In this discussion, Sarah Bakewell, an award-winning author known for her work on Montaigne and existentialism, dives into the rich history of humanism. She explores its roots from the Renaissance, highlighting the evolution from religious dogma to evidence-based inquiry. Bakewell elaborates on the tensions between humanism and anti-humanism, discussing influential figures like Montaigne. The conversation also touches on the complexities of defining humanism today, including the challenges of inclusivity and the relationship between humanism and technology.
Humanism emphasizes that human beings are the source of meaning and mattering in our lives, rather than relying on a higher power.
The history of humanism originated in the 1300s in Italy and aimed to rejuvenate society by incorporating ancient knowledge and values.
Humanism needs to be more inclusive and continuously redefine its boundaries to embrace diversity and represent the equal worth and rights of all individuals.
Deep dives
The Birth of Naturalism and Moral Anti-Realism
The podcast episode discusses the concept of naturalism and moral anti-realism. Naturalism is the belief that the world is fundamentally natural with no supernatural aspects. The speaker argues that while the universe exists and operates according to the laws of physics, it doesn't judge or evaluate human beings. This perspective rejects the existence of a set of universal rules that determine right and wrong, seeing morality as a human invention rather than something given by the universe or a higher power.
The Emergence of Humanism in European History
The podcast explores the history of humanism, focusing on the 1300s in Italy. Figures like Petrarch and Boccaccio are highlighted for their significant contributions to the humanist movement. These individuals saw themselves as recovering from a dark age by rediscovering and studying ancient writings, particularly those of Latin and Greek authors. They aimed to rejuvenate the modern world by incorporating the knowledge and values of the ancient past. The emergence of humanism marked a shift towards valuing human life and culture, separate from theological or supernatural influences.
Expanding the Scope of Humanism and Challenging Exclusion
The podcast discusses the need to expand the scope of humanism to be more inclusive. It acknowledges that early humanism often excluded groups such as women and non-European cultures. However, various movements, including feminism and racial equality, have challenged and critiqued this exclusivity. These movements utilize humanistic principles to argue for the equal worth and rights of all individuals, regardless of gender, race, or other factors. The episode highlights the ongoing work needed to continuously redefine and extend the boundaries of humanism to ensure it embraces diversity and representation.
The Renaissance and the Rise of Humanism
The podcast discusses the Renaissance period and the rise of humanism, highlighting the importance of preserving and studying classical texts. It explores how humanists challenged and exposed fraudulent documents, such as the Donation of Constantine, which posed a threat to the authority of the church. The humanist movement emphasized a historical approach to studying texts and incorporated critical thinking. Additionally, the podcast delves into the educational reforms of the time, which focused on cultivating well-rounded individuals and training them for positions of leadership.
The Enlightenment and the Humanistic Ideals
The Enlightenment period is discussed in relation to the humanistic ideals it embraced. The podcast explains how scientific thinking and reason were used to improve human well-being during this period. Figures like Voltaire promoted the idea of using reason and scientific methods to address human suffering. However, it is noted that the Enlightenment also had limitations, as it mostly focused on the elite and excluded women from its educational ideals. It highlights the ongoing debate around individualism and argues that humanism is not solely about individual rights, but also about empathy, responsibility, and caring for others.
Human beings are small compared to the universe, but we're very important to ourselves. Humanism can be thought of as the idea that human beings are themselves the source of meaningfulness and mattering in our lives, rather than those being granted to us by some higher power. In today's episode, Sarah Bakewell discusses the origin and evolution of this dramatic idea. Humanism turns out to be a complex thing; there are religious humanists and atheistic anti-humanists. Her new book is Humanly Possible: 700 Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope.
Sarah Bakewell did postgraduate work in philosophy and artificial intelligence before becoming a full-time author. Among her previous books are How to Live: a life of Montaigne, and At the Existentialist Cafe. She has been awarded the National Book Critics Circle award in biography, as well as the Windham-Campbell Prize in non-fiction.
