Affirmations: Joyful and Creative Exuberance » (REV)

In this optimistic, life-affirming book, philosopher Paul Kurtz succinctly outlines the main characteristics of the humanist perspective. Centered on human concerns and employing rational and scientific methods to determine objective truth, humanism is dedicated to the development of individual human potentials and the improvement of the planetary community.
Emphasizing that the good life is achievable by everyone, Kurtz has coined the term eupraxsophy, based on Greek roots and meaning "good conduct and wisdom in living." By using the most reliable scientific knowledge and critical reason, he shows how wisdom can be applied to conduct while leading a life of commitment and passion.
Regarding the perennial search for happiness, Kurtz affirms that secularism holds far more promise than either religion or political ideologies. Through creative action in the pursuit of goals focused on the enhancement of human welfare the individual has the best chance of realizing a rewarding and meaningful life.
Kurtz goes on to show how this realistic and fulfilling life stance is expressed in various human endeavors ranging from ethics to environmental protection, forming lasting human relationships, eroticism, sexuality, being a good parent, finding meaning in life, striving for a beloved cause, facing death with courage, and the goal of creating a stable, thriving, democratic world community.

Paul Kurtz (Amherst, NY), professor emeritus of philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, is the author or editor of forty-two books, including Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? and The Transcendental Temptation: A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal. He is also the founder of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry, and the chairman of the Center for Inquiry.