The Conflict of Naturalism and Humanism #252815

Not antagonistic to the supernatural, yet by no means always in accord with it, is the humanistic attitude, which seeks the key to the riddle of the universe in the existence of man. Human life with its needs, its ideals, its possibilities of achievement, is the rudder by which the cosmic ship is steered, and the better ment of this life is the supreme goal to which the whole crea tion moves. Thus the significance and worth of the universe rest in their relation to the life of man, the touchstone of all value.) Such conceptions of the meaning of the world incline not rarely toward the supernatural If the cosmos reveals bene ficent design working toward the ultimate apotheosis of man, such a rational and kindly order must presuppose some gracious Spirit of Reason working at the heart of the philosophy of humanism, from Plato to Kant and Hegel, may take stubborn issue against certain tenets of the theology of super naturalism. The two are not of necessity opposed and indeed may not infrequently be found in amicable cooperation.'