Your Own Ten Commandments

[Sir Rhetor]

I got this idea as I was thinking about how humans should behave as members of a society. In this thread, I would like the community of this forum collaborate to develop a set of moral guidelines for how people should behave, depending on their role in society. I have yet to come up with ten, but I have some, which I will post in a bit. But some guidelines for this topic are

~You don't need to post ten totally different rules. Add a new rule, or improve upon someone else's.
~I think that guidelines are better than rules, which are absolute. This is where I have a problem with the Bible's "Do not lie" commandments. The Golden Rule is better, because it is flexible.
~Please don't write "Do not segregate (based on race or gender etc.) or enslave others, or subjugate others," because then it becomes rather tedious. Try to generalize it into "Treat all humans with respect, as you wish to be treated" or maybe even something more scientific like "Treat all organisms with respect in proportion with their awareness".
~You should probably make your guidelines hierarchical. There are some things more important than others. I'm not sure if the Bible did this, but if not the question is necessary, "What if one conflicts with another?"
~You don't have to be an atheist if you post here, but please do not declare that God is the source of morality. Is it moral because God said it, or did God say it because He is moral? The first possibility is preposterous, because then God could (and indeed did) order acts which in any other context are completely immoral. And we certainly didn't need God to figure out that slavery was immoral.

[Sir Rhetor]

I have a few, but mine aren't hierarchical yet. I'm still working on which is more important, the cessation of suffering or the maintenance and growth of knowledge. If you post here, please do not just tell me what is wrong with a rule, improve it!

One All humans are equal from birth. Treat them as such.
Two Children are vulnerable. Do not molest their bodies, or molest their minds with indoctrination.
Three Treat all organisms humanely and with respect which is proportional to their awareness.
Four Do not put others or yourself at unnecessary risk.
Five As a general rule in dealing with other individuals, treat others as you wish to be treated.
Six Participate only in activities and industry which is sustainable.
Seven The privilege of living in a society means you owe it a debt. Assist those who are less fortunate.

[McCulloch]

1. Free Inquiry

The first principle of democratic secular humanism is its commitment to free inquiry. We oppose any tyranny over the mind of humans, any efforts by ecclesiastical, political, ideological, or social institutions to shackle free thought. In the past, such tyrannies have been directed by churches and states attempting to enforce the edicts of religious bigots. In the long struggle in the history of ideas, established institutions, both public and private, have attempted to censor inquiry, to impose orthodoxy on beliefs and values, and to excommunicate heretics and extirpate unbelievers. Today, the struggle for free inquiry has assumed new forms. Sectarian ideologies have become the new theologies that use political parties and governments in their mission to crush dissident opinion. Free inquiry entails recognition of civil liberties as integral to its pursuit, that is, a free press, freedom of communication, the right to organize opposition parties and to join voluntary associations, and freedom to cultivate and publish the fruits of scientific, philosophical, artistic, literary, moral and religious freedom. Free inquiry requires that we tolerate diversity of opinion and that we respect the right of individuals to express their beliefs, however unpopular they may be, without social or legal prohibition or fear of sanctions. Though we may tolerate contrasting points of view, this does not mean that they are immune to critical scrutiny. The guiding premise of those who believe in free inquiry is that truth is more likely to be discovered if the opportunity exists for the free exchange of opposing opinions; the process of interchange is frequently as important as the result. This applies not only to science and to everyday life, but to politics, economics, morality, and religion.


Council on Secular Humanism

[McCulloch]

2. Separation Of Church And State

The lessons of history are clear: wherever one religion or ideology is established and given a dominant position in the state, minority opinions are in jeopardy. A pluralistic, open democratic society allows all points of view to be heard. Any effort to impose an exclusive conception of Truth, Piety, Virtue, or Justice upon the whole of society is a violation of free inquiry. Clerical authorities should not be permitted to legislate their own parochial views - whether moral, philosophical, political, educational, or social - for the rest of society. Nor should tax revenues be exacted for the benefit or support of sectarian religious institutions. Individuals and voluntary associations should be free to accept or not to accept any belief and to support these convictions with whatever resources they may have, without being compelled by taxation to contribute to those religious faiths with which they do not agree. Similarly, church properties should share in the burden of public revenues and should not be exempt from taxation. Compulsory religious oaths and prayers in public institutions (political or educational) are also a violation of the separation principle. Today, nontheistic as well as theistic religions compete for attention. Regrettably, in communist countries, the power of the state has been used to impose an ideological doctrine on the society, without tolerating the expression of dissenting or heretical views. Here we see a secular version of the violation of the separation principle.


