The Humanist Rationality: A Possible Alternative for Curbing Conflicts and Violence in Contemporary Society

Abstract

Humanism is a philosophy or a system of thought that had come under heavy attacks and rejections from several quarters particularly because of its anti-theistic tendencies as well as its undue generalizations about human nature. For this reason, humanism has come to be seen as an impossible dream. But then, the goals of humanism are still as relevant today as they were in the 1940s and 1950s, as it continued to empower individuals, enhance well-being, improve community and interpersonal relationships all over the world, as well as lead people towards fulfilling their potentials in life. This paper is therefore an attempt to examine the humanist rationality with a view to harnessing its potentials for a better human living in the modern world. Using the historical and critical methods of analysis, the paper discovered and at the same time argues that when certain beliefs are bracketed off, the humanist rationality could indeed be a possible alternative for curbing conflicts and violence in our contemporary society.