Understanding Humanism

Human Beings

What is the humanist understanding of human origins, human nature, and human potential?

Humanists believe that human beings have natural origins – we evolved like all other living things – and, if we if we put our naturally evolved capacities to good use, we have the potential to lead good and happy lives.

 

5+

Overviews
Age 5+
Human beings

Presentations
Age 5+
Human beings

Slides to support the information sheets and activities

Information
Age 5+
Human beings: where do we come from?

Activities
Age 5+
The Two Wolves

A story to illustrate human nature

Human beings: good and bad

Films
Age 5+
Where do we come from?

Where do we come from? tells the scientific story of our origins, from the Big Bang, through the evolution of stars, planets, life, and, ultimately, us, revealing what we are made from and how we are connected to the rest of the living world. This short but beautiful animation highlights the wonder in this story that humanists (and others) might draw on as a source of inspiration, meaning, and value in their lives.

Download the accompanying teacher’s notes.

Download 1080p

7+

Overviews
Age 7+
Human beings

Presentations
Age 7+
Human beings

Slides to support the information sheets and activities

Information
Age 7+
Human beings: where do we come from?

Human potential and responsibility

What is a humanist understanding of human beings?

Individual humanists answer the question

Activities
Age 7+
The Two Wolves

A story to illustrate human nature

Human beings: good and bad

Films
Age 7+
Where do we come from?

Where do we come from? tells the scientific story of our origins, from the Big Bang, through the evolution of stars, planets, life, and, ultimately, us, revealing what we are made from and how we are connected to the rest of the living world. This short but beautiful animation highlights the wonder in this story that humanists (and others) might draw on as a source of inspiration, meaning, and value in their lives.

Download the accompanying teacher’s notes.

Download 1080p

Other Resources
Age 7+
Human nature, human potential

This resource provides a useful memory aid for students, connecting the features of the human body to a humanist understanding of our origins, our capacities, and how best we can put them to use.

Assessments
Age 7+
Human beings: multiple choice questions

Human beings: fill in the blanks

11+

Overviews
Age 11+
Human beings

Presentations
Age 11+
Human beings

Slides to support the information sheets and activities

Information
Age 11+
Human beings: where do we come from?

Mortality

Human potential and responsibility

What is a humanist understanding of human beings?

Individual humanists answer the question

Lessons from Darwin

What lessons for how we should live might humanists draw from our understanding of evolution?

Activities
Age 11+
Human beings: good and bad

Other Resources
Age 11+
Human nature, human potential

This resource provides a useful memory aid for students, connecting the features of the human body to a humanist understanding of our origins, our capacities, and how best we can put them to use.

External Resources
Age 11+
Evidence of the Big Bang

This clip from the BBC’s Wonders of the Universe featuring Brian Cox helps to illustrate the humanist approach of relying on science to answer questions about the universe’s origin and evolution.

The theory of evolution

A short film to help students unfamiliar with the theory of evolution.

Cultural transmission

Cultural transmissionA BBC animation on what makes us human: our capacity to share ideas, skills, and culture (for humanists this makes us special and can enable something of us to survive our deaths)

Assessments
Age 11+
Human beings: multiple choice questions

Human beings: fill in the blanks

Human beings: humanist responses

How might a humanist respond?

14+

Information
Age 14+
Human beings: where do we come from?

Mortality

Human potential and responsibility

What is a humanist understanding of human beings?

Individual humanists answer the question

Lessons from Darwin

What lessons for how we should live might humanists draw from our understanding of evolution?

Other Resources
Age 14+
Human nature, human potential

This resource provides a useful memory aid for students, connecting the features of the human body to a humanist understanding of our origins, our capacities, and how best we can put them to use.

External Resources
Age 14+
Evidence of the Big Bang

This clip from the BBC’s Wonders of the Universe featuring Brian Cox helps to illustrate the humanist approach of relying on science to answer questions about the universe’s origin and evolution.

Cultural transmission

Cultural transmissionA BBC animation on what makes us human: our capacity to share ideas, skills, and culture (for humanists this makes us special and can enable something of us to survive our deaths)

16+

Information
Age 16+
Lessons from Darwin

What lessons for how we should live might humanists draw from our understanding of evolution?

Films
Age 16+
Human responsibilities

Philosopher Richard Norman describes the responsibilities that come attached to our human capacities.

External Resources
Age 16+
Evidence of the Big Bang

This clip from the BBC’s Wonders of the Universe featuring Brian Cox helps to illustrate the humanist approach of relying on science to answer questions about the universe’s origin and evolution.

Cultural transmission

Cultural transmissionA BBC animation on what makes us human: our capacity to share ideas, skills, and culture (for humanists this makes us special and can enable something of us to survive our deaths)

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Understanding Humanism

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Illustrations by Hyebin Lee