This site describes a belief system with about thirty basic components.
These are the things that I believe to be true, and also the things that I believe in: two different sorts of beliefs, in a way, but closely related.
These beliefs have some important characteristics.
They are foundational. That is, they provide a solid foundation for other beliefs.
They are coherent. That is, they are consistent with one another, and in fact reinforce one another.
They are complete. That is, one can build other beliefs on top of these, but these form a complete starting platform for such efforts.
They are effective. That is, they offer a useful set of shared beliefs for a well-functioning human society.
They are resonant. That is, they reflect and amplify strands of belief found in many other models and insightful quotations.
They are modern. That is, they take into account the knowledge and experience that we humans have so far accumulated as we make our way through the 21st century.
Taken together, I believe these form a stable, useful and usable Belief System for the 21st Century.
These beliefs can be organized in multiple ways for presentation.
Alphabetized List
Let's start with a simple alphabetized list.Categorized
But we can also organize them into broader categories.
A Human Perspective
Humanism Humanism emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, without reference to any non-human authorities.
Art We humans create meaning for ourselves through storytelling. That is, we reflect on our experiences and then create narratives, images, shapes and sounds in order to communicate new and interesting perspectives to others. The resulting works of art can then become important elements of our culture.
The Written Word The written word is an invaluable human tool for sharing information and ideas between members of a generation, as well as for passing along information and ideas from one generation to the next.
Value of Individuals
Individuals Individuals have both value and agency.
Equality All members of a society must be treated with equality before the law.
Diversity Variations in appearance, backgrounds and thinking tend to enrich our lives, both individually and collectively.
Something Bigger than Ourselves
Connection A feeling of caring connection to others is part of what makes us human, and is the central force that makes each one of us part of something larger than our individual selves.
Love Let us call love the apprehension of something outside of oneself, some being or form that is other than our self, and yet that affirms the possibility of a greater unity of which we are each but parts, a unity that leaves us still ourselves, and yet also part of something inestimably greater.
Wonder A sense of wonder opens our hearts and minds to fresh perspectives and new possibilities.
A Sense of Purpose
Mission Human individuals and groups need some sense of meaning and purpose in order to live complete and satisfying lives, and such a mission inevitably involves a degree of concern and care for others.
Our Social Contract
Society Humans are inherently social creatures, forming groups of varying size and complexity in order to experience meaning, and to foster productive cooperation towards shared goals.
Governance Any human society will require institutions of governance to help coordinate the actions of teams and individuals towards a valuable common end.
Democracy A means of governance over a society that places ultimate authority in the hands of the people being governed.
Parenthood Parents have an obligation to help their children become healthy, happy adults who make their own positive contributions to society.
Sustainability Our presence on the planet has grown to the point at which we must consider how we humans can fashion a way of life that can be maintained over a period of decades and centuries without irreparable damage to the natural environment on which our lives depend.
Value Creation It is in the best interests of society to encourage its citizens to engage in activities that will create value for themselves and others and society at large.
Rule of Law Every human society should establish a rule of law to govern human interaction, to channel human energy along constructive paths, to promote useful order, and to express the underlying values embraced by that society. That rule of law should apply equally to all of its members.
Property Property may be either privately or publicly owned, and a productive society will have a healthy mix of both.
Rational Thought
Cultural Evolution Humans are to a large degree defined by our cultures, which have evolved over long periods of time, and are evolving still.
Education It is in the best interests of society to assist in the effective education of its members.
Science Science provides a means of obtaining useful knowledge about the world through application of the scientific method, which includes detailed observations, analysis of the data collected, formulation and validation of hypotheses, along with peer review of methods and results
Evolution Evolution is the process of change that allows life forms to adapt to their dynamic environments, often with increasing degrees of scale and complexity.
Critical Thinking Humans generally achieve better outcomes when they avoid judging situations by their outward appearances, and instead look beneath the surfaces to search out objective facts and engage in reasoned analysis.
Design Design is a fundamental human activity, applying purpose and values to technology and resources in order to organize materials and activities to fashion our tools, our environments, and even our societies and ourselves.
A Systemic Approach In order to achieve positive outcomes from the complex social, economic and ecological systems in which we live, we must think systemically – rather than simply focusing on the individual actors within these systems – and we must identify root causes for our problems and take action as close to those roots as is practical.
Some Guard Rails
Imperfection We harbor no romantic notions about the perfectibility of humans or of human society, but instead are satisfied with progress, and do not demand perfection.
Balance It is generally best to strive for a reasonable balance between competing concerns, rather than viewing any one of them as fundamentally absolute.
An Integral Approach An integral approach recognizes that there can be multiple valid perspectives from which to view any situation, and that the choice of a best action may depend upon consideration and integration of two or more of these perspectives.
Stacked
And we can also present them in a somewhat logical sequence, with the more foundational beliefs presented at the top.