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| You don’t need to know Plato and Aristotle to be a humanist | You don’t need to know Plato and Aristotle to be a humanist |
| (25 days later) | |
| As academic philosophers, including many from the UK, we implore the home secretary, Amber Rudd, to reconsider the decision to refuse Hamza bin Walayat’s request for asylum on the grounds that he did not mention Plato and Aristotle when questioned about humanism (Pakistani denied asylum after he failed to answer Plato question, 18 January). Knowledge of Plato and Aristotle is not a reliable test for whether someone is a humanist. Even in the UK, one could be or become a humanist without ever encountering them. | As academic philosophers, including many from the UK, we implore the home secretary, Amber Rudd, to reconsider the decision to refuse Hamza bin Walayat’s request for asylum on the grounds that he did not mention Plato and Aristotle when questioned about humanism (Pakistani denied asylum after he failed to answer Plato question, 18 January). Knowledge of Plato and Aristotle is not a reliable test for whether someone is a humanist. Even in the UK, one could be or become a humanist without ever encountering them. |
| There is no scholarly basis to think that Plato or Aristotle were humanist thinkers, which is defined by Humanists UK as atheists or agnostics who believe in leading a good life on the basis of reason and our common humanity. Both hold that there is a divine realm and stress its philosophical importance. Plato presents arguments for the existence of a divine creator, the immortality of the soul, and proposes a source of value in a supernatural domain independent of the human world (and thus does not reject religious belief). Aristotle is also complex: he believes in an objective human good, but he also believes that this good is shaped by its relation to a divine Unmoved Mover. | There is no scholarly basis to think that Plato or Aristotle were humanist thinkers, which is defined by Humanists UK as atheists or agnostics who believe in leading a good life on the basis of reason and our common humanity. Both hold that there is a divine realm and stress its philosophical importance. Plato presents arguments for the existence of a divine creator, the immortality of the soul, and proposes a source of value in a supernatural domain independent of the human world (and thus does not reject religious belief). Aristotle is also complex: he believes in an objective human good, but he also believes that this good is shaped by its relation to a divine Unmoved Mover. |
| At any rate, in general, one need not know who the humanist thinkers are to be a humanist; similarly, one need not know who the Christian thinkers are to be a Christian (by this definition there would be few genuine Christians in the UK). | At any rate, in general, one need not know who the humanist thinkers are to be a humanist; similarly, one need not know who the Christian thinkers are to be a Christian (by this definition there would be few genuine Christians in the UK). |
| Dr Helen De Cruz Senior lecturer in philosophy, Oxford Brookes University Professor Christopher Bertram Department of philosophy, University of Bristol Professor James Lenman Department of philosophy, University of Sheffield Dr Tasia Scrutton Associate professor, University of LeedsDr Rebecca Roache Senior lecturer in philosophy, Royal Holloway, University of LondonDr Ian James Kidd Assistant professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamKatherine Dormandy DPhil (Oxford), Lise-Meitner Research Fellow, University of InnsbruckDr Brendan Larvor Reader in philosophy, University of Hertfordshire Liam Kofi Bright Assistant professor of philosophy, logic and scientific method, London School of EconomicsDr Kate Kirkpatrick Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Hertfordshire Professor Angie Hobbs Professor of the public understanding of philosophy, University of SheffieldProfessor Jennifer Saul Department of philosophy, University of SheffieldDr Komarine Romdenh-Romluc Senior lecturer in philosophy, University of SheffieldDr Jonathan Lanman School of history, anthropology, philosophy and politics, Queen’s University BelfastDr Joseph Kisolo-Ssonko Teaching associate, department of philosophy, University of NottinghamDr Chris Woodard Associate professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamDr Zachary Hoskins Assistant professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamDr Stephen Law Reader in philosophy, Heythrop College, University of London. Member of the Humanist Philosophers’ Group and author of Humanism: A Very Short Introduction (OUP 2011)Dr Craig French Assistant professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamProfessor David Papineau King’s College London and City University of New YorkDr Matthew Duncombe Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Nottingham Dr Rebecca Bamford Associate professor of philosophy, Quinnipiac University; adjunct professor of philosophy, University of Fort HareDr Kenneth L Pearce Ussher assistant professor in Berkeley studies (early modern philosophy), Trinity College Dublin, IrelandDr Mark Jago Associate professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamProfessor Bill Brewer Susan Stebbing professor of philosophy and head of department, King’s College LondonDr Eleanor Knox Senior lecturer in philosophy, King’s College LondonDr Shaul Tor Lecturer in ancient philosophy, King’s College LondonDr Ellen Fridland Lecturer in philosophy, King’s College LondonDr Sara L Uckelman Assistant professor of philosophy, Durham UniversityDr Clayton Littlejohn Reader in philosophy, King’s College LondonProfessor David E Cooper Emeritus professor of philosophy, Durham UniversityDr Katharine Jenkins Assistant professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamDr John Callanan Senior lecturer in philosophy, King’s College LondonProfessor AC Grayling Master of New College of the Humanities, supernumerary fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford, and co-editor of the Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Humanism Dr Nigel Warburton Freelance philosopherProfessor John Harris Professor emeritus, University of Manchester and visiting professor in Bioethics Department of Global Health & Social Medicine School of Global Affairs, King’s College LondonProfessor Kate Soper Emerita professor of philosophy, London Metropolitan UniversityProfessor Helen Beebee Samuel Hall professor of philosophy, University of ManchesterDr Ardon Lyon Ex-lecturer at Durham and City universitiesProfessor Janet Radcliffe Richards Professor of practical philosophy, University of OxfordProfessor Eric Olson Professor of philosophy, University of SheffieldProfessor Simon Blackburn Professor of philosophy, University of CambridgeProfessor Emeritus RA Duff Department of philosophy, University of StirlingNick Everitt Senior lecturer in philosophy, University of East AngliaPeter Cave Lecturer in philosophy for the Open University and City University, London and chair of the Humanist Philosophers GroupProfessor Richard Norman, Emeritus professor of moral philosophy, University of Kent Professor Peter Millican Professor of philosophy, University of OxfordDr Andrew Chitty Senior lecturer in philosophy, University of SussexJulian Baggini Associate reader in philosophy, University of KentRev Canon Professor Keith Ward Regius professor of divinity emeritus, Christ Church, University of Oxford Dr Eliot Michaelson Lecturer in philosophy, King’s College LondonProfessor John Benson Emeritus professor of philosophy, Lancaster University | Dr Helen De Cruz Senior lecturer in philosophy, Oxford Brookes University Professor Christopher Bertram Department of philosophy, University of Bristol Professor James Lenman Department of philosophy, University of Sheffield Dr Tasia Scrutton Associate professor, University of LeedsDr Rebecca Roache Senior lecturer in philosophy, Royal Holloway, University of LondonDr Ian James Kidd Assistant professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamKatherine Dormandy DPhil (Oxford), Lise-Meitner Research Fellow, University of InnsbruckDr Brendan Larvor Reader in philosophy, University of Hertfordshire Liam Kofi Bright Assistant professor of philosophy, logic and scientific method, London School of EconomicsDr Kate Kirkpatrick Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Hertfordshire Professor Angie Hobbs Professor of the public understanding of philosophy, University of SheffieldProfessor Jennifer Saul Department of philosophy, University of SheffieldDr Komarine Romdenh-Romluc Senior lecturer in philosophy, University of SheffieldDr Jonathan Lanman School of history, anthropology, philosophy and politics, Queen’s University BelfastDr Joseph Kisolo-Ssonko Teaching associate, department of philosophy, University of NottinghamDr Chris Woodard Associate professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamDr Zachary Hoskins Assistant professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamDr Stephen Law Reader in philosophy, Heythrop College, University of London. Member of the Humanist Philosophers’ Group and author of Humanism: A Very Short Introduction (OUP 2011)Dr Craig French Assistant professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamProfessor David Papineau King’s College London and City University of New YorkDr Matthew Duncombe Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Nottingham Dr Rebecca Bamford Associate professor of philosophy, Quinnipiac University; adjunct professor of philosophy, University of Fort HareDr Kenneth L Pearce Ussher assistant professor in Berkeley studies (early modern philosophy), Trinity College Dublin, IrelandDr Mark Jago Associate professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamProfessor Bill Brewer Susan Stebbing professor of philosophy and head of department, King’s College LondonDr Eleanor Knox Senior lecturer in philosophy, King’s College LondonDr Shaul Tor Lecturer in ancient philosophy, King’s College LondonDr Ellen Fridland Lecturer in philosophy, King’s College LondonDr Sara L Uckelman Assistant professor of philosophy, Durham UniversityDr Clayton Littlejohn Reader in philosophy, King’s College LondonProfessor David E Cooper Emeritus professor of philosophy, Durham UniversityDr Katharine Jenkins Assistant professor of philosophy, University of NottinghamDr John Callanan Senior lecturer in philosophy, King’s College LondonProfessor AC Grayling Master of New College of the Humanities, supernumerary fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford, and co-editor of the Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Humanism Dr Nigel Warburton Freelance philosopherProfessor John Harris Professor emeritus, University of Manchester and visiting professor in Bioethics Department of Global Health & Social Medicine School of Global Affairs, King’s College LondonProfessor Kate Soper Emerita professor of philosophy, London Metropolitan UniversityProfessor Helen Beebee Samuel Hall professor of philosophy, University of ManchesterDr Ardon Lyon Ex-lecturer at Durham and City universitiesProfessor Janet Radcliffe Richards Professor of practical philosophy, University of OxfordProfessor Eric Olson Professor of philosophy, University of SheffieldProfessor Simon Blackburn Professor of philosophy, University of CambridgeProfessor Emeritus RA Duff Department of philosophy, University of StirlingNick Everitt Senior lecturer in philosophy, University of East AngliaPeter Cave Lecturer in philosophy for the Open University and City University, London and chair of the Humanist Philosophers GroupProfessor Richard Norman, Emeritus professor of moral philosophy, University of Kent Professor Peter Millican Professor of philosophy, University of OxfordDr Andrew Chitty Senior lecturer in philosophy, University of SussexJulian Baggini Associate reader in philosophy, University of KentRev Canon Professor Keith Ward Regius professor of divinity emeritus, Christ Church, University of Oxford Dr Eliot Michaelson Lecturer in philosophy, King’s College LondonProfessor John Benson Emeritus professor of philosophy, Lancaster University |
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