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Thursday, July 03, 2008

Against the gods, religious and otherwise.

By Mark Vernon for Ekklesia

3 Dec 2007

The occasion was the third annual Jeremy Bentham lecture, named after the eighteenth century philosopher who is a hero of secular rationalists. It was given by Tim Crane, a self-confessed atheist and professor of philosophy at University College London – the place where Bentham’s preserved remains, or ‘Auto-Icon’, can be seen to this day in a wooden cabinet at the end of the South Cloisters. The invitation to give the lecture, delivered in November 2007, was made by the British Humanist Association (BHA). The event was open to anyone but was intended as a humanist meeting of minds. ‘Like with like together strike’, as the saying goes. So, as a religiously-inclined agnostic, I felt a bit like an Anglican attending Catholic Mass who hopes they won’t be caught out receiving communion.

Sure enough, Crane took it as read that being a humanist entails being an atheist. He also seemed to have a pretty silly idea about religion – making references to creation in 4004 BCE as if that was standard thought, for example. Though perhaps he was just playing to his supposedly atheistic audience. But then something surprising happened. He turned on them too. He launched into a scathing critique of many humanists’ fundamental beliefs, denouncing them as delusions. His starting point was Richard Dawkins’ comment that humanism is ‘the moral outlook associated with atheism.’ What, Crane asked, does this moral outlook consist of? He turned to the website of the BHA, his host, for enlightenment – and came away disappointed. On the site, several statements are listed as core humanist beliefs. These include the centrality of scientific evidence as the basis for knowledge, and the determination of right and wrong as a matter for human beings and human beings alone. But Crane, for one, cannot assert any of these creedal confessions without qualification, clarification, and possibly not at all. Is he, then, not really a humanist?

Crane widened the divide between himself and his erstwhile fellows. He declared that he does not want atheistic holidays commemorating scientific big-hitters like Charles Darwin. Why do individuals like Richard Dawkins want to ape the religion they so loathe by starting new ‘saints days’, Crane asked bemused? Turning to another secularist bรชte noire, he similarly doesn’t understand the obsession with campaigning for humanist contributions to ‘Thought for the Day’ on the radio. He believes they would be no better than the candyfloss confections that are served up now, just with different sugar-sweet pieties. And then there is the ‘Brights’ movement, the campaign by some atheists to ditch

the inherent negativity in their position – not believing in this, objecting to that – with the power of positive feeling: rather than calling themselves Atheists, they want to call themselves Brights. Once more, the trappings of religion seem to be inherent in the concept, to say nothing of the cheap artwork of their logo which has all the saltiness of stick-figures in the Good News Bible, Crane declared. He agrees with Christopher Hitchens on Brights: ‘cringe-making and conceited.’

All in all, Crane believes humanism cannot add up to being a moral outlook. There is just not enough meat in it. Turning to the New Humanist magazine as another possible source of enlightenment, he was again dismayed. It appears to consist mostly in slagging off religion. There is nothing wrong with that but it does not make for a worldview or a flourishing way of life. Ouch! So what is humanism? Crane offered a minimal definition: it is a kind of rallying point or pressure group – more like Amnesty International than an

alternative to religion. He argued that it is actions in the world that matter not beliefs. Atheists would do better to address that, rather than obsessively attacking people’s beliefs. After all, religion will not go away, he continued. So humanists should avoid writing creeds, and cultivating blanket attitudes against all religion. A better goal would be to seek a framework that makes for harmony between people of different views – one driven by a quest for peace rather than truth, by being based upon tolerance.

Now, at one level it was cathartic to witness disagreements amongst atheists that are quite as uncomfortable and divisive as those that are never far from the surface between Christians. But the lecture suggested something else about the human condition to me too. The present age is a context with which all people are trying to grapple. They may be of religious faith or atheistic conviction: but no-one has a complete answer to the forces that shape and shake the modern world. Hence all the disagreements. To put it another way, the persistent pluralism of our times, even within apparently homogeneous groups, is evidence enough that no one worldview is universally satisfactory. Moreover, many of the faults that one side finds in the other – such as that atheism is empty, or that theism is primitive – actually conceal the same flaws in the side being defended too. Yet Crane’s lecture also suggested a way forward that can be adopted by anyone. If we are to make progress, and defuse the apparently escalating clash of convictions, self-honesty, self-examination and self-critique are crucial virtues. Strident creeds and dogmatic certainties – again whether secular or religious – may keep the subterranean anxieties of those who confess them at bay.

