 2:2)	When you accept Him into you, He will bring God's life into you. God will be your life and will be one with you. Then you must allow Him to grow within you to fill your entire being. This will rid you of the satanic nature that has been in you since birth. The more He grows in you, the freer you will be from Satan's tyranny. You will love as God loves. You will be as righteous as God is righteous. You will express all of God's divine qualities such as love, light, holiness, righteousness, kindness and so on. After life with God, in God and in unity with God on this earth, you Of course you will be approved in court. You there will definitely be life with God because you will already enjoy His eternal life during this physical life.
If you have not yet turned back to God and accepted His life through Jesus Christ, your life is still full of Satan, and you already convicted. No matter how hard you try to do good, you will never be good enough. You can be righteous sometimes, but not always. You may show love to all people, but in reality you may hate some of them secretly in your heart. This is not because you have no desire to be a decent person, but because you lack the strength that comes from the divine life. God is God and Satan is Satan. If you have Satan and no God, you will never be perfect in this life, and you You'll definitely end up in the lake of fire with Satan after the trial. If God lives inside you, you can be perfect like God in this life, and you will definitely be with God and one with God forever. What do you need? You need to accept Jesus by calling on His name and admitting to Him that you are a sinner and that you need Him as your salvation.	...I have offered you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19)
He who has the Son has life (1 John 5:12)	Pray like this: "Oh, Lord Jesus, I know that You created me. I know that I have sin and do not have Your life. I believe that You died for me. Lord Jesus, come into me to be my life. I want to be with You now and forever." Then you need to read the Bible, pray every day and gather with believers in unity so that you can grow into Him and be built up with God's people. This will give you confidence in one's own destiny.