Council on Secular Humanism

[McCulloch]

3. The Ideal Of Freedom

There are many forms of totalitarianism in the modern world - secular and nonsecular. We consistently defend the ideal of freedom, not only freedom of conscience and belief from those ecclesiastical, political, and economic interests that seek to repress them, but genuine political liberty, democratic decision making based upon majority rule, and respect for minority rights and the rule of law. We stand not only for freedom from religious control but for freedom from jingoistic government control as well. We are for the defense of basic human rights, including the right to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In our view, a free society should also encourage some measure of economic freedom, subject only to such restrictions as are necessary in the public interest. This means that individuals and groups should be able to compete in the marketplace, organize free trade unions, and carry on their occupations and careers without undue interference by centralized political control. The right to private property is a human right without which other rights are nugatory. Where it is necessary to limit any of these rights in a democracy, the limitation should be justified in terms of its consequences in strengthening the entire structure of human rights.

Council on Secular Humanism

[McCulloch]

4. Ethics Based On Critical Intelligence

Recognize the central role of morality in human life. The field of ethics has had a distinguished list of thinkers contributing to its development: from Socrates, Democritus, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Epictetus, to Spinoza, Erasmus, Hume, Voltaire, Kant, Bentham, Mill, G. E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, John Dewey, and others. There is an influential philosophical tradition that maintains that ethics is an autonomous field of inquiry, that ethical judgments can be formulated independently of revealed religion, and that human beings can cultivate practical reason and wisdom and, by its application, achieve lives of virtue and excellence. Moreover, philosophers have emphasized the need to cultivate an appreciation for the requirements of social justice and for an individual's obligations and responsibilities toward others. Thus, that morality needs not be deduced from religious belief. Ethical conduct is, or should be, judged by critical reason. Autonomous and responsible individuals, should be capable of making their own choices in life based upon an understanding of human behavior. We believe in the central importance of the value of human happiness here and now. We are opposed to absolutist morality, yet we maintain that objective standards emerge, and ethical values and principles may be discovered, in the course of ethical deliberation. It is possible for human beings to lead meaningful and wholesome lives for themselves and in service to their fellow human beings without the need of religious commandments or the benefit of clergy.

Council on Secular Humanism

[McCulloch]

5. Moral Education

Moral development should be cultivated in children and young adults. No particular sect can claim important values as their exclusive property; hence it is the duty of public education to deal with these values. Accordingly, moral education in the schools should be designed to develop an appreciation for moral virtues, intelligence, and the building of character. We wish to encourage wherever possible the growth of moral awareness and the capacity for free choice and an understanding of the consequences thereof.

Council on Secular Humanism

[McCulloch]

6. Skepticism

We consider the universe to be a dynamic scene of natural forces that are most effectively understood by scientific inquiry. We are always open to the discovery of new possibilities and phenomena in nature. We do not accept as true the literal interpretation of the Old and New Testaments, the Koran, or other allegedly sacred religious documents, however important they may be as literature.

Council on Secular Humanism

[McCulloch]

7. Reason and Science

We are committed to the use of the rational methods of inquiry, logic, and evidence in developing knowledge and testing claims to truth. Since human beings are prone to err, we are open to the modification of all principles, including those governing inquiry, believing that they may be in need of constant correction. Although not so naive as to believe that reason and science can easily solve all human problems, we nonetheless contend that they can make a major contribution to human knowledge and can be of benefit to humankind. We know of no better substitute for the cultivation of human intelligence.

We believe the scientific method, though imperfect, is still the most reliable way of understanding the world. Hence, we look to the natural, biological, social, and behavioral sciences for knowledge of the universe and humanity's place within it. Modern astronomy and physics have opened up exciting new dimensions of the universe: they have enabled humankind to explore the universe by means of space travel. Biology and the social and behavioral sciences have expanded our understanding of human behavior. We are thus opposed in principle to any efforts to censor or limit scientific research without an overriding reason to do so. While we are aware of, and oppose, the abuses of misapplied technology and its possible harmful consequences for the natural ecology of the human environment, we urge resistance to unthinking efforts to limit technological or scientific advances. We appreciate the great benefits that science and technology (especially basic and applied research) can bring to humankind, but we also recognize the need to balance scientific and technological advances with cultural explorations in art, music, and literature.

Council on Secular Humanism

[McCulloch]

8. Education

Education should be the essential method of building humane, free, and democratic societies. The aims of education are many: the transmission of knowledge; training for occupations, careers, and democratic citizenship; and the encouragement of moral growth. Among its vital purposes should also be an attempt to develop the capacity for critical intelligence in both the individual and the community. Unfortunately, the schools are today being increasingly replaced by the mass media as the primary institutions of public information and education. Although the electronic media provide unparalleled opportunities for extending cultural enrichment and enjoyment, and powerful learning opportunities, there has been a serious misdirection of their purposes. In totalitarian societies, the media serve as the vehicle of propaganda and indoctrination. In democratic societies television, radio, films, and mass publishing too often cater to the lowest common denominator and have become banal wastelands. There is a pressing need to elevate standards of taste and appreciation.

Council on Secular Humanism