Secular Humanism in Society: Advocacy, Social Justice, and the Public Role of Humanist Values

Secular Humanism is not only a personal life stance; it has a civic and political dimension that its founding documents explicitly embrace. Questions of secularism in public life — the relationship between government and religion, the basis of human rights in a pluralistic society, and the role of reason and evidence in public discourse — are among the most contested of our time. This course examines how humanist principles bear on those public questions and how humanists engage as advocates and citizens. By the end of this course you will be able to articulate the humanist case for church-state separation and apply it to current contested cases, engage with the debate over whether universal human rights require a non-theistic philosophical foundation, analyze the relationship between Secular Humanism and progressive social justice movements both historically and today, and develop a personal civic engagement strategy grounded in humanist values. What you will learn: - The First Amendment and establishment clause jurisprudence as an applied humanist issue in the US context - Comparative secularism: how France, the UK, India, and other societies have structured the religion-state relationship differently - Human rights foundations: the humanist argument for grounding rights in human dignity rather than divine authority - Humanism and social justice: the historical relationship with civil rights, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and disability advocacy - Science policy as humanist advocacy: evidence-based governance, climate, and vaccination as humanist concerns - Secular education advocacy: the humanist case for religiously neutral public schooling - Engaging religious communities in civic life: dialogue, cooperation, and principled disagreement - Building a humanist public argument: how to make a values-based case that resonates across religious-secular difference The course draws on primary sources including humanist manifestos and position papers, legal case materials, sociological research on secularism, and readings from political philosophy. Units combine analytical readings with structured reflection and position-development exercises. Case studies examine specific advocacy campaigns — separation of church and state, secular chaplaincy in the military, secular humanist ceremonies — as applied examples of humanist civic practice. A final unit provides a structured template for developing your own humanist civic engagement project or advocacy position paper. This course is designed for humanists, secular activists, students of political philosophy, and citizens interested in the public dimensions of secular values. It is suitable for those who have a working understanding of humanist principles and want to develop their civic application. Prior familiarity with basic humanist philosophy is helpful.