If I offer my
own provisional definition of humanism(1) now
and here, others may improve it, some adversary
may be led to define his own creed more sharply
by the contrast, and a certain quickening
of the crystallization of general opinion
may result.
I
The essential service of humanism, as I conceive
the situation, is to have seen that _though_
_one_part_of_our_experience_may_lean_upon_another_
_part_to_make_it_what_it_is_in_any_one_of_several_
_aspects_in_which_it_may_be_considered,_experience_
_as_a_whole_is_self-containing_and_leans_
_on_nothing_.
Since this formula also expresses the main
contention of transcendental idealism, it needs
abundant explication to make it unambiguous.
---
1 [The author employs the term 'humanism' either as a synonym
for 'radical empiricism' (cf. e.g, above, p. 156); or as that general
philosophy of life of which 'radical empiricism' is the theoretical
ground (cf. below, p. 194). For other discussions of 'humanism,' cf.
below, essay XI, and _The_Meaning_of)Truth_, essay III. ED.]
194
It seems, at first sight, to confine itself to
denying theism and pantheism. But, in fact,
it need not deny either; everything would
depend on the exegesis; and if the formula
ever became canonical, it would certainly
develop both right-wing and left-wing interpreters.
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