Paul Kurtz coined the term “eupraxsophy” (which he first spelled “eupraxophy”). The word means wisdom and good conduct in living. Like most neologisms, the word never caught on. Some said it was too cumbersome, did not fall off the lips easily, was too hard to remember and pronounce, etc. (While attending an international humanist conference in Europe in the early 1990s, Tom Flynn of the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism jokingly wore a button which read, “Eupraxsophy: If not now, when?” It did not do the trick.)

Despite organized humanists’ distaste for the word, the concept was attractive to many. Kurtz argued that mere philosophy is not enough to sustain the human community and bring forth desired ethical outcomes. That is to say, wisdom without good conduct is insufficient for a productive and well-lived life.

One group existed that impressively put eupraxsophy into practice. That group was The Kansas City Eupraxophy Center of Kansas City, Missouri, founded in the 1990s by one of Kurtz’s biggest admirers, philosophy instructor Verle Muhrer. Muhrer and his close friend and fellow philosophy instructor Fred Whitehead of Kansas City, Kansas, co-edited a book titled Freethought on the American Frontier. The two scholars had long been fascinated with the freethought history of working-class people, and their book was a major contribution to freethought literature.

Muhrer was a progressive activist in the 1960s. However, he headed a group in which there was little diversity. The group was called the Fool Killers, and they focused on combating racism, militarism, imperialism, and so forth. Yet there were not many non-Whites attracted to the group. Muhrer would never forget this lack of diversity and promised that any organization he headed from that point forward would reflect the diversity of the U.S.

The Eupraxophy Center was not merely concerned with diversity for its own sake. Muhrer saw diversity as a means to an end, the end being a better-educated, inclusive, enlightened and successful society. He saw that people from all backgrounds can and must contribute to the success of organized humanism.

The Eupraxophy Center included Whites, Blacks, and, to a lesser extent, Latinos and Native Americans. Indeed, it was the most racially diverse group of humanists in the U.S., and probably the world. They established the first chapter of African Americans for Humanism (AAH) and held a Midwest conference for AAH. Throughout their brief history in the 1990s, they focused on teaching Black history, fighting against police brutality, etc. Partially reflecting interests of African Americans in the community, they hosted poetry readings, blues and jazz performances, and soul food dinners. In 1991 Muhrer’s group helped host Free Inquiry’s annual conference. Aside from the late television personality and composer Steve Allen, entertainment also included folk musicians Sparky and Rhonda Anderson. The music was phenomenal, and the Andersons sold many CDs afterward.
One member of the Eupraxophy Center was philosophy instructor Alfred Kisubi of Uganda. Kisubi co-wrote a book titled Race and Ethnic Relations in the First Person with Michael A. Burayidi. The authors discussed the ways in which parents transmit bigoted ideas to their children.

Kisubi was highly impressed by what he saw at the Eupraxophy Center. Never before had he witnessed a group setting in which so many people from so many different backgrounds socialized so easily and effortlessly. He suggested that eupraxophy centers be set up all over the country with the purpose of educating the public about humanist values. He even went so far as to suggest that the Urban League or Human Relations Councils could run such centers in inner-city churches and other buildings. In this way, moral leaders could effectively combat racism and other ills that plague the nation.

Kurtz was certainly an excellent role model in the area of race relations. He befriended major African American leaders such as A. Philip Randolph and James Farmer, who signed the Humanist Manifesto II. Kurtz was idealistic in thinking that widespread interracial marriages could be a positive development leading to the elimination of racism or, at least, in the reduction of racist attitudes and practices. Kurtz was appalled by the racism he witnessed in the American South during his stint as a soldier during WWII, and this deeply influenced his worldview.

Kurtz had a special relationship with African humanists. In a tribute to Kurtz after his death in 2012, leading African humanist activist Leo Igwe wrote, in “Paul Kurtz: Tribute from Africa,”

I found [Kurtz] to be an extraordinary humanist leader. Yes, Paul Kurtz was unique in his approach and played a key role in transforming the humanist movement around the globe. He was such a pragmatic fellow and was ready to test and try new ideas and ways of organizing. Paul was a great visionary and motivator. I enjoyed working with him, because he gave me the opportunity to test and try my own ideas and initiatives of organizing humanism.

