The French philosopher Auguste Comte is a neglected pioneer of humanism. His much-derided ‘Religion of Humanity’ was a bold attempt to describe how men and women in a post-religious age might transcend their egoistic interests in order to serve the common good. His idea was that we should devote ourselves to the growing good of ‘Humanity’ which both precedes and succeeds our individual lives. This idea found expression in George Eliot’s memorable poem ‘The Choir Invisible’:

“Oh, may I join the choir invisible

Of those immortal dead who live again

In minds made better by their presence; live

In pulses stirred to generosity…”

Through memory, artefacts, and affection, I feel keenly the presence of deceased parents and friends whose well-lived lives continue to enrich my own. My task in turn is to live well and leave some imprint of goodness in the world, however small or seemingly insignificant.