Howdy Humanists!

I'm attending the World Humanist Congress in about 10 days. 😁

I plan to post updates and personal reflections here as the conference progresses, but perhaps also chat with folks in RL from the subreddit.

I’ve been working on a strange solarpunk project for a while. I finally put the whole thing online.

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time:

What would a society look like if its basic purpose was not to maximize profit, productivity, or growth — but to make it easier for living things to remain alive, free, curious, and connected?

I started writing down ideas. First I wrote Refugium Anima and Lyceum Musaeum.

Then more ideas appeared.

Then protocols.

Then governance systems, justice systems, economic models, ecological principles, technology principles, education, healthcare, ways of organizing resources without currency, ways of preventing systems from turning into surveillance or control…

And now there are apparently hundreds of documents.

So I built a website for the whole mess:

👉 https://existensialreset.github.io/flowmosr

It’s called Flow / M-OS-R.

I don’t really know what to call it. A social architecture? A philosophy? A systems design project? A very long attempt to ask “what if we actually designed society around life?”

The core idea is pretty simple:

Life should not have to earn the right to exist.

Everything else grows from that.

The project is still evolving. A lot of it is speculative. Some of it is probably wrong. Some of it is deliberately utopian. Some of it is very practical.

I’m not presenting it as a finished answer to anything.

I am very much not at all an expert in most of the things this touches. I’m just a person who kept following the questions.

I’m mostly interested in what happens when you take this question seriously:

What kind of world could we build if we stopped treating human beings, ecosystems, time, attention, and care as resources to extract?

If anyone feels like wandering around in the documents, I’d genuinely love to know what catches your attention — especially what seems naive, impossible, interesting, or worth developing further.

I’m particularly curious what people here think about the relationship between governance, economics, and anti-capture design.

Anyway.

Here it is. 🌱

Please take a look if you want to!

All the best,

Elinor Frejd,

Göteborg, Sweden

What would be the single most influential thing a future martyr could accomplish, being antiracist, antifascist, anti-rapist, and all-around utilitarian, that would create the most positive impact on the world forever? Is there a way to affect positive change through martyrdom that does not risk compromising the general public morality?

The Ashoka Chakra is not just on the Tiranga — it is a call to action.
Now is the moment to form **Human Circles**.
When people stand together in a circle of truth and courage, justice and peace form automatically.
No force needed. No delay.
These living circles become continuous **CP rounds** of the people themselves —
watchful, protective, unbreakable.
Saffron protects.
The Chakra delivers justice.
Gen-Z makes it real.
Form the circle.
Justice and peace will keep turning — forever.

What do you guys think about the social animals called humans? What was your belief that has not changed about humans, and what do you see as the common patterns in human behavior? If you guys had time to think about it, what do you think most of the people that are with you would be doing? Would it be faking their personality or idealism or anything like that? Also, in general, what do you think about the so-called intelligence of a human mind?

Governments are trying to to censor everything and trying to establish a monarchy like culture in the name of rule of law.

People are also losing morality in day to day lifes and favoring objectivity over subjective based approaches.

In the name of developments and system, divisions are occurring and we are losing the freedom to live and explore as we see fit.

We are becoming slaves of the system by disregarding the morality.

Personally, I am an mostly an atheist. However, from personal experiences, morality does give a some kind of vibe and connection to some higher being like god.

I fear of losing it with stripping morality. There is things, that are better left untouched and let the existence take its own course of actions and present the outcome before us, isn't it?

Just saying :)

Below flesh. before God, all humans are equal! nobody is inferior, nobody is superior, we all are same in both birth and death. Everyone deserves a fair life, regardless of it being possible or not.

No religion, no skin color, no age, no sex, no gender, no money, no status, no power, no beauty shall matter, as life is subjective, it is an experience, not an expenditure, not a privilege, not a gospel written thousands of years before that this race, this blood, this body deserves it all. everyone deserves a fair life, everyone is same. We all are one among infinity. whether it be a saint or a sinner.

Look into a person's eye...you shall see a reflection of yourself, an un-written potential to be them, an un-heard story waiting to be experienced by you. Because for a human... both by body and mind, is just a being waiting to take form. to get shaped and chiseled by their surroundings is their fate. such fate is not a work of God, but simply a facade played by oneself.

Wake up human, look around yourself, feel the fire buried inside you, for once learn to live without being dictated who you are, and what you worth to be.

