Conference


Addressing the root causes of sectarianism establishes the possibility of exercising one’s autonomy, responsibly, by adopting a different outlook to the one expected by (some of) one’s forebears and peers. It also creates the obligation that those forebears and peers respect that choice, and the choice trumps the obligation, because the choice exemplifies responsible autonomy.


Campaigning for a secular education system establishes the possibility of exercising one’s autonomy, responsibly by allowing children to decide what they believe, on the basis of knowledge. It also creates the obligation for the state and teachers to deliver ‘education not indoctrination’, and again, the choice trumps the obligation because the choice exemplifies responsible autonomy.


Campaigning for a secular society establishes the possibility of exercising one’s autonomy, responsibly by believing whatever one chooses, and not to be imposed on by anyone else’s beliefs or the behaviours that result from them. It also creates the obvious obligation


not to impose those beliefs or behaviours, and in this case, the choice clearly trumps the obligation (because the alternative is a ‘war of all against all’ in which everyone is trying to deny everyone else’s autonomy).


It seems to me that a range of other positions and policies also have this quality of creating possibilities for people to exercise their autonomy, responsibly, and I would argue that these all add up to a fully satisfactory exemplification of the idea that in response to the question ‘What do Humanists believe?’ we answer: ‘As little as possible’. So, there’s an argument that


Humanism has an essence, that it is distinctive, and that it entails positions and policies that exemplify a certain - and, I think, clear - characteristic. This still leaves open the possibility that people with different life stances will also agree with those positions and policies, even if a Humanist might think they are in some cases being self-contradictory. This is, of course, fine - we don’t own the position, we just argue for it because Humanism entails it.


. 27 www.humanism-scotland.org.uk


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