Alternatively, it is easy to define yourself by whom you are against. But the result is an intolerant rationalism, on the one hand, and on the other hand, an oppressive religiosity. It is a tolerant pluralism that counts. What cultivates that, at least in part, is the questioning of all assertions, the unsettling of all shibboleths. Even when among friends.

[What an interesting event that looked to be. I wish that I’d been there! So many interesting questions and so much food for thought. I certainly agree with Tim Crane regarding atheist ‘holidays’ and broadly agree on his views on the ‘Brights’. I’m not so sure regarding his assertion that Humanism isn’t a moral outlook. I think that Humanism informs a moral outlook so he may just be conflating the two. Likewise I don’t think that atheism is a world view or likewise a moral outlook but again informs such a thing – which is why they’re so closely allied (though not necessarily the same thing). Definitely something to think about.]

4 comments:

wstachour said...

Hmmm. The whole premise of looking for a moral code seems inherently religious. In my layman's way, I've always taken Humanism to mean the attempt to maximize human comfort and happiness by way of a rational interface with the world. More than this--guiding principles, as it were--seems unnecessary to put into code.

My problem with "atheism" as a term is that it defines one's place in the world solely in reference to mythology. Granted, this is the germane point for those who respond to the label, but for me personally the "spirit world" just doesn't figure into my daily existence. "Bright" seems an arbitrary stab at finding a label when god-labels won't do, but I'm happy without any labels. I AM an atheist, but only insofar as my beliefs correspond to those to whom the term is applied by others.

I've never heard of Tim Crane, but I wonder at his motivation in trying to remove what little glue holds the non-religious together.

dbackdad said...

I'd agree that the concept of "Brights" and atheist holidays smacks of trying to make atheism palatable for those riding the fence. There are quite a few people who don't believe in God but attend church out of habit, and for social and family reasons. Some sense of community might attract those people. It's all pretty silly, though. You don't have to "pretty up" atheism. As Wunelle says, the concept of religion and mythology does not define how we live our daily lives. I don't live my life by some "atheist" creed. Rational, yes, logical, yes, humanist, probably. As CK says, I do believe that humanism can inform morals and can be a general guideline. But rationality, logic, and humanism are not definitions in opposition to something else, like atheism. I am an atheist but it is not a way of living your life.

Thomas Fummo said...

*long intake of breath*

*dramatic pause*

what they said

(really, I couldn't put it any better...sorry)

CyberKitten said...

wunelle said: The whole premise of looking for a moral code seems inherently religious.

I'm not sure if I'd use the word 'religious' in the context of a code. It certainly doesn't sit well with me. Real life isn't the kind of thing that responds well to codification. It's just too messy. The need to find a moral code speaks volumes about people that need that kind of structure though....

wunelle said: My problem with "atheism" as a term is that it defines one's place in the world solely in reference to mythology.

Very true. Which is one reason why I haven't joined the Atheist Blogroll - I'm an atheist who Blogs but this is not an Atheist Blog. Atheism is a sceptical position on the God question. It doesn't really inform much else than that.

wunelle said: I've never heard of Tim Crane, but I wonder at his motivation in trying to remove what little glue holds the non-religious together.

I too wondered at his motivation. Crane is professor of philosophy at UCL and is the director of the Institute of Philosophy in the University of London.

dbackdad said: As Wunelle says, the concept of religion and mythology does not define how we live our daily lives.

Indeed. It's just another theist misconception of how we go about things. I must admit that I hardly ever think about the God Question...

dbackdad said: I don't live my life by some "atheist" creed. Rational, yes, logical, yes, humanist, probably.

Agreed. I don't think that I live my life by any 'creed' I also wouldn't sign up to any creed atheist or otherwise. It's not really in my nature to do so. I certainly try to be as rational as I can be - but am aware that I am all too human for that to be the cae all of the time. I try to think logically - though am aware of its limitions. I certainly regard myself as a humanist (though much else besides).

dbackdad said: I do believe that humanism can inform morals and can be a general guideline.

Agreed. Humanism is a philosophical viewpoint that can inform our moral positions on various issues. Crane seemed to be having several category issues with the terms he was using. Despite the fact that he's a PhD philosopher this article (admittedly by someone else) makes his thinking to be less than crystal clear.

Dr S said: what they said.

[laughs]

Totally!