What is Humanism?

The American Humanist Association provides several explanations of humanism, but they all boil down to this:

Human beings
can bring about the greater good
by taking ethical action
intended to improve the world.

Humanists come in a variety of flavors. The two most common are religious humanists, whose faith is the foundation of the good works they do, and secular humanists, who do good works because they want to live in a better world, and their compassion and sense of right and wrong compel them to take action.

How long has Humanism been around?

For as long as there have been humans!

The ancient Greek and Roman philosophers counted humanists among their numbers, and humanism got great attention during the Renaissance because of Erasmus, a Dutch philosopher and Catholic theologian known as the “Prince of Humanists.” By the time of his death in 1533, Erasmus’s humanist writings accounted for up to 20% of all books sold in Europe.

The American Humanist Association is the formal association of secular humanists in the United States. It was created by a former Baptist minister, whose work was continued by a group of people associated with several Protestant denominations, including Quakers (Society of Friends) and Unitarians.

What do secular humanists believe?

They’ve written it down, so you can read it for yourself! The Humanist Manifesto is now in its third edition. The word “manifesto” sometimes makes us think of radical, fringe beliefs, but the word actually refers to a coherent statement of purpose and intention, sort of like an organization’s mission statement, but longer.

Who are the secular humanists?

They’re everywhere. Many of the most well-known nonprofit humanitarian organizations all over the world base their good works on compassion and an effort to make a better world, and they do it without regard for religion.