He never imposed his own organizational ideas on me. And I can say that this was one of the reasons why, under his leadership, CFI [Center for Inquiry] established contacts, centers, and presence in some countries, for example in Africa, where such contacts were unknown and unthinkable. In Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, and Swaziland, I have encountered humanists and skeptics who were inspired by the thoughts and writings of Paul Kurtz. My African freethought activists were emboldened by the initiatives at the Center for Inquiry. I hope the contemporary humanist and freethought movement could learn or draw insights from his success stories and best practices. We the humanists and skeptics in Africa will miss him a lot. But we will continue to draw strength from Kurtz’s writings and publications, from the institutions he founded and other legacies he left behind for humanists/skeptics and for humanity at large.

Igwe was especially appreciative of the fact that Kurtz was not a micro-manager or a leader who believed he had to go into Africa and impose his way or views upon the people. For this reason, Kurtz was able to have the kind of success that most humanist leaders can only dream of having.

Eupraxsophy is an alternative to religions and secular philosophies rooted in nihilism and other forms of negativity. Eupraxsophy is positive and life-affirming. It is concerned with the enjoyment of life in the here and now. Eupraxsophers give their own lives meaning–it is not something that is handed to them from above.

Empathy is a key component in eupraxsophy. Human beings must care about one another, but more importantly, that kindly feeling must be translated into caring action. For Kurtz, this was important on a personal level and on a societal level in terms of striving for economic justice.

It was also important to Kurtz that eupraxsophers be respectful of religion. One of his strongest criticisms of the New Atheists was that they seemed to disrespect religion and religious people. Kurtz, on the other hand, established the Institute for Science and Human Values in an effort to work with progressive religionists to find shared values.

Kurtz steadfastly believed that science is integral to the understanding of humanity and humanity’s place in the cosmos. He believed that science helps eupraxsophers to develop a cosmic outlook, and could help answer great ethical questions.

Kurtz also thought that love, sex and friendship were necessary components of eupraxsophy. He believed that loving others could be greatly beneficial to the giver, even if love was not reciprocated. However, he believed that no one should feel in any way obligated to allow themselves to be mistreated in the name of love, which was especially significant for parents who tended to bend over backward to appease their spoiled children.

Kurtz firmly believed that family is a major source of happiness. However, he did not have in mind the possessive conception of family that most people embrace. On the contrary, as he wrote in his essay “Love and Friendship,”

. . . matrimony should not mean the extinction of our personalities or interests in others as friends, colleagues, or even lovers–difficult though it is for most people to overcome the consuming flames of jealousy. (Meaning and Value in a Secular Age: Why Eupraxsophy Matters, edited by Nathan Bupp, p. 238, Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY, 2012.)

This should not be surprising. For Kurtz, sex was life’s greatest pleasure. Indeed, in his article “What is Happiness?” he makes this position absolutely clear:

Celibates have committed a sin against themselves, for they have repressed the most exquisite pleasure of all: the full and varied sexual life that is so essential to happiness. We must, therefore, be open to the multiplicities of sexuality. We ought to act out and fulfill our fantasies, as long as they are not self-destructive or destructive of others; and we ought to be free to enjoy the full range of pan-sexual pleasures. (From Exuberance, Paul Kurtz, Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY, 1985.)

Kurtz was also very comfortable with male bonding and female bonding. He acknowledged that, historically, boys and men forged special bonds, in sports, war, and other areas. He did not see it as problematic that there are times when males simply want to be around other males, and when females simply want to be around other females with no members of the opposite sex present.

Especially in his later years, Kurtz was deeply troubled by the fact that some humanists did not or could not live up to their highest ideals. He saw members of the organizations he founded acting selfishly, greedily, dishonestly, and in many other ways contrary to the temper of eupraxsophy. He was vindicated in his longtime insistence that mere philosophy simply will not suffice to bring out the best in humanity, because so many that embraced his philosophy did not necessarily put it into practice. Kurtz’s personal life might be the best testament to the power of eupraxsophy. He was a dearly beloved and deeply appreciated husband, father and friend, to which the many friends and family members attested in thanks for his kindness at the memorial service on the campus of the State University of New York at Buffalo shortly after his death. To live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew you best is perhaps the best evidence that any eupraxsopher can leave of the sincerity of his or her ethical commitments.