Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
Humanism and Its Aspirations
Upcoming Events
Monthly Meeting - The Waverly Partnership
Monday, August 18, 2025, 6:30PM
Waverly Townhouses consists of 52 housing units in New Haven for families qualifying for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Project Based Voucher programs. Many of us have known about Waverly because of June Schafer’s work with the partnership between USNH and the Waverly Townhouses community.
Sharon McBlain has been involved with this partnership for over 30 years. She will explain what this partnership is and tell us a bit about how it has evolved over the decades. She’ll also share with us many of the ways our members have been involved both directly and though June, as well as update us on what’s going on now, including how we can help.
This is a story of humanism in action. Join us for coffee and conversation at 6:30 PM followed by Sharon’s presentation at 7:00 PM.
Board Meeting
Sunday, August 24, 2025, 7:00PM
All members of the Humanist Association of Connecticut are welcome to attend. If you have something to bring to the board or wish …
Online event
Northern Social Dinner
Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 7:00PM
We’ll be meeting again in Wallingford at Pacific Buffet & Grill (https://pacificbuffetandgrill.com/). (Buffet Prices:…
Social Dinner
Monday, September 1, 2025, 7:00PM
Join us for our monthly Social Dinner, and discuss a wide range of topics with like-minded people. (We’re holding these…
Humanist Explorations
Saturday, September 6, 2025, 2:30PM
This is our monthly Humanist Explorations meeting. We meet at 700 Hartford Turnpike in Hamden for a presentation followed by a…
Book Discussions
"Determined" by Robert M. Sapolsky
Saturday, August 16, 2025, 2:30PM
Our book for August is Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will by neuroscientist and primatologist Robert M. Sapolsky.
From Amazon: [I]n Determined, Sapolsky…mount[s] a brilliant (and in his inimitable way, delightful) full-frontal assault on the pleasant fantasy that there is some separate self telling our biology what to do…One by one, Sapolsky tackles all the major arguments for free will and takes them out, cutting a path through the thickets of chaos and complexity science and quantum physics, as well as touching ground on some of the wilder shores of philosophy.
Yet, as he acknowledges, it’s very hard, and at times impossible, to uncouple from our zeal to judge others and to judge ourselves. Sapolsky applies the new understanding of life beyond free will to some of our most essential questions around punishment, morality, and living well together. By the end, Sapolsky argues that while living our daily lives recognizing that we have no free will is going to be monumentally difficult, doing so is not going to result in anarchy, pointlessness, and existential malaise. Instead, it will make for a much more humane world.
“The behavioral scientist engagingly lays out the reasons why our every action is predetermined – and why we shouldn’t despair about it…Determined is a bravura performance, well worth reading for the pleasure of Sapolsky’s deeply informed company.” – The Guardian
"The Myth of Normal" by Gabor Maté
Saturday, September 20, 2025, 2:30PM
Our book for September is The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, & Healing in a Toxic Culture by Canadian physician Gabor…
"The Undertow" by Jeff Sharlet
Saturday, October 25, 2025, 2:30PM
Our book for October is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War by journalist and author Jeff Sharlet.
Note: Date is 4th,…
You can download the New Haven Free Public Library’s flyer for the 2024 book discussions at the Wilson Branch.
Our Calendar
Be sure to sign up for our e-mail list to get advance notification of events.
You can RSVP for most HAC events via meetup.com.
Newsletter
Titles selected for our book discussions can be found in most local libraries or ordered from bookstores such as Barnes and Noble.
HAC is a chapter of the American Humanist Association, a member of the Connecticut Coalition of Reason, and a UU Humanists local group.