ManSinha
Well-Known Member
I have been reading and trying to understand the (to me, extremely valid) viewpoints of those that profess to follow the path of secular humanism - pardon me if I inadvertently omit some names but @It Aint Necessarily So and @SkepticThinker as well as perhaps @TagliatelliMonster and @9-10ths_Penguin come to mind as those that follow this path - like I said - there are surely others and welcome to comment
Per one definition, "Secular humanism is a philosophy or life stance that embraces human reason, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making"
When I read about the Vedanta (the so called "Hindu" philosophies) - derived from a study of the Vedas - this is one of the definitions I find:
"Sāmkhya is an enumerationist philosophy whose epistemology accepts three of six pramanas (proofs) as the only reliable means of gaining knowledge - perception, inference and the testimony of reliable sources
The existence of God or a supreme being is not directly asserted nor considered relevant by the Samkhya philosophers. Sāṃkhya denies the final cause of Ishvara (God)"
There is also focus on intellect and ego as well as consciousness to the extent that some non-Indian scholars who have studied it e.g. Paul Deussen and Mike Burley - have called it an atheistic philosophy.
Perhaps one of the biggest differences that I stumbled on was the focus on the self - a thread, I might add, that at least I have found running consistently throughout the dharmic faiths.
I would love to have comments on the potential similarities or differences - and whether following one path is compatible with accepting the other
Per one definition, "Secular humanism is a philosophy or life stance that embraces human reason, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making"
When I read about the Vedanta (the so called "Hindu" philosophies) - derived from a study of the Vedas - this is one of the definitions I find:
"Sāmkhya is an enumerationist philosophy whose epistemology accepts three of six pramanas (proofs) as the only reliable means of gaining knowledge - perception, inference and the testimony of reliable sources
The existence of God or a supreme being is not directly asserted nor considered relevant by the Samkhya philosophers. Sāṃkhya denies the final cause of Ishvara (God)"
There is also focus on intellect and ego as well as consciousness to the extent that some non-Indian scholars who have studied it e.g. Paul Deussen and Mike Burley - have called it an atheistic philosophy.
Perhaps one of the biggest differences that I stumbled on was the focus on the self - a thread, I might add, that at least I have found running consistently throughout the dharmic faiths.
I would love to have comments on the potential similarities or differences - and whether following one path is compatible with accepting the other
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