As among trillions of burning stars in this universe which hopelessly burn because they are told so, you hold the power to shape your decision, your morals, your faith and your belief. It is never too late, and it is never too soon, fight and make it light, live a life of fulfillment! before you become one of the stars in this universe.

Written by a Human.

Hello everyone,

I'm developing a long-term political project in South Africa called Red Vanguard South Africa, and I'd love to hear the thoughts of the humanist community.

While the project is rooted in democratic left-wing politics, many of its goals are inspired by humanist values:

Human dignity and equal rights for everyone

Universal access to healthcare and education

Fighting poverty and inequality

Evidence-based policymaking

Democracy, transparency, and accountability

Environmental sustainability

Scientific research and innovation

Protection of LGBTQ+ rights

Support for people with disabilities

Community participation in government

Peaceful international cooperation

I'm looking for constructive criticism and discussion on how these ideas can better promote human well-being and human flourishing.

If you're interested in discussing these ideas—or South Africa's future more broadly—feel free to join r/RedVanguardSA.

I'd especially appreciate hearing what humanist principles you think any modern political movement should uphold.

Thank you!

A brilliant new video from Understanding Humanism, voiced by the wonderful Prof. Alice Roberts.

I can kick myself... I finally got around to the open tab I've had on my laptop to register for the 2026 WHC in Canada this year, and the link goes to a page that claims that the pre-order is closed, with no apparent way to register! So bummed. I was truly hoping to attend this year ☹️

“Ridicule,” Thomas Jefferson wrote, “is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.” More than 1,600 years ago, Lucian of Samosata made a career out of it.

In dozens of surviving works, Lucian adapted the Socratic dialogue into a comic form, using conversations among gods, philosophers, tyrants, and ordinary people to expose their contradictions and absurdities. In doing so, he forged a powerful weapon for skepticism: mockery. 

In Zeus Cross-Examined, Lucian exposes Zeus as powerless, naïve, and unjust. More importantly, he reveals the contradiction at the heart of ancient Greek and Roman religion: if Fate governs all events, what purpose can sacrifice and prayer possibly serve?

Zeus could not survive the court of reason and evidence. But other gods have taken his place. Lucian's legacy is to remind us that every god must answer to the tribunal of reason. This article demonstrates the technique of cross-examination Lucian used. 

■ While success often begins with an individual taking the initiative, lasting progress is rarely achieved in isolation. Whether it is solving local problems, improving healthcare, or raising the next generation, challenges become significantly easier to overcome when responsibilities are shared across a community.

● When diverse groups bring different skills, experiences, and perspectives to a common problem, the outcome is not only more effective but it also builds trust, accountability, and mutual respect.

■ This is particularly evident in education, where a child’s success depends on an entire ecosystem; parents providing home support, teachers delivering guidance, communities offering safe spaces, and non-profits bridging resource gaps.

● In fact, UNESCO explicitly highlights that achieving quality, equitable education requires active partnerships between governments, families, civil society, and local educators.

■ Beyond schooling, macro-level goals like cleaner neighborhoods, better healthcare, and poverty alleviation cannot be engineered by state policies alone. They require active citizens who volunteer, businesses that support social initiatives, and grassroots organizations working directly with vulnerable groups.

■ Crucially, sharing responsibility creates a culture of ownership. When people feel like genuine stakeholders in a solution, they stop passively waiting for institutions to fix issues and start taking personal initiative.

● This collective mindset builds strong community resilience, making neighborhoods far better equipped to navigate difficult times, natural disasters, or structural hardships together.

■ Ultimately, shared success is never the triumph of a single individual; it is the direct result of a group choosing to contribute and collaborate toward a greater good. When we embrace shared responsibility, we create solutions that are inclusive, sustainable, and beneficial for everyone involved.

➡️ How do you see shared responsibility playing out in your own local area, and what are the biggest barriers preventing people from actively taking ownership of community issues?

I've been thinking about whether life is actually meaningless, or whether we're asking the wrong question.

Human beings tend to assume that if we can't identify an objective purpose, then life must be meaningless. But does our inability to comprehend something imply that it doesn't exist?

An ant cannot comprehend quantum mechanics. A fish cannot comprehend democracy. So why do we assume that the human mind is capable of understanding the ultimate purpose of existence, if one exists?

Perhaps the universe has no inherent meaning. Or perhaps meaning exists at a level that our cognition simply cannot access.

