How to Humanist #2 Batman’s Not Real and Other Brutal Truths with Greg Epstein
Feb 23, 2026
Greg Epstein, Humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT and author of Good Without God, gives a lively mini crash course in humanism and its ancient roots. He traces skeptical traditions from India to the Renaissance. He also talks about raising children with humanist values, why Jewish communities engage with humanism, and how empathy and critical thinking shape a nonmagical life stance.
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Humanism Defined As A Nonmagical, Cooperative Life Stance
- Humanism views life without supernatural claims and focuses on cooperating to improve human welfare now.
- Greg Epstein ties humanism to evolutionary and cosmic facts: we're made of star material and survived through mutual kindness and cooperation.
Humanism Has Deep Prehistoric And Global Roots
- Skeptical traditions criticizing priestly demands date back millennia across India, Greece, Rome and elsewhere.
- Epstein highlights Sanskrit-era philosophers who asked why gods would need our goats, linking ancient critique to modern humanism.
Humanism Chose A Positive Identity Rather Than Mere Nonbelief
- Modern humanism emerged as an affirmative identity distinct from merely being atheist or agnostic.
- Early 20th-century founders chose 'humanism' to describe belief in science, evolution, and human rights rather than defining by negation.
