Issue 18

Editorial

• Humanism and Politics. Valerii Kuvakin argues that Humanism is not ether political or religious ideology. But as a value-system and social movement it plays an important general and trans-political role. As a metha-political and inter-political phenomenon Humanism brings to the political scene such fundamental political values as freedom, democracy, social justice, supremacy of law, participation of citizens in political process, etc. All-human values of Humanism provide the best moral ground for struggle of political ideologies, protecting this process from transformation of competition of ideas into clash between people and social classes. Humanism is a worldview and moral power. Social status of Humanism is to be organized and socially active collective worldview. The general political mission of Humanism is to humanize both the people's political consciousness and political institutes of society.

Documents of the XXth Century Humanism

• The Russell - Einstein Manifesto. 45 years ago two scientific geniuses appealed to the world community of scholars with the words: In the tragic situation which confronts humanity, we feel that scientists should assemble in conference to appraise the perils that have arisen as a result of the development of weapons of mass destruction, and to discuss a resolution in the spirit of the appended draft.
  This is the first publication of the Manifesto in Russian.

Humanist Dictionary

• As usually Alexander Kruglov offers the unusual. Distinguishing the world of the words he asks: whether is it possible for the human being to have on one hand the sober mind of Reductionist, the person, which reduce everything to the understandable, finally boring and lifeless and on the another hand to be a romantic, the personality, which is vouching the miracles of the life and escape of depressing commonness. The title of his paper is Reductionists and Romantics.

Articles

• Yury Solonin, Ulija Gafanova in the paper The Social Mission of Philosophy discuss the role of Russian institutional philosophy in general and faculties of philosophy in particular in rising of the level of critical thinking, which could not be reduce to zero by any means of Communist dictatorship.
• Anna Kudishina Humanism As a Value Basis of Legal Consciousness. The author analyzes the relations between values of Humanism, law, and education. She expresses the hope that in the third millenium Humanism will be able to provide the solid value platform both for personality and society. But it requires the good will, courage of the choice, and enlightened mind.
• Vladimir Nikitin "Totalitarian Sects": How to Fight Them? The real practice of "the struggle" against so call "totalitarian sects" shows that basically it is a part of general policy or Russian Orthodox Church to protect its privileges as "traditional religion'. Considering the new or coming from abroad religions as "the sects" and prescribing to this term a criminal meaning Russian Orthodox Church together with Church oriented governmental bodies increase the hostility between different confessions, violate the law and freedom of conscience.
• Nikolay Chekalov in his search for the origin of religious faith comes to the conclusion that this phenomenon is rooted in human biological and existential needs for protection and safety. So in fact the human being created the idea and image of God (gods) in order to satisfy this needs. Any religion has an anthropic genesis, author says in his paper About the Faith.
• Vitalii Andreev The Vladimir Solovyov's Organic Humanism. As a leading Russian philosopher of the end of XIX century Vladimir Solovyev rethought the moral basis of personality and his humanist mission. The new humanist paradigm proclaimed the synthesis of the intellectual (science), moral (ethics), and emotional (arts) under supremacy of the will to save a human being, humankind, and Universe. Solovyov considered this cosmic task as an adequate respond to the God's design and his divine creation of the world.
• Sergey Peruansky Help you God! The article is a friendly advice to the newly born organization of young people Society of Scientific Atheists to be well informed in a field of theology and history of the world religions. Understanding of these problems is a precondition of effective critique of religious dogmas and prejudices.

Debates

• Vyacheslav Bocharov In "Defense" of Metropolitan Kirill. Yaroslav Golovin In Defense of Freedom. Anti-Westerner, Communist, and atheist Vyacheslav Bocharov and Westerner, liberal, and atheist Yaroslav Golovin can not reconcile their political values but both of them agree that clericalization of state and school in Russia threatens the social stability in this country.
• Vladimir Vassin, Valery Kuvakin, Gennady Shevelev. Six Letters on Humanism. Extracts from their correspondence about the social and political orientation of Russian Humanist Society.

Zones of Violation: Chechnya

• Citizen of this Republic Fatima Demelkhanova speaks about violation of human rights in her country. She believes that the only way to stop war, degradation of population, and distractions is a political negotiation with the real leaders of Chechen people.

The Literary Pages

• The poetry of Esfir Fridzel and Semen Botvinnik.
• Anaida Bestavashvili offers her understanding of poetry of Esfir Fridzel.