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How to be a Natural Human
Humanism

Humanism

Natural Humanists, like many other Humanists:

  • Are atheists or agnostics[i].
  • Do not believe in any God, higher power, hell, heaven or afterlife[ii].
  • Do not believe in the supernatural[iii].
  • Do not believe that human beings have any specific or pre-defined purpose[iv].
  • Believe in the use of liberal human values[v].
  • Believe that all humans should show respect to all other humans, irrespective of their class, race or creed[vi].
  • Believe that all opinions should be open to revision and correction, and that beliefs should evolve[vii]
  • Believe that human beings can, and therefore should, give their own lives meaning by seeking or creating happiness in their own life, and by helping others to do the same[viii].
  • Believe that humanity should advance by its own efforts[ix].
  • Believe that humans, individually and as a species, should achieve their potential through open communication, discussion and constructive criticism and, in the same way, should reach an agreement on how best to live their lives[x], [xi].
  • Believe that human society should be based on moral equality, and that all human beings should have autonomy[xii].
  • Believe that people should live an honest and meaningful life, and that this does not require any religious beliefs[xiii].
  • Highly value freedom, justice and tolerance[xiv].
  • Make their ethical decisions based on empathy, and a concern for the welfare of all human beings, and the welfare of all other sentient animals[xv].
  • Rely on a scientific understanding of how the universe works, and of how the world, human beings and all other living things came to exist[xvi].
  • Use logic, reason and science to understand humanity and to structure human communities[xvii].

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References

[i] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.

[ii] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.

[iii] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.

[iv] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.

[v] Oxford English Dictionary. “Humanism, N.” Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford UP, July 2023. https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/2815507891. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/humanism_n?tab=meaning_and_use

[vi] Definition of “Humanism”. Pears Cyclopaedia, 87th edition, 1978

[vii] Copson, Andrew. “What Is Humanism?” understandinghumanism.org.uk. 9 June 2025. https://understandinghumanism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Handbook-of-Humanism-What-is-Humanism.pdf

[viii] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.

[ix] Definition of “Humanism”. 3 June 2025. collinsdictionary.com. 3 June 2025. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/humanism

[x] Humanists International. “What is humanism?” humanists.international. 9 June 2025. https://humanists.international/what-is-humanism/

[xi] Humanists International. “What is humanism?- Amsterdam Declaration” humanists.international. 9 June 2025. https://humanists.international/what-is-humanism/the-amsterdam-declaration/

[xii] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.

[xiii] Definition of “Humanism”. Pears Cyclopaedia, 87th edition, 1978

[xiv] Definition of “Humanism”. Pears Cyclopaedia, 87th edition, 1978

[xv] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.

[xvi] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.

[xvii] Luik, John C. “Humanism”. Taylor and Francis. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. doi:10.4324/9780415249126-N025-1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/humanism/v-1.