Articles on the topic of life after death

Guests from the afterlife The question of whether there is life after death, and whether the dead can appear alive, has worried humanity from ancient times to the present day. Disputes on this topic, apparently, will never stop, but no one can yet prove the reality of the afterlife or its complete illusory nature. Be that as it may, throughout the history of mankind there has been a lot of evidence that two worlds - the familiar and the subtle - may touch. Proof of this is the numerous, sometimes documented, stories of eyewitnesses of these seemingly fantastic events. Here is one of the stories described in the magazine "Rebus" in 1883. One of the St. Petersburg officials, Nikolai M., decided to visit his seriously ill father. Unfortunately, the son and father could not see each other often, since the latter lived in America. Nikolai was a convinced atheist, which saddened his father. During the meeting with Nikolai, the father stated that he was especially glad to see him, since this was their last meeting. “I will soon leave this world,” he said sadly. - How? - exclaimed the son. - Do you think you will die? But your illness has been going on for many years, you can live for a long time. “I didn’t say that I would die,” the father smiled. - I’ll just leave my earthly body and move into the spiritual world. However, first I would like you to make me one promise. Upset Nikolai promised to do whatever the patient wanted, and heard strange words: “When I leave this world, I will come and show myself to you.” I want that, having seen my ghost, you would believe that the soul exists, and convince your friends of this, who, alas, also do not believe in the other world. The son promised his father to do what he asked, but with a caveat: he did not want to think about his imminent death and wished him recovery. That's where they parted. Moreover, at that moment the patient suddenly felt a surge of strength and said that he felt better. Hoping for the best, Nikolai left for Russia. About a month has passed. Not receiving sad news from America, Nikolai gradually calmed down and even thought that his father’s thoughts about the afterlife were a figment of his sick imagination. Soon he decided to arrange a dinner for his friends and tell them about the delusions of his dad. He spent the day in preparation and was so tired that in the evening he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. At night, Nikolai woke up because the dog, who usually slept next to his bed, suddenly howled. The fur on the animal stood on end. The owner shouted at the dog, but he did not let up. Suddenly Nikolai felt such a surge of horror that the hair on his head began to move. Pulling the blanket up to his chin and listening to the howls of the dog, Nikolai looked with wide eyes at the far corner of the room, where a luminous spot the size of a human palm suddenly appeared. Overcoming the horror that gripped him, he began to think, but realized that he could not determine the source of this light... The windows were covered with curtains, but most of all the ghostly spot resembled moonlight, fluttering as if alive. A few minutes later, Nikolai noticed that the mysterious spot, gradually moving, was approaching his bed. When it turned out to be close enough, Nikolai distinguished in it first the figure, and then the face of his father, who seemed to specially stand so that his son could get a good look at him. He looked quite healthy and cheerful, and his face even seemed younger. At that moment, the dog, which had been howling incessantly, suddenly fell silent, as if on command, and Nikolai heard such a dear and familiar voice that he had no doubt that his father was in front of him! The fear immediately passed. -Have you forgotten the word you gave me? - his words sounded. - As you can see, I keep my promise and came to you. “But you wanted to come to me after your death,” Nikolai whispered barely audibly. - Are you dead? - No, I'm alive. I have only left my physical shell and, clothed in a spiritual body, I am in peace and quiet. And tomorrow, when your friends come, you must tell them about this meeting of ours. Completely confused, the son asked the first question that came to his mind: “What time is it now?” “Five minutes past twelve,” came the answer. - So you died at night? “I want you to understand,” the father smiled, “there is no death.” I am still alive and just in another world. It is very important for me that you believe in the immortality of the soul and tell your friends about it. Know that the spirits of those you love can come to earth again, talk to the living, warn them of misfortunes or joys, and even help them. After the father said these words, his figure began to waver and gradually melted away. It seemed as if the darkness that reigned in the room had swallowed her up. At that same moment the dog howled again, but Nikolai shouted at him and he fell silent. Waking up in the morning, Nikolai could not understand whether the night's event was real or whether he saw his father in a dream. Despite the fact that after this story his mood deteriorated and confusion reigned in his soul, the young official did not cancel the dinner. When lunch was in full swing, the doorbell rang and the postman handed Nikolai a telegram about father's death which followed last midnight. Wanting to keep his word to his deceased father, Nikolai reported what had happened to his friends. There was a painful silence at the table... A similar story happened in London. One evening, several students from one of the colleges were having dinner at a restaurant to celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of the holidays. The conversation turned to whether life continues after death or whether everything stops as soon as our body dies. Opinions, of course, were divided. And then the friends made a promise to each other that the one who would go to another world first would definitely appear and tell whether there was something “beyond the grave” or not. Laughing merrily, the young people swore an oath to each other “if something happens” to do just that. The summer flew by, and the same group of students again gathered in the restaurant, this time to celebrate the start of school. Everyone had an excellent appetite, food and strong drinks instantly disappeared into the stomachs of the students. And only one of them did not touch either food or drink and, smiling sadly, watched the sparkling joy of his comrades. Finally someone exclaimed: “And you, James, why aren’t you having fun with us?” Perhaps some young, unapproachable lady wounded you in the heart? - Remember what we talked about here last time? - James asked unexpectedly. - Today I came to tell you all that life after death does not stop, and the fact that I am now among you is a direct confirmation of this. It was as if an otherworldly chill wafted through the restaurant hall. The students fell silent, looking at each other in bewilderment, and James rose from the table and slowly walked out of the room. Several days passed, classes had already begun, and for some reason James did not go to lectures, although his comrades saw him several times in the corridors of the college. Everything became more or less clear when James' parents arrived at the school. They informed management that their son drowned in the summer while swimming in the river...

Is there life after life? Paul Kurtz (“Temptation by the Otherworld”)

Is there life after life? This is an ancient question that has been studied by spiritualists and parapsychologists, and it is probably the most important question that faces each of us. The existential conflict is that everyone will have to die; and although for most of his life everyone is free to ignore it, he cannot, in the end, avoid death. Even at the moment a person was born, he had already lived long enough to die. The question of life after death has always been a subject of human questioning, philosophical reflection and scientific interest; and he also gave the main impetus to the emergence of religion. In fact, the main motivation for the desire for God is the fear of death and the unknown and our desire to overcome their horror and darkness. Faith in God is rooted in the passionate desire that God will save us from dying and give us eternal life. Thus, many were unable to treat this issue impartially, because so much depends on its solution.

