Critical reason and evidence

Beliefs and policies should be evