Discussion prompt:
Secular humanism is a fundamentally optimistic worldview. It affirms that, through cooperation, reason, science, and evidence-based policy, humans can solve the problems we face — from injustice and inequality to climate change and global conflict. Humanism places trust in our collective ability to build a better world.
But is that optimism justified?
The challenges we face are enormous. The tragedy of the commons makes it difficult for societies to act in the long-term interest of humanity. The climate crisis continues to worsen despite decades of warnings. Rights once won are now under attack. We are living through a backlash against progress — against democracy, secularism, and equality.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” But humanists know that the arc doesn’t bend on its own. We have to bend it. And maybe we won’t succeed…
So, let’s discuss:
- What justifies humanist optimism that we can solve our problems?
- Is there evidence that humanity is making meaningful progress?
- How do we reconcile our values with the real possibility of failure — especially on existential threats like climate change or democratic backsliding?
- Can we remain committed to hope and action even in the absence of guarantees?
Do you believe that humans can solve our problems — and if so, why? If not, what does that mean for a humanist approach to life and ethics?
Let’s explore these questions together.
When & Where:
Join us on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 6 pm in Community Room A at the Keith Summey Library, located at 3503 Rivers Ave in North Charleston.
NOT Homework:
The following recommendation(s) are entirely optional supplemental material intended to stimulate discussion.
Elinor Ostrom was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics, and she received the award for her work demonstrating that people can actually overcome the tragedy of the commons. It is a great example of how humans can, under the right conditions, solve seemingly intractable problems. Global warming is a classic example of the tragedy of the commons because the Earth’s atmosphere is a shared, common resource that everyone relies on but no one owns exclusively. Ostrom’s work is cause for hope.
“Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom on Why Climate Change Solutions Work Best When They’re Local” is a brief text interview with Ostrom that touches on these issues: https://thesolutionsjournal.com/nobel-laureate-elinor-ostrom-on-why-climate-change-solutions-work-best-when-theyre-local/
Planet Money podcast episode 108 from October, 2009, titled “Elinor Ostrom Checks In”. This podcast episode is an interview with Ostrom not too long after her Nobel win and explains both the tragedy of the commons and the circumstances under which we can overcome it. Listen to the episode or read the transcript at https://www.npr.org/transcripts/114045992
About the Group:
The Freethinkers’ Forum is a monthly gathering facilitated by the Secular Humanist of the Lowcountry to discuss topics of interest to freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and other non-religious people. The purpose of these gatherings is to foster respectful dialogue of interesting and intellectually stimulating topics. The focus is discussion and so we will not have speakers. We may have brief presentations to introduce topics, but those will be restricted to 15 minutes or less. There may be optional readings or television or film recommendations to stimulate discussion.
***All participants are asked to familiarize themselves with and agree to follow our code of conduct.