Those who deny the existence of life after death are often viewed as outcasts or heretics, outcasts from society. Those who promise immortality, on the contrary, are idolized; Religions are based on their names. Jesus is the best example of this. The more ambitious the promise and the more dramatic the myth, the more likely people will believe it; when he touches upon the doctrine of life after death, he can attract to himself many millions of believers who will go to their deaths firmly convinced of the existence of an afterlife. Although the hope of life after death has been the main source of religious and aesthetic inspiration, unfortunately, the power of the dream of it far exceeds the possibility of its real justification.

Throughout history, several arguments have been offered in favor of the hypothesis of life after death.

Deductive reasoning based on religious beliefs. If God exists, then immortality follows from this, as the fulfillment of some divine plan. This argument is open to criticism. If the existence of God can only be believed, then the immortality of the soul cannot be rationally demonstrated in any way, and those who do not share religious beliefs are unlikely to find this argument convincing. Moreover, it is acceptable to believe in a deity, but not in personal immortality.

Empirical arguments. Can we prove immortality independently of the existence of God? As we have already seen, there have been many attempts to confirm the hypothesis of life after death by scientific methods, especially after the founding of the Society for Paranormal Research in 1882. There has been a noticeable rise in interest in this issue in recent decades, especially in parapsychology. We'll look at some paranormal evidence below.

Value considerations. Whether or not the existence of God and an afterlife for the soul can be proven, the doctrine of immortality is assumed to be a necessary condition for moral life. Without it, life would be devoid of any meaning, and ethical values ​​would not have a sufficiently strong basis. Secularists argue that ethics can be autonomous and that the concept of responsibility does not require the doctrine of divine salvation. They also argue that if there were an afterlife, and everything that happens in this life is only a preparation for it, then from our life the meaning would go away, and all our plans would be meaningless. Can a person live a meaningful and meaningful life, without considering that the universe has a single high purpose or that after this life the next one awaits us? Maybe life has no meaning as such. But doesn't it provide us with a huge number of possibilities that we can fill with meaning? However, believers insist that life would be meaningless without the hope of immortality.

Skeptics have generally raised at least three main objections to the afterlife hypothesis: (1) logical objections, (2) questions of evidence, (3) the argument from values. We will look at each of them in order.

USA

Professor Emeritus of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Chairman of the Council on Secular Humanism, founder of the magazine Free Inquiry and the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.

Early life

Kurtz was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Sarah Lesser and Martin Kurtz. He received his bachelor's degree from New York University and his master's and PhD degrees from Columbia University. Kurtz was left-leaning in his youth, but serving in the U.S. Army during World War II showed him that ideology could be dangerous. He saw the concentration camps of Buchenwald and Dachau after they were liberated and became disillusioned with communism when he encountered Russian forced laborers who had been taken by force to Nazi Germany but refused to return to the Soviet Union at the end of the war.

Secular humanism

Kurtz greatly influenced the secularization of humanism. Before Kurtz began using the term secular humanism, it was perceived as a religion (or pseudo-religion) that did not include the supernatural, as the term originally came into widespread prominence through fundamentalist Christians in the 1960s. This can be seen in the first version of the original Humanist Manifesto, which refers to the popular book Humanism: New religion", written in 1930 by Charles and Clara Potter.

Kurtz used the publicity generated by the fundamentalists to increase the number of members of the Council for Secular Humanism, and also stripped the movement of the religious aspects that the initial version had been endowed with. He founded the Research Center (English)Russian in 1991. There are currently about 40 centers and societies around the world, including in Los Angeles, Washington, New York, London, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Moscow, Beijing, Hyderabad, Toronto, Dakar, Buenos Aires and Kathmandu.

