'Prefixed Humanisms'

'Prefixed Humanisms' are labels which modify the title 'Humanism' and are generally frowned upon by the present-day Humanist UK movement. They are regarded as old-fashioned and seen as causing confusion. Simple 'Humanism' is preferred as a blanket term. However, many who identify as Humanist continue to use these terms so it's worth taking a look at them and understanding the nuances.

The terms overlap considerably: some describe worldviews or life-stances, while others describe intellectual methods, ethical traditions or historical movements. They are therefore not mutually exclusive: someone could, for example, be a secular humanist, a naturalist, a sceptic and a rationalist all at the same time.

● Secular Humanism — Humanism understood as a non-religious worldview. It bases ethics and meaning on human experience, reason, evidence and concern for human welfare rather than on divine revelation or religious authority.

● Naturalistic Humanism — Humanism combined with philosophical naturalism: the view that reality consists of the natural world and that explanations should ultimately be compatible with the methods and findings of the natural sciences. It rejects supernatural entities and causes and affirms human values.

● Atheist Humanism — Humanism explicitly grounded in atheism, usually taking belief in the non-existence of gods as an important part of its outlook. It emphasises human autonomy, reason, ethics and the possibility of constructing meaning in life without God.

● Agnostic Humanism — Humanism combined with agnosticism about God or ultimate metaphysical questions. It does not claim that God's existence is known to be false, but considers that human life and ethics can be developed without settling the question.

● Scientific Humanism — A form of Humanism that places particular emphasis on science as our most reliable method of acquiring knowledge about the natural world. It typically combines scientific naturalism with human-centred ethics and social ideals. It more or less means the same as 'Naturalistic Humanism'.

● Ethical Humanism — Humanism defined primarily by its ethical rather than metaphysical commitments. It stresses compassion, human dignity, responsibility, flourishing and the rational development of moral principles, without requiring belief in God.

● Democratic Humanism — Humanism linked to democratic values: individual freedom, equality, human rights, political participation, pluralism and the rule of law. It sees democratic institutions as important means of protecting human dignity and enabling human flourishing.

● Marxist Humanism — An interpretation of Marxism that emphasises human freedom, creativity, alienation and the development of human capacities rather than treating Marxism simply as an economic or deterministic theory. It is particularly associated with attempts to recover the humanistic dimension of the young Marx.

● Religious Humanism — Humanism expressed within a religious or quasi-religious framework. It can retain rituals, community, symbolism, sacred language and spiritual practice while interpreting them naturalistically or non-theistically rather than requiring belief in supernatural beings.

● Christian Humanism — A tradition within Christianity that emphasises human dignity, education, moral development, reason and the cultivation of human capacities as expressions of Christian faith. Historically it is particularly associated with Renaissance figures such as Erasmus and Thomas More. This type of Humanism is theistic rather that atheist. Humanism UK sees Christian Humanism as of historical interest but not part of the modern Humanist movement.

● Free Thought — The principle that beliefs should be formed through reason, evidence and independent judgement rather than being imposed by religious, political or other authorities. Freethought has historically been strongly associated with criticism of religious dogma.

● Scepticism — An intellectual attitude of withholding belief when evidence is insufficient and subjecting claims to critical examination. In its modern Humanist context it is particularly concerned with supernatural, paranormal and pseudoscientific claims, although philosophical scepticism extends much further into denying the very possibility of knowledge itself.

● Rationalism — The view that reason and rational argument are fundamental means of acquiring knowledge and evaluating beliefs. In the broader Humanist tradition it means trusting critical reasoning rather than revelation, tradition or authority as the ultimate basis for belief.

● Liberal Religion — A form of religion that interprets doctrines non-literally and places emphasis on conscience, reason, experience, ethical development and openness to modern knowledge. Liberal religion may retain religious stories, rituals and communities while allowing substantial freedom in interpreting their metaphysical claims. Quakers and Unitarians are the major denominations that deliberately identify as liberal theese days although many individuals in other denominations identify as liberal and assert Humanist values.

● Ethical Culture movement — A movement founded in the nineteenth century by Felix Adler that sought to build communities around ethical living rather than religious belief. Ethical Culture generally treats ethical principles, human dignity, social responsibility and service to others as sufficient foundations for a meaningful communal life, and became an important historical source of modern Humanism.

● Pre-modern Humanism --- Humanists like to establish that theirs is not simply a modem phenomenon but it has a long tradition and its roots in ancient history. Andrew Copson has made a series of videos tracing those thinkers in history who prefigured the modern movement. 🔗

A useful way of seeing the relationships is that Secular, Naturalistic, Atheist, Agnostic, Scientific and Ethical Humanism are mostly different ways of specifying the philosophical basis or emphasis of Humanism.

Democratic and Marxist Humanism specify particular social and political orientations.

Religious and Christian Humanism describe attempts to combine humanistic values with religious traditions and practices. The attempt to reconcile religion with atheism and agnosticism is controversial within the modern Humanist movement.

Free Thought, Scepticism and Rationalism are primarily intellectual attitudes or methods.

Liberal Religion and Ethical Culture represent traditions that overlap considerably with Humanism without being identical to it.