Definition of Secular Humanism
Secular humanism begins with atheism (absence of belief in a deity) and agnosticism or skepticism (epistemological caution that rejects the transcendent as such due to a lack of evidence). Because no transcendent power will save us, secular humanists maintain that humans must take responsibility for themselves. While atheism is a necessary condition for secular humanism, it is not a sufficient one. Far from living in a moral vacuum, secular humanists “wish to encourage wherever possible the growth of moral awareness and the capacity for free choice and an understanding of the consequences thereof.”20
Secular humanism emerges, then, as a comprehensive nonreligious life stance that incorporates a naturalistic philosophy, a cosmic outlook rooted in science, and a consequentialist ethical system.
Notes:
A concise definition of secular humanism.
Folksonomies: science skepticism atheism humanism secular humanism
Keywords:
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Concepts:
Atheism (0.953850): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Humanism (0.887193): dbpedia | freebase
Secular humanism (0.837568): dbpedia | freebase
Philosophy (0.794115): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Secularism (0.773965): dbpedia | freebase
Religion (0.746720): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Secular Humanism Defined