Criticism of the paranormal

Another aspect of the legacy left by Kurtz is criticism of the paranormal. In 1976, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Reports of the Paranormal (CSICOP) began publishing the Skeptical Inquirer magazine. Like Martin Gardner, Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, James Randi, Ray Hyman and many others, Kurtz was a popularizer of scientific skepticism and critical thinking.

As for the founders of the modern skepticism movement, Ray Hyman states that in 1972, he, along with James Randi and Martin Gardner, wanted to form a committee called S.I.R (Sanity In Research). But none of them had enough management experience. Soon, they were joined by Marcello Truzzi, who provided a structure for the committee's work. Truzzi recruited Paul Kurtz to the project and in 1976 they formed CSICOP.

Kurtz wrote:

The persistence of paranormal manifestations, I believe, is due to transcendental temptation. In my book of the same title, I present the thesis that paranormal and religious phenomena have similar functions in human experience. They are an expression of the tendency to adopt magical thinking. This temptation is so deeply rooted in human experience and culture that it continually reasserts itself.

Original text(English)

explanation for the persistence of the paranormal, I submit, is due to the transcendental temptation. In my book by that name, I present the thesis that paranormal and religious phenomena have similar functions in human experience; they are expressions of a tendency to accept magical thinking. This temptation has such profound roots within human experience and culture that it constantly reasserts itself.

Eupraxophy

Kurtz coined the term "eupraxsophy" to describe philosophies such as secular humanism and Confucianism that do not rely on belief in the transcendent or supernatural. Eupraxophy is a non-religious philosophy or worldview that emphasizes the importance of living a vibrant and moral life based on rational methods such as logic, observation, and science (rather than faith, mysticism, or revelation). The word itself is made up of the Greek words “good”, “practice”, “wisdom”. Eupraxophies, like religions, are comprehensive in their worldview, but reject the supernatural component of religion and avoid the "transcendent temptation", as Kurtz puts it.

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Notes

Bibliography

• “Decision and the condition of man”, 1965),
• “The fullness of life”, 1974),
• “In defense of secular humanism” (“In defense of secular humanism”, 1984),
• “The transcendental temptation: a critique of religion and the paranormal”, 1986; Russian translation - 1999),
• “Forbidden fruit: the ethics of humanism” (“Forbidden fruit: the ethics of humanism”, 1987; - Russian translation - 1993),
• “Eupraxofy: living without religion”, 1989),
• “Philosophical essays in pragmatic naturalism”, 1990,
• "The new skepticism: inquiry and reliable knowledge", 1992),
• “Toward a new Enlightenment: the philosophy of Paul Kurtz”, 1994),
• “The courage to become: the virtues of humanism” (“The courage to become: the virtues of humanism”, 1997; Russian translation - 2000),
• (“Humanist Manifesto 2000: A call for a new planetary humanism”, 2000; Russian translation - see: 11)

Translations into Russian

• Kurtz P. - M.: Academic project, 1999.
• Kurtz P. - M.: Ros. humanist. o-vo, 2000.
• Kurtz P. - Ed. 2, corrected - M.: Ros. humanist. o-vo, 2002.
• Kurtz P. / Trans. from English and preface V. A. Kuvakina. - M.: Nauka, 2005. - 306 p. ISBN 5-02-033810-9

Literature

• // Common sense . - 2005. - No. 2 (35). - P. 25.

