828 



HUMANE SOCIETY 



HUMANITARIANS 



in London, for the purpose of resuscitating those 

 who had been immersed in water and were appar- 

 ently drowned. At the present time it distributes 

 rewards, consisting of medals, clasps, testimonial.", 

 and sums of money, to those who save or attempt 

 to save life from drowning. Also 'all cases of 

 exceptional bravery in rescuing or attempting to 

 rescue persons from asphyxia in mines, wells, blast- 

 furnaces, or in sewers where foul gas may endanger 

 life, are recognisable by the society.' It likewise 

 gives prizes for swimming to the pupils of public 

 schools and of training-ships. Boats and boatmen 



Medal of the Royal Humane Society 

 (actual size 1J inch diameter). 



are kept on the Serpentine in Hyde Park for the 

 purpose of watching over the bathers who resort 

 thither. And during the skating season experi- 

 enced icemen are sent to the various waters in and 

 around London to help in case of accidents. The 

 society is supported by bequests and private sub- 

 scriptions. Since 1873 the Stanhope gold medal 

 has been awarded ' to the case exhibiting greatest 

 gallantry during the year.' In 1889 more than five 



hundred rewards were distributed, one hundred 

 more than in any other year since the foundation 

 of the society. The figure shows the medal of 

 the society. Another reverse is used when it is 

 presented to persons who have risked their lives to 

 save others, but without success ; the inscription is 

 ' VITA PERICULO EXPOSITA DONO DEDIT SOCIETAS 

 REGIA HUMANA. ' See Annual Report of the Royal 

 Humane Society (4 Trafalgar Square, W.C.). 



Humanists ( Lat. literce humaniores, ' polite 

 letters ' whence the title Humanity for the pro- 

 fessorship of Latin in Scottish universities; Ital. 

 umamsta), the name assumed at the revival of 

 learning by those who looked upon the cultivation 

 of classical literature as the most valuable instru- 

 ment of education, in opposition to those who clung 

 to the ancient methods of the Scholastics (q.v. ). 

 In their modes of thought also the tendency of the 

 humanists was to exalt Paganism at the expense of 

 Christianity. In the 18th century the name became 

 a word of reproach for those who showed a blind 

 zeal for the classics as the sole educational subject, 

 opposing the Philanthropists, who asserted the value 

 of mathematics, science, modern languages, and 

 history. The name is often given to the foremost 

 representatives of classical learning from the time 

 of the Renaissance ( q. v. ) onwards, such as Erasmus, 

 Sir Thomas More, Ulrich von Hutten, George 

 Buchanan, &c. 



Humanitarians, a name assigned to anti- 

 Trinitarians, who regard Christ as a mere man, 

 and refuse to ascribe to him any supernatural 

 character, whether of origin or of nature (see UNI- 

 TARIANS). The name Humanitarian is also some- 

 times applied to the disciples of St Simon, and in 

 general to those who look to the perfectibility of 

 human nature as their great moral and social 

 dogma ; also to those who, from over-philanthropy, 

 object to severe measures, such as capital punish- 

 ment, &c. For the religion of Humanity, see 

 POSITIVISM. 



END OF VOL. V 



