1. #HumanismEdu2019 @HumanismEdu
Teachers Conference 2019
#HumanismEdu2019
@HumanismEdu

2. Warm up activity
Open the envelope and look at the different ‘...isms’ inside. 1) Which of the ‘...isms’ in the envelope are non-religious worldviews? 2) Which of them should be taught about in religious education? Discuss with your group and place them on the Venn diagram.

3. Who are the non-religious?
Luke Donnellan, Director of Understanding Humanism

4. What does ‘non-religious’ mean?
‘Non-religious’ does not mean the same as ‘atheist’
3 ‘B’s: belief, behaviour, belonging
It is possible to have a non-religious identity and hold ‘religious’ beliefs
It is possible to have a sense of religious identity without religious beliefs
Religion and belief are messy!

5. Labels hide diversity British Social Attitudes Survey (2008)
Non-religious
62% atheist/strong agnostic + 20% ‘not quite sure’
Religious
40% Jewish are atheist/agnostic
35% Anglicans are atheist/agnostic

6. The Commission on RE: Examples of Non-religious worldviews
‘There has been some discussion about which non-religious worldviews are appropriate for study. The landscape is complex and many of those who identify as non-religious do not adhere to a particular institutional nonreligious worldview. Many non-religious worldviews do not have the same institutional structures as religious worldviews. Having said that, the worldviews to be included should be those which make ontological and epistemological claims (claims about the nature of reality and how we know things) as well as political and moral ones. Humanism, existentialism and Confucianism are examples of suitable non-religious worldviews for study in an age-appropriate way, while nationalism, global capitalism and Communism are examples of worldviews which would not be included in Religion and Worldviews, although they may be appropriate for study in other curriculum subjects.’ Religion and Worldviews: the way forward, The Commission on RE

7. non-religious worldviews
1) Which of these are non-religious worldviews?
2) Which of them should be studied in RE?
Humanism
Atheism
Agnosticism
Secularism
Existentialism
Confucianism
Buddhism
Communism
Capitalism
Nationalism
Liberalism
Jewish atheism
Nihilism
Egoism
Hedonism
Postmodernism
Vegetarianism/veganism
‘Spiritual’ but not religious

8. What is a non-religious worldview?
The Commission on RE’s final report defines the types of worldviews to be studied in RE as those that…
‘make ontological and epistemological claims (claims about the nature of reality and how we know things) as well as political and moral ones.’
Humanism?
Atheism?
Agnosticism?
Secularism?
Capitalism?
Existentialism? Nihilism? Postmodernism? Egoism?

9. Half of the population of the UK say they have no religion

10. Half of the population of the UK say they have no religion

11. How many humanists are there?
53% of the UK are non-religious
22% of the UK population hold humanist beliefs
5% identify with the term ‘humanist’

12. Humanism as a descriptive term
‘I was a humanist without knowing it for many years before I found the British Humanist Association – when I did, it was like finding a sort of home.  Here were people with a range of views that matched my own, who shared my respect for life in all its forms.’
Claire Rayner ( ), broadcaster
and former president of Humanists UK
Can you be a humanist and not know it?

13. How should humanism be presented?
Present humanism positively
Describe what humanists do believe in (freedom, reason, empathy, human rights)
Not just what they don’t (gods, an afterlife)
Humanism does not define itself in opposition to religion

14. How should humanism be presented?
Use a range of voices when presenting humanism
Humanism is not just a modern, Western phenomenon
The board of Humanists International

15. Humanism The human being (material and mortal, conscious and creative)
Understanding the world (naturalism, skepticism, reason, science, atheism)
How should I live? (one life, freedom, flourishing, connections)
Morality (empathy, consequences)
Goals/Action (human rights, secularism)
‘Think for yourself, act for everyone’

16. The history of humanism
The meaning of the word has changed over time
The humanist tradition is at least 2500 years old
Ancient China, India, Europe, and other cultures
Wisdom can come from different sources

17. Could this atheist be a humanist?

18. Could this atheist be a humanist?

19. Could this atheist be a humanist?

20. Could this atheist be a humanist?

21. Misconceptions
Beware of the ‘If it’s not this, it must be that’ fallacy
Humanism is often defined as something it is actually in opposition with
Individualism, egoism, hedonism
Relativism, postmodernism
Scientism
Totalitarianism, utopianism
Nihilism

22. Understanding humanism
Teaching Resources
Lesson plans
Classroom activities
Presentations
Videos
Humanist perspectives
School Speakers
Planning guidelines
Teacher Training / CPD: Teachers conference
understandinghumanism.org.uk

23. The MOOCs
Two free online courses on FutureLearn

24. Who are the non-religious?
1) Labels hide diversity – think about the 3 ‘B’s
It is possible to have a non-religious identity and hold ‘religious’ beliefs
It is possible to have a sense of religious identity without religious beliefs
2) Worldviews make claims about the nature of reality and how we know things as well as political and moral ones
Atheism, agnosticism, and secularism are not worldviews – humanism is
3) 5% self-identify as humanist - around a quarter hold humanist beliefs
4) Present humanism positively - it’s more than atheism
5) Beware of misconceptions: the ‘If it’s not this, it must be that’ fallacy

25. Any questions?

26. Humanism and human flourishing
Professor Richard Norman

27. Lunch
Back at 13.55

28. Rational moral education
Professor Michael Hand

29. Please complete the evaluation form and hand it to a member of staff
Thank you
Please complete the evaluation form and hand it to a member of staff