# Let's be Anti-Humanists! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 30, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534 "2011-03-30T18:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/1 "2011-03-30T18:10:46Z")
[This blog](http://www.antihumanism.com/faq/) deserves some Doper-grade ridicule. Listen at this shit: > [@Anti-Humanism FAQ](#): > > What is Humanism? > Humanism is the mental habit of looking at the world as if it existed only for human beings. If there’s a forest, you consume it. If there is land, you use it. If there was other stuff on that land, it’s Too Bad, because you’ve just gotta have that 4×4 truck, color television, and sprawling suburban home, if you’re a wealthy first worlder. Or maybe you simply want another patch of land for subsistence farming and slash-n-burn agriculture, if you’re a third worlder. Either way, you’re not thinking of anything except yourself and other humans. It’s like the whole rest of the world doesn’t exist. Never mind the usual and widely endorsed definition of humanism: [A secular ideology which espouses reason, ethics, and justice, whilst specifically rejecting supernatural and religious dogma as a basis of morality and decision-making.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism) Never mind your “ethics” and “reason.” They are just species-ism and greed. And if you buy this definition, you get this philosophy FREE! > [@](#): > > What is Anti-Humanism? > Anti-Humanists recognize that without our environment, we die. For this reason, we can no longer think of humanity in terms of individuals and what individuals want (color TVs, slash and burn agriculture, “freedom”) but as an organism inside of an environment. Humanity is one single mass, and we are but its cells. Our individual wants and purchasing power are not as important as the health of the whole in the context of its environment, because if the environment dies, the whole dies, and then the individual is nothing. From there, the big idea is to start killing off humanists (“Liberals, conservatives, Christians, Jews, most Buddhists, every businessperson”) along with anybody useless or cancerous to society (our sole discretion, natch). Thankfully, most of the posts on the blog seem to be not about some neo-Nietzschean jackoff scenario of crushing the weak of the earth, but about the comparatively innocuous topic of death-metal. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/2 "2011-03-30T18:34:26Z")
I think you might have a disagreement in terminology, nothing more. Humanism can also be associated with materialism, “the philosophical theory that regards matter and its motions as constituting the universe, and all phenomena, including those of mind, as due to material agencies.” If you saw a mention that such-and-such is too “materialistic” on a shopping blog, would you argue with that definition? The rest of it seems to be some ZPG-type nonsense. Stupid, sure. But Pit-worthy? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/3 "2011-03-30T18:56:17Z")
> [@](#): > > If there’s a forest, you consume it. If there is land, you use it. Got a bet there? I’ll meet it. Getting high? You can’t beat it. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/4 "2011-03-30T18:57:42Z")
[quote] I think you might have a disagreement in terminology, nothing more.[.quote] It seems to be deliberately chosen to be inflammatory. It’s much more than “a disagreemnent i n terminology” to use a word in a very unusual way. > [@](#): > > Humanism can also be associated with materialism I’ve never heard or read it used in that way. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/5 "2011-03-30T19:09:36Z")
It’s a rhetorical move the neocon right frequently uses: associating some “ism” with its opposite or contradictory goals, then putting oomph behind the assertion by insisting that lazy thinking, gummint mind control tactics, or good old nasty-ass human nature are the reason Nobody Knows The Truth. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/6 "2011-03-30T19:30:04Z")
As a true anti-humanist, I find it offensive that they are trying to co opt the term for dishonest purposes. What about those of us who disregard most of the basic tenets of humanism and don’t care about the well-being of others at all? What are we supposed to call ourselves? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/7 "2011-03-30T19:31:35Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > As a true anti-humanist, I find it offensive that they are trying to co opt the term for dishonest purposes. What about those of us who disregard most of the basic tenets of humanism and don’t care about the well-being of others at all? What are we supposed to call ourselves? First they took “psychopath”, and now this. Where will it end?! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/8 "2011-03-30T19:40:17Z")
> [@](#): > > “Liberals, conservatives, Christians, Jews, most Buddhists, every businessperson” What did the Buddhist ever do to anyone? Remember when the Taliban blew up those ancient Buddhist statues? Did you hear them make threats? Call for sanctions? Retaliate? Take to the streets in protest? Carry a grudge? No, you didn’t, because that’s not their gig. As they are so anti materialistic, usually vegetarian, and don’t engage in war, this seems unfair in the extreme. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/9 "2011-03-30T20:19:21Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > As a true anti-humanist, I find it offensive that they are trying to co opt the term for dishonest purposes. What about those of us who disregard most of the basic tenets of humanism and don’t care about the well-being of others at all? What are we supposed to call ourselves? Shitheels? Asswipes? Twinkletoed cocksuckers? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/10 "2011-03-31T02:04:23Z")
I generally support the killing of large numbers of people for poorly thought out reasons, so I don’t understand what the OP is upset about. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/11 "2011-03-31T10:34:52Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Got a bet there? I’ll meet it. > Getting high? You can’t beat it. quality reference there Jackmannii I was listening to it on the way to work this morning. Suffice to say that The Who have a better grasp of humanity than the bozo mentioned in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/12 "2011-03-31T10:45:44Z")
The first problem I noticed is that, even if killing people for the good of society is okay, the blanket killing of people in certain groups is certainly not going to do more good than harm, especially since you’d be killing about half of the world’s population, if not substantially more. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/13 "2011-03-31T12:32:01Z")
Humanism is a good option for those who can’t go for vegetarianism but still want to go low-carb. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/14 "2011-03-31T12:53:22Z")
I have no problem with their plans for mass murder, but they really need to bone up on their vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/15 "2011-03-31T13:03:58Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > From there, the big idea is to start killing off humanists (“Liberals, conservatives, Christians, Jews, most Buddhists, every businessperson”) along with anybody useless or cancerous to society (our sole discretion, natch). Hunh. As usual on this board, muslims get a pass. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/16 "2011-03-31T15:04:43Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Got a bet there? I’ll meet it. > Getting high? You can’t beat it. Can you clue me in here? I tried to google this phrase at work and it was blocked - I hope I’m not in trouble now :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/17 "2011-03-31T15:09:17Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Can you clue me in here? > I tried to google this phrase at work and it was blocked - I hope I’m not in trouble now :smack: They are lyrics from “Doctor Jimmy” from Quadrophenia (a fine, fine album) That may be why you got blocked. (there are also some naughty words in it) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/18 "2011-03-31T17:22:38Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Humanism is a good option for those who can’t go for vegetarianism but still want to go low-carb. That’s humanitarianism. Soylent Green is made from people! Sweet! ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/19 "2011-03-31T19:10:41Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Hunh. As usual on this board, muslims get a pass. Hey, if we kill off all the Muslims who’s going to help us kill off all the (“Liberals, conservatives, Christians, Jews, most Buddhists, every businessperson”) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534/20 "2011-03-31T19:13:16Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Can you clue me in here? > I tried to google this phrase at work and it was blocked - I hope I’m not in trouble now :smack: Yeah…Who said that? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-be-anti-humanists/576534.md?page=2)