Jim Herrick (born 1944) is a British

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...

and

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...

. He studied history and English literature at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, and then worked as a school teacher for seven years. He has written or edited several books on humanism or the history of freethought.

Biography

Herrick is a trustee of the

Rationalist Association The Rationalist Association, originally the Rationalist Press Association, is an organization in the United Kingdom, founded in 1885 by a group of freethinkers who were unhappy with the increasingly political and decreasingly intellectual tenor ...

and was editor of its journal ''New Humanist'' for 18 years from 1984. He subsequently became literary editor of ''New Humanist'' until his retirement in 2005. He was the recipient of the second International Rationalist Award in the year 2002. He was editor of ''International Humanist News'', published by the

International Humanist and Ethical Union Humanists International (known as the International Humanist and Ethical Union, or IHEU, from 1952–2019) is an international non-governmental organisation championing secularism and human rights, motivated by secular humanist values. Found ...

(IHEU). In 1996 he received the Distinguished Humanist Service Award from the IHEU. He was a signatory to Humanist Manifesto III. From January 1977 until 1981, Herrick edited '' The Freethinker''. He later wrote that publication's centenary history. He was a founder member of the

Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association LGBT Humanists UK, founded in 1979, is a special interest section of Humanists UK which campaigns for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality and human rights in the United Kingdom. It also organises social events for LGBT humanis ...

. Herrick stepped down as a vice-president of the

National Secular Society The National Secular Society (NSS) is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of it. It was ...

at the 2007 AGM but remained on the Council of Management until stepping down at the 2009 AGM.

Publications

* ''Aspiring to the Truth: Two Hundred Years of the South Place Ethical Society.'' (2016). With an introduction by

Nicolas Walter Nicolas Hardy Walter (22 November 1934 – 7 March 2000) was a British anarchist and atheist writer, speaker and activist. He was a member of the Committee of 100 and Spies for Peace, and wrote on topics of anarchism and humanism. Background ...

. Published b
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. *''Humanism: An Introduction''. (2003). . (Also published by Prometheus Books, 2005. ) *''Humanist Anthology: From Confucius to David Attenborough''. (1995). London,

Rationalist Press Association The Rationalist Association, originally the Rationalist Press Association, is an organization in the United Kingdom, founded in 1885 by a group of freethinkers who were unhappy with the increasingly political and decreasingly intellectual tenor ...

. Edited by Margaret Knight; 2nd edition, revised by Jim Herrick. *''Against the Faith: Some

Deists Deism ( or ; derived from the Latin ''deus'', meaning " god") is the philosophical position and rationalistic theology that generally rejects revelation as a source of divine knowledge, and asserts that empirical reason and observation of ...

Skeptics Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the pe ...

and

Atheists Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

''. (1985). London: Glover & Blair. (Also published by Prometheus Books, 1994. ). *''Vision and Realism: A Hundred Years of The Freethinker''. (1982). London: GW Foote & Co. *Selected articles for ''New Humanist'' on the newhumanist.org.uk website.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herrick, Jim 1944 births 20th-century atheists 21st-century atheists Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge British atheism activists British humanists English atheists Freethought writers Living people Writers about religion and science