Excerpt characterizing Kurtz, Paul

- Who is this? – Petya asked.
- This is our plastun. I sent him to take the tongue.
“Oh, yes,” Petya said from Denisov’s first word, nodding his head as if he understood everything, although he absolutely did not understand a single word.
Tikhon Shcherbaty was one of the most the right people in the party. He was a man from Pokrovskoye near Gzhat. When, at the beginning of his actions, Denisov came to Pokrovskoye and, as always, calling the headman, asked what they knew about the French, the headman answered, as all the headmen answered, as if defending themselves, that they didn’t know anything, to know they don't know. But when Denisov explained to them that his goal was to beat the French, and when he asked if the French had wandered in, the headman said that there were definitely marauders, but that in their village only one Tishka Shcherbaty was involved in these matters. Denisov ordered Tikhon to be called to him and, praising him for his activities, said a few words in front of the headman about the loyalty to the Tsar and the Fatherland and the hatred of the French that the sons of the Fatherland should observe.
“We don’t do anything bad to the French,” said Tikhon, apparently timid at Denisov’s words. “That’s the only way we fooled around with the guys.” They must have beaten about two dozen Miroders, otherwise we didn’t do anything bad... - The next day, when Denisov, completely forgetting about this guy, left Pokrovsky, he was informed that Tikhon had attached himself to the party and asked to be left with it. Denisov ordered to leave him.
Tikhon, who at first corrected the menial work of laying fires, delivering water, skinning horses, etc., soon showed greater willingness and ability for guerrilla warfare. He went out at night to hunt for prey and each time brought with him French clothes and weapons, and when he was ordered, he also brought prisoners. Denisov dismissed Tikhon from work, began to take him with him on travels and enrolled him in the Cossacks.
Tikhon did not like to ride and always walked, never falling behind the cavalry. His weapons were a blunderbuss, which he wore more for fun, a pike and an ax, which he wielded like a wolf wields his teeth, equally easily picking out fleas from his fur and biting through thick bones. Tikhon equally faithfully, with all his might, split logs with an ax and, taking the ax by the butt, used it to cut out thin pegs and cut out spoons. In Denisov's party, Tikhon occupied his special, exclusive place. When it was necessary to do something especially difficult and disgusting - turn a cart over in the mud with your shoulder, pull a horse out of a swamp by the tail, skin it, climb into the very middle of the French, walk fifty miles a day - everyone pointed, laughing, at Tikhon.
“What the hell is he doing, you big gelding,” they said about him.
Once, the Frenchman whom Tikhon was taking shot at him with a pistol and hit him in the flesh of his back. This wound, for which Tikhon was treated only with vodka, internally and externally, was the subject of the funniest jokes in the entire detachment and jokes to which Tikhon willingly succumbed.
- What, brother, won’t you? Is Ali crooked? - the Cossacks laughed at him, and Tikhon, deliberately crouching and making faces, pretending that he was angry, scolded the French with the most ridiculous curses. This incident had only the influence on Tikhon that after his wound he rarely brought prisoners.
Tikhon was the most useful and brave man in the party. No one else discovered cases of attack, no one else took him and beat the French; and as a result of this, he was the jester of all the Cossacks and hussars and he himself willingly succumbed to this rank. Now Tikhon was sent by Denisov, at night, to Shamshevo in order to take the tongue. But, either because he was not satisfied with just the Frenchman, or because he slept through the night, during the day he climbed into the bushes, into the very middle of the French and, as Denisov saw from Mount Denisov, was discovered by them.

