Jim Herrick
Encyclopedia
Jim Herrick is a British
Humanist
and secularist
. He studied history and English literature at Trinity College
, Cambridge University
, and then worked as a school teacher for seven years. He has written or edited several books on humanism or the history of freethought.
Herrick is a trustee of the Rationalist Association
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
(IHEU). In 1996 he received the Distinguished Humanist Service Award from the IHEU. He was a signatory to Humanist Manifesto II
.
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
.
Herrick stepped down as a vice-president of the National Secular Society
at the 2007 AGM but remains on the Council of Management.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Humanist
Secular humanism
Secular Humanism, alternatively known as Humanism , is a secular philosophy that embraces human reason, ethics, justice, and the search for human fulfillment...
and secularist
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
. He studied history and English literature at Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and then worked as a school teacher for seven years. He has written or edited several books on humanism or the history of freethought.
Herrick is a trustee of the Rationalist Association
Rationalist Association
The Rationalist Association, originally the Rationalist Press Association, is an organization in the United Kingdom, founded in 1899 by a group of free thinkers who were unhappy with the increasing political and decreasingly intellectual tenor of the British secularist movement...
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
Rationalist International
Rationalist International is an organization with the stated aim to represent a rational view of the world, making the voice of reason heard and considered where public opinion is formed and decisions are made.- Rationalism :...
Award in the year 2002.
He was editor of International Humanist News, published by the International Humanist and Ethical Union
International Humanist and Ethical Union
The International Humanist and Ethical Union is an umbrella organisation embracing humanist, atheist, rationalist, secular, skeptic, freethought and Ethical Culture organisations worldwide. Founded in Amsterdam in 1952, the IHEU is a democratic union of more than 100 member organizations in 40...
(IHEU). In 1996 he received the Distinguished Humanist Service Award from the IHEU. He was a signatory to Humanist Manifesto II
Humanism and Its Aspirations
Humanism and Its Aspirations subtitled Humanist Manifesto III, a successor to the Humanist Manifesto of 1933 is the most recent of the Humanist Manifestos published in 2003 by the American Humanist Association...
.
From January 1977 until 1981, Herrick edited The Freethinker
The Freethinker (journal)
The Freethinker is a British secular humanist magazine, founded by G.W. Foote in 1881. It is the world's oldest surviving freethought publication.It has always taken an unapologetically atheist, anti-religious stance...
. He later wrote that publication's centenary history. He was a founder member of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association
Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association
The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association is a democratic, membership-based, Humanist campaigning organisation that represents the many non-religious in the lesbian and gay community in the United Kingdom and beyond...
.
Herrick stepped down as a vice-president of the National Secular Society
National Secular Society
The National Secular Society 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 religion. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866...
at the 2007 AGM but remains on the Council of Management.
Publications
- Humanism: An Introduction. (2003). ISBN 0-301-00301-7. (Also published by Prometheus Books, 2005. ISBN 1-59102-239-8)
- Humanist Anthology: From Confucius to David Attenborough. (1995). London, Rationalist Press Association. Edited by Margaret KnightMargaret Knight (psychologist)Margaret Kennedy Knight , , was a psychologist and humanist. Born in Hertfordshire, England, Knight went to Girton College, Cambridge University, graduating in 1926...
; 2nd edition, revised by Jim Herrick. ISBN 0-301-94001-0
- Against the Faith: Some Deists, Skeptics and Atheists. (1985). London: Glover & Blair. ISBN 0-906681-09-X (Also published by Prometheus Books, 1994. ISBN 0-87975-288-2).
- Vision and Realism: A Hundred Years of The Freethinker. (1982). London: GW Foote & Co. ISBN 0-9508243-0-5
- Selected articles for New Humanist available here: