Secular humanism

Secular humanism is a way of thinking about life and morality.

It is a belief system that relies on human reason and logic. People who follow this path use science and philosophy to find the truth. They do not use religious rules or ideas about gods to make decisions. Instead, they focus on what can be proven through experience. This view says humans can be good people without needing a religion. It does not claim that people are always good or always bad. It simply says we have a big responsibility for the choices we make.

This way of thinking works by looking closely at every new idea. A humanist does not just accept a belief on faith. They believe every political or religious idea must be examined by the individual. Many followers get their sense of right and wrong from science. Some use ideas like evolutionary ethics or utilitarianism to guide them. These are ways of studying how humans act and live together. They want to understand morality as a natural part of being human. This search for truth is something that must keep changing as we learn more.

The history of these ideas goes back a long time. Some people link these thoughts to very old Greek philosophers. These thinkers lived before the time of Socrates. Later, scholars in Europe found these writings through Arabic translations. In the 1800s, a man named George Holyoake coined the term "secularism." He wanted to focus on questions that could be tested in this life. He helped start the first secular society in Leicester in 1851. Later, groups like the National Secular Society formed in 1866. These movements helped shape how people think about life without religion.

There are many groups that work together today. Humanists International is a large union for these organizations. It was started by Julian Huxley and Jaap van Praag. This group includes many different types of thinkers from more than 40 countries. They use a special symbol called the "Happy Human."

Some people prefer to just use the word "Humanism" instead of "secular humanism." The American Humanist Association began using this simpler name in 1973. In 1989, the IHEU also began to support this way of naming things. In 2002, they even adopted the Amsterdam Declaration to define their identity.

Many different movements helped build these ideas. The Ethical movement was very important in the 1800s. In America, Felix Adler started the New York Society for Ethical Culture in 1877. These societies believed that being good is separate from religious rules. They wanted to help society through kindness and teaching young people.

Another group was called the Positivists, led by people like Richard Congreve. They even had a "Church of Humanity" in England. These groups all shared a goal of using reason to improve the world. They wanted to create a community based on shared human values.