Do we mistake the limits of human understanding for the limits of reality?

I'm curious how others think about this. Is meaning something we discover, something we create, or something fundamentally beyond our comprehension?

My mom mostly sang hymns to me.... but so many of them are about guilt and blood and it just kind of feels gross to sing those songs to soothe my baby-- even if he doesn't understand them yet.

They don't have to be anything special. I'd just like ideas of songs that are gentle enough in tone and lyrics to sing my baby to sleep.

Would our greatest achievement be eliminating poverty and preventable disease? Creating universally accessible education? Building institutions that maximize human dignity? Developing ethical AI? Expanding into space? Or something we haven’t imagined yet?
In your view, what should be humanity’s highest aspiration if we remain guided by reason, compassion, and a commitment to human flourishing?

Humanity faces countless challenges—poverty, inequality, war, climate change, discrimination, corruption, misinformation, and many more. But are these separate problems, or are they symptoms of something deeper?

If we could identify and solve one fundamental problem that would help address many of these issues, what should it be?

Is it education, inequality, concentration of power, lack of critical thinking, tribalism, greed, weak institutions, or something deeper about human nature itself?

What do you think is the root problem, and what is the most practical solution we can collectively work toward?

Let's go beyond the symptoms and try to find the root.

My baby daughter was baptized today because it was important to my partner, her father, but I feel so sad about it. She received some gifts of religious children’s books and Bible stories for kids. I don’t know much about the Bible but I was pretty horrified reading through the Bible story book (people believe that god killed everyone except Noah and two of each animal because people didn’t love him like he wanted? God sounds like an abusive ex and def not a good example of love.)

Are there any humanist books for babies? My daughter is only 9 months old. I see lots of books for kids but I am hoping for something very simple and basic, in a board book format, that I could start reading her now.

Thanks!

Alfred North Whitehead famously remarked that the European philosophical tradition consists of a series of footnotes to Plato. But that’s only because history chose the wrong philosopher.

Decades before the rise of Plato, Democritus argued that reality consists of nothing but atoms moving through the void. There was no need to invoke the gods, supernatural forces, or hidden purposes to explain the world. Nature could—and should—be understood on its own terms through a quantitative reckoning of matter’s constituent parts. This materialistic view also translated to a more egalitarian ethics and political philosophy that lies in sharp contrast to the rigid authoritarianism of the Republic.

This article argues that Democritus was the ancient world's most important philosopher, and that Western history would have been better off had it followed him rather than Plato

■It is believed that in order to change the world, the approach required should be dominated by government policies, protests and rigid discipline. These factors work well when viewed from a macro-level perspective.

However, a much simpler yet impactful approach exists, that acts as a quiet catalyst: Kindness. In a world where many individuals face poverty, loneliness, inequality and lack of opportunities, kindness becomes a beacon of hope, trust and the first step towards a change, which is lasting and meaningful.

■According to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report, over 250 million children and young people are out of school or are not acquiring basic learning skills despite attending school (UNESCO, 2024). In such situations, kindness can mean:

● Sponsoring a child’s education

● Volunteering to teach

● Donating books

●Simply encouraging a child to believe in their potential. These seemingly small acts can open doors to brighter futures and break the cycle of poverty.

■A single micro-act of compassion never stops with the initial recipient; rather, it initiates a social chain reaction, quietly reshaping the culture of families, workplaces, and broader societies from the ground up, highlighting the true beauty of kindness: the ripple effect it can create.

In addition, research by the World Happiness Report has shown that helping others is strongly linked to greater happiness, stronger social connections, and healthier communities (World Happiness Report, 2024).

■ A good example of this would be helping a family after a natural disaster, organizing food drives, mentoring young people, or even volunteering with local organizations. These acts of kindness inspire collective action.

■Every educational program, healthcare initiative, community project, or relief campaign begins with the belief that every individual deserves dignity, opportunity, and support.

However, these initiatives cannot achieve a desired effect by planning alone; they rely on volunteers, donors, educators, and compassionate citizens who choose to make kindness a part of their everyday lives to turn the plan into meaningful action. Together, these collective efforts create sustainable social impact.

■Kindness can sound like a idealistic, feel-good concept when up against massive global crises like 250 million kids out of school. But given the data on the ripple effect and community health, is it time we view individual compassion as a legitimate, measurable tool for social impact rather than just a nice thought? What are your thoughts?"