After talking a little more time with the esaul about tomorrow's attack, which now, looking at the proximity of the French, Denisov seemed to have finally decided, he turned his horse and rode back.
“Well, damn, now let’s go dry off,” he said to Petya.
Approaching the forest guardhouse, Denisov stopped, peering into the forest. Through the forest, between the trees, a man in a jacket, bast shoes and a Kazan hat, with a gun over his shoulder and an ax in his belt, walked with long, light steps on long legs, with long, dangling arms. Seeing Denisov, this man hastily threw something into the bush and, taking off his wet hat with its drooping brim, approached the boss. It was Tikhon. His face, pitted with smallpox and wrinkles, with small, narrow eyes, shone with self-satisfied gaiety. He raised his head high and, as if holding back laughter, stared at Denisov.
“Well, where did it fall?” Denisov said.
- Where had you been? “I followed the French,” Tikhon answered boldly and hastily in a hoarse but melodious bass.
- Why did you climb during the day? Cattle! Well, didn't you take it?..
“I took it,” said Tikhon.
- Where is he?
“Yes, I took him first at dawn,” Tikhon continued, moving his flat legs turned out wider in his bast shoes, “and took him into the forest.” I see it's not okay. I think, let me go and get another more careful one.
“Look, you scoundrel, that’s how it is,” Denisov said to the esaul. - Why didn’t you do this?
“Why should we lead him,” Tikhon interrupted hastily and angrily, “he’s not fit.” Don't I know which ones you need?
- What a beast!.. Well?..
“I went after someone else,” Tikhon continued, “I crawled into the forest in this manner, and lay down.” – Tikhon suddenly and flexibly lay down on his belly, imagining in their faces how he did it. “One and catch up,” he continued. “I’ll rob him in this manner.” – Tikhon quickly and easily jumped up. “Let’s go, I say, to the colonel.” How loud he will be. And there are four of them here. They rushed at me with skewers. “I hit them with an ax in this manner: why are you, Christ is with you,” Tikhon cried, waving his arms and frowning menacingly, sticking out his chest.
“We saw from the mountain how you asked a line through the puddles,” said the esaul, narrowing his shining eyes.
Petya really wanted to laugh, but he saw that everyone was holding back from laughing. He quickly moved his eyes from Tikhon’s face to the faces of the esaul and Denisov, not understanding what it all meant.
“Don’t even imagine it,” Denisov said, coughing angrily. “Why didn’t he do it?”
Tikhon began to scratch his back with one hand, his head with the other, and suddenly his whole face stretched into a shining, stupid smile, revealing a missing tooth (for which he was nicknamed Shcherbaty). Denisov smiled, and Petya burst into cheerful laughter, which Tikhon himself joined in.
“Yes, it’s completely wrong,” said Tikhon. “The clothes he’s wearing are bad, so where should we take him?” Yes, and a rude man, your honor. Why, he says, I myself am the son of Anaral, I won’t go, he says.
- What a brute! - Denisov said. - I need to ask...
“Yes, I asked him,” said Tikhon. - He says: I don’t know him well. There are many of ours, he says, but they are all bad; only, he says, one name. “If you’re fine,” he says, “you’ll take everyone,” Tikhon concluded, looking cheerfully and decisively into Denisov’s eyes.
“Here I’ll pour in a hundred gogs, and you’ll be the one to claw,” Denisov said sternly.
“Why be angry,” said Tikhon, “well, I haven’t seen your French?” Just let it get dark, I’ll bring whatever you want, at least three.
“Well, let’s go,” Denisov said, and he rode all the way to the guardhouse, frowning angrily and silently.
Tikhon came from behind, and Petya heard the Cossacks laughing with him and at him about some boots that he had thrown into a bush.
When that laughter that had taken possession of him at Tikhon’s words and smile passed, and Petya realized for a moment that this Tikhon had killed a man, he felt embarrassed. He looked back at the captive drummer, and something pierced his heart. But this awkwardness lasted only for a moment. He felt the need to raise his head higher, cheer up and ask the esaul with a significant look about tomorrow's enterprise, so as not to be unworthy of the society in which he was.
The sent officer met Denisov on the road with the news that Dolokhov himself would arrive now and that everything was fine on his part.
Denisov suddenly became cheerful and called Petya over to him.
“Well, tell me about yourself,” he said.

When Petya left Moscow, leaving his relatives, he joined his regiment and soon after that he was taken as an orderly to the general who commanded a large detachment. From the time of his promotion to officer, and especially from his entry into the active army, where he participated in the Battle of Vyazemsky, Petya was in a constantly happily excited state of joy at the fact that he was great, and in a constantly enthusiastic haste not to miss any case of real heroism . He was very happy with what he saw and experienced in the army, but at the same time it seemed to him that where he was not, that was where the most real, heroic things were now happening. And he was in a hurry to get to where he was not.

Virgo