The original Amsterdam Declaration was adopted at the first Humanist World Congress in Amsterdam by the founding organizations of Humanists International (known until 2019 as IHEU, International Humanist and Ethical Union). Over the past 70 years, the world has of course changed considerably and the Amsterdam Declaration, in which the basic humanist principles are formulated, has therefore also been revised and updated over the years. At the General Assembly of Humanists International 2022, the Declaration was renewed once again in line with the democratic and progressive values of the organization and the movement – as the Declaration of Modern Humanism 2022.
Erwin Kress, spokesman of the board of the HVD Bundesverband, who took part in the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of Humanists International in Amsterdam last weekend, explained:
“We have to keep reminding ourselves what the foundations of our actions are when we work for a more humane world. This is all the more important as our current world is threatened by various challenges, wars and crises. Humanity can only survive in the long term if it frees itself from paralyzing myths, confronts threats together, democratically and in solidarity, overcomes social divisions and develops science and technology for the benefit of all. If we bring our positive qualities to bear, we can continue to hope for a fulfilling and humane life.”
Declaration of a modern humanism 2022
Humanist beliefs and values are as old as civilization and have a history of their own in most societies around the world. Modern humanism is the culmination of these long traditions of thinking about meaning and ethics, the source of inspiration for many of the world’s great thinkers, artists and philanthropists, and is intertwined with the rise of modern science. As a global humanist movement, we want to make all people aware of these essential elements of the humanist worldview:
1. humanism is ethical
We are convinced that morality is inherent in human beings. This morality is grounded in the fact that living beings suffer and thrive, is driven by the value of helping and not harming, is enabled by reason and compassion, and needs no source outside of humanity.
We affirm the value and dignity of the individual and the right of every person to the greatest possible freedom and full development in harmony with the rights of others. In this spirit, we support peace, democracy, the rule of law and universal human rights.
We reject all forms of racism and prejudice and the resulting injustices. Instead, we strive to promote the well-being and community of humanity in all its diversity and individuality.
We believe that personal freedom must be linked to a responsibility towards society. A free person has duties towards others. We feel a duty of care towards all humanity, including future generations, and beyond that towards all sentient beings.
We recognize that we are part of nature and accept our responsibility for the impact we have on the environment as a whole.
2. humanism is rational
We are convinced that the solutions to the world’s problems lie in human reason and human action.
To tackle these problems, we advocate the use of science and free research – bearing in mind that while science provides the means, the ends must be defined by human values. We strive to use science and technology for the good of humanity, but never for reckless or destructive purposes.
3. humanists strive for a fulfilled life
We therefore respect artistic creativity and imagination and recognize the transformative power of literature and music as well as the visual and performing arts.
We value all sources of individual joy and fulfillment that do not harm anyone else and believe that personal development through the cultivation of a creative and ethically responsible lifestyle is a lifelong process.
We admire the beauty of nature and its potential to inspire wonder and awe and to convey tranquillity.
We value physical activity, whether individual or collective, as well as the opportunities it offers for achievement and togetherness.
We value the pursuit of knowledge and the humility, wisdom and insight it brings.
4. humanism fulfills the comprehensive need for meaning and purpose as an alternative to dogmatic religion, authoritarian nationalism, tribalism and egoistic nihilism.
Although we believe that advocating for the good of humanity is timeless, our respective positions are not based on revelations that apply for all time. Humanists recognize that no one is infallible or omniscient and that knowledge about the world and humanity can only be gained through a continuous process of observation, learning and rethinking.
We therefore do not want to evade scrutiny or impose our view on the whole of humanity. Rather, we are committed to freedom of expression and the unhindered exchange of ideas and seek to work with people of other beliefs who share our values to create a better world together.
We are convinced that humanity is capable of solving the problems we face through free inquiry, science, compassion and imagination, for the promotion of peace and the good of mankind. We would like to invite all those who share our convictions to take part in this inspiring endeavor.
