The Case for Humanism: An Introduction

The Case for Humanism is the premier textbook on the 'big ideas' of Western humanism—secularism, rationalism, materialism, democracy, individualism, and many others. Students are invited to think critically about these powerful themes that run through Western thought from the ancient Greeks, to the Enlightenment, to the present day. The issues discussed raise some of the most provocative and relevant questions of our time, regardless of discipline—these are the major questions of science, religion, and philosophy. Drawing on an accessible, student-friendly format, the authors teach by example how to analyze arguments for and against humanist ideas, how to judge alternative theories, and how to evaluate humanism as a whole. The text breaks humanism down into 17 fundamental propositions for students to dissect. These elements make The Case for Humanism a natural for courses in introductory and comparative religion.

The Case for Humanism is the premier textbook to introduce and help students think critically about the _big ideas_ of Western humanism—secularism, rationalism, materialism, science, democracy, individualism, and others—all powerful themes that run through Western thought from the ancient Greeks and the Enlightenment to the present day.

Lewis Vaughn is the coauthor of two philosophy textbooks: Doing Philosophy: An Introduction through Thought Experiments (1999) and How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age (1995). Austin Dacey is visiting research professor of philosophy at SUNY-Buffalo and executive editor of PHILO.