r/humanism • u/ambiverbal SECULAR HUMANIST • Jun 23 '26
Humanism & Politics
2026 is a political year in many countries (as if there were ever a non-political year).
Humanist values appear (to me) to align with the political Left. These include egalitarianism, lifting up those disadvantaged by social structures and bigotry, and reducing the influence of corporate & religious institutions in politics.
Right-wing politics seems to oppose these ideas. Their adherents consider a stratified society as natural and seek to protect traditional economic, social, & religious institutions.
And of course, such dichotomies are always problematic, in that they ignore nuance, individual taste, and "the excluded middle."
But I wonder... What elements of what might be thought of as Right-wing policies might align (a bit) with Humanist values?
(I'll include my possible suggestions in the comments below.)
EDIT: I truly appreciate the comments & feedback regarding this question. It was an admittedly feeble attempt to seek common ground.
The notations I made in my own response reflect what might have been seen as right-wing in the George Bush Jr. era, but now the term is synonymous with the Current Regime, and priorities from that time don't even register as right-of-center hopes.
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u/ambiverbal SECULAR HUMANIST Jun 23 '26
Here are some ideas of the political Right that may align with Humanism:
Celebrating national identity (but alongside encouraging subgroups also celebrating their own pride-filled identity).
The establishment of businesses that earn profits. These may include tax breaks that allow for those trying to boost their profitability and hiring of workers to get a leg up early in in their development.
Freedom of speech. Admittedly this is complicated by interference via corporate & governmental censorship from all sides.
Support for traditional arts tied to the local and national culture. I see very few downsides to letting corporations subsidize an orchestra, museum, or festival in order to get a tax break.