The American Humanist Association (AHA) is an educational organization in the United States that advances Humanism. It is the original Humanist organization, and embraces secular, religious, and other manifestations of Humanist philosophy. It advocates Humanism as defined by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), a multinational coalition of which it is a founding member. Humanism[1] is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appeal to universal human qualities—particularly rationalism. ... Founded in Amsterdam in 1952, International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is the sole world umbrella organisation [1] embracing Humanist, atheist, rationalist, secular, skeptic, Ethical Culture, freethought and similar organisations world-wide. ...

Founded in 1941 as a successor to the Humanist Press Association, which was itself successor to the Humanist Fellowship founded in 1928, the AHA has served its members by initiating social reforms and other programs. Humanists and the American Humanist Association were among the first to advocate for or introduce many significant developments in the fields of human rights, sexual equality, civil liberties, education, science, alternative technologies, humanistic psychology, and the control of population growth. And the AHA is the source of the well-known Humanist Manifestos. The official symbol of the AHA is the Happy Human.

Status

The AHA was founded as an educational organization in 1941, was incorporated in 1943, and secured an educational tax exemption shortly thereafter. In the late 1960s the AHA also secured a religious tax exemption in support of its celebrant program, allowing Humanist celebrants to legally officiate at weddings, perform chaplaincy functions, and in other ways enjoy the same rights as traditional clergy. In 1991, however, the AHA took control of the Humanist Society, a religious Humanist organization founded in 1939, and moved its celebrant program over to it. After that, the AHA commenced the process of jettisoning its religious tax exemption and resuming its exclusively educational status—a change that finally took effect January 1, 2003. Today, therefore, the AHA is recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit, tax exempt, 501 (c)(3), publicly supported educational organization. Look up Celebrant in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ... Seal of the Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States federal government agency that collects taxes and enforces the internal revenue laws. ...

Mission

The mission of the American Humanist Association is to promote the spread of Humanism, raise public awareness and acceptance of Humanism, and encourage the continued refinement of the Humanist philosophy.

As a member organisation of the IHEU, the AHA fully endorses the Amsterdam Declaration 2002. The Amsterdam Declaration 2002 is a statement of the fundamental principles of modern Humanism passed unanimously by the General Assembly of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) at the 50th anniversary World Humanist Congress in 2002. ...

Definitions of Humanism

AHA's definition of Humanism

The AHA's definition from its website:

"Humanism is a progressive lifestance that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity." —Humanism and Its Aspirations A life stance or lifestance is a persons relation with what he or she accepts as of ultimate importance, the commitments and presuppositions of this, and the theory and practice of working it out in living. ...

IHEU's minimum statement on Humanism

All member organisations of the IHEU are required by IHEU bylaw 5.1 to accept [1] the IHEU Minimum statement on Humanism:

Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality. [2]

A life stance or lifestance is a persons relation with what he or she accepts as of ultimate importance, the commitments and presuppositions of this, and the theory and practice of working it out in living. ...

Unofficial definitions

• Kurt Vonnegut, former Honorary President of the AHA, wrote in God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian, “I am a humanist, which means, in part, that I have tried to behave decently without any expectation of rewards or punishments after I'm dead.”

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. ...

AHA's role in Humanism

The AHA strives to be vocal on issues of major concern to Humanists; reaching out to media and opinion leaders as well as keeping its members informed about the issues of the day. The AHA also has helped establish or foster several organizations that promote Humanist ideals, such as NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, Rational Recovery, and others. NARAL Pro-Choice America (pronounced NAY-ral) is a pro-choice organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose restrictions on abortion and expand access to abortion. ... The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) was founded in 1967 as the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion and then later as the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights (RCAR). ... The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) is a U.S. nonprofit organization whose stated purpose is to encourage the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and... Rational Recovery (RR) is a source of counseling, guidance, and direct instruction on self-recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs through planned, permanent abstinence designed as an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and 12 step programs. ...

The American Humanist Association currently has groups more in than 30 states and publishes the Humanist magazine and the philosophical journal, Essays in the Philosophy of Humanism. The AHA is also the publisher of the Humanist Manifestos I, II, and III.

AHA's Humanists of the Year

• Joyce Carol Oates - 2007
• Steven Pinker - 2006
• Murray Gell-Mann - 2005
• Daniel C. Dennett - 2004
• Sherwin T. Wine - 2003
• Steven Weinberg - 2002
• Stephen Jay Gould - 2001
• William F. Schulz - 2000
• Edward O. Wilson - 1999
• Barbara Ehrenreich - 1998
• Alice Walker - 1997
• Richard Dawkins - 1996
• Ashley Montagu - 1995
• Lloyd Morain - 1994
• Mary Morain - 1994
• Richard D. Lamm - 1993
• Kurt Vonnegut - 1992
• Lester R. Brown - 1991
• Ted Turner - 1990
• Gerald A. Larue - 1989
• Leo Pfeffer - 1988
• Margaret Atwood - 1987
• Faye Wattleton - 1986
• John Kenneth Galbraith - 1985
• Isaac Asimov - 1984
• Lester A. Kirkendall - 1983
• Helen Caldicott - 1982
• Carl Sagan - 1981
• Andrei Sakharov - 1980
• Edwin H. Wilson - 1979
• Margaret E. Kuhn - 1978
• Corliss Lamont - 1977
• Jonas E. Salk - 1976
• Betty Friedan - 1975
• Henry Morgentaler - 1975
• Mary Calderone - 1974
• Joseph Fletcher - 1974
• Thomas Szasz - 1973
• B.F. Skinner - 1972
• Albert Ellis - 1971
• A. Philip Randolph - 1970
• R. Buckminster Fuller - 1969
• Benjamin Spock - 1968
• Abraham H. Maslow - 1967
• Erich Fromm - 1966
• Hudson Hoagland - 1965
• Carl Rogers - 1964
• Hermann J. Muller - 1963
• Julian Huxley - 1962
• Linus Pauling - 1961
• Leo Szilard - 1960
• Brock Chisholm - 1959
• Oscar Riddle - 1958
• Margaret Sanger - 1957
• C. Judson Herrick - 1956
• James P. Warbasse - 1955
• Arthur F. Bendley - 1954
• Anton J. Carlson - 1953

Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American author and the Roger S. Berlind 52 Professor in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing at Princeton University, where she has taught since 1978 ([1]). She serves as associate editor for the Ontario Review, a literary magazine, and... Steven Pinker Steven Arthur Pinker (born September 18, 1954) is a prominent Canadian-born American experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, and popular science writer known for his spirited and wide-ranging advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind. ... Murray Gell-Mann (born September 15, 1929 in Manhattan, New York City, USA) is an American physicist who received the 1969 Nobel Prize in physics for his work on the theory of elementary particles. ... Daniel Clement Dennett (born March 28, 1942) is an American philosopher. ... Sherwin T. Wine (b. ... Steven Weinberg (born May 3, 1933) is an American physicist. ... It has been suggested that Darwinian Fundamentalism be merged into this article or section. ... Dr. William F. Schulz was the Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, the U.S. Section of Amnesty International, from March 1994 to 2005. ... E.O. Wilson with Dynastes hercules E. O. Wilson, or Edward Osborne Wilson, (born June 10, 1929) is an entomologist and biologist known for his work on ecology, evolution, and sociobiology. ... Barbara Ehrenreich (born August 26, 1941 Ehrenreich was born Barbara Alexander to Isabelle Oxley and Ben Alexander. ... Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an African-American author and feminist who received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 for The Color Purple. ... Clinton Richard Dawkins (born March 26, 1941) is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and popular science writer who holds the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. ... Ashley Montagu (June 28, 1905, London, England - November 26, 1999, Princeton, New Jersey), was an English anthropologist and humanist who popularized issues such as race and gender and their relation to politics and development. ... Richard Douglas Dick Lamm (born September 12, 1935 in Madison, Wisconsin) is an American politician and lawyer. ... Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. ... Lester Russell Brown (born 1934) is an environmental analyst who has written several books on global environmental issues. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Margaret Eleanor Atwood, OC (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian writer. ... Faye Wattleton, born in 1943 as Alyce Faye Wattleton, is the first African-American and youngest President ever elected to Planned Parenthood, 1978 - 1992. ... John Kenneth Galbraith John Kenneth Galbraith (October 15, 1908–April 29, 2006) was an influential Canadian-American economist. ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920? – April 6, 1992, IPA: , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов) was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ... Dr. Helen Caldicott (born 1938) is an Australian physician and anti-nuclear advocate who has founded several associations dedicated to opposing nuclear weapons and nuclear power. ... Insert non-formatted text here Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer and astrobiologist and a highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics, and other natural sciences. ... Andrei Sakharov, 1943 For the historian, see Andrey Nikolayevich Sakharov. ... Edwin Henry Wilson (August 23, 1898 - March 26, 1993) was an American Unitarian leader and humanist who helped draught the Humanist Manifesto of 1973. ... Corliss Lamont (March 28, 1902 – April 26, 1995), was a humanist philosopher and civil liberties advocate. ... Jonas Salk (October 28, 1914 - June 23, 1995) is the discoverer/inventor of the eponymous Salk vaccine (see polio vaccine). ... Betty Friedan, 1960 Betty Friedan (February 4, 1921 – February 4, 2006) was an American feminist, activist and writer. ... Henry Morgentaler, M.D., LL.D. honourary (born March 19, 1923, in Lodz, Poland) is a Canadian medical doctor and long time abortion activist from Montreal. ... Dr Mary Calderone in noted for her work in the advancement of sexual education. ... Joseph Fletcher (1905-1991) founded the theory of situational ethics in the 1960s, and was a pioneer in the field of bioethics. ... Thomas Szasz. ... Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 _ August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist and author. ... Albert Ellis Albert Ellis (born September 27, 1913) is an American cognitive-behavioral therapist who in 1955 developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. ... Asa Philip Randolph (April 15, 1889 – May 16, 1979) was a prominent twentieth century African-American civil rights leader and founder of the first black labor union in the U.S. // Randolph was born in Crescent City, Florida. ... Richard Buckminster Bucky Fuller (July 12, 1895 - July 1, 1983) was an American visionary, designer, architect, inventor, and writer. ... Dr. Spock (l) with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ... Abraham Maslow (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) was an American psychologist. ... Erich Fromm Erich Pinchas Fromm (March 23, 1900 – March 18, 1980) was an internationally renowned Jewish-German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, and humanistic philosopher. ... Carl Ransom Rogers (January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987) was an influential American psychologist, who, along with Abraham Maslow, was the founder of the humanist approach to psychology. ... ... Sir Julian Sorell Huxley, FRS (June 22, 1887 – February 14, 1975) was a English biologist, author, Humanist and internationalist, known for his popularisations of science in books and lectures. ... Linus Carl Pauling (February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994) was an American quantum chemist and biochemist. ... Leó Szilárd (right) working with Albert Einstein. ... Dr. George Brock Chisholm (May 18, 1896 - February 4, 1971) was a Canadian World War I veteran, medical practitioner and the first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). ... Margaret Higgins Sanger (September 14, 1879 – September 6, 1966) was an American birth control activist, an advocate of negative eugenics, and the founder of the American Birth Control League (which eventually became Planned Parenthood). ... Anton Julius Carlson (1875-1956) was a Swedish American physiologist. ...

See also

• John Dewey
• Bertrand Russell

John Dewey (October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, whose thoughts and ideas have been greatly influential in the United States and around the world. ... Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell OM FRS (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970), was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician and advocate for social reform. ...

References and external links

• The American Humanist Association

• GuideStar - American Humanist Association Information in GuideStar, national database of nonprofit organizations

• "Humanist Tax Exemption" by Roy Speckhardt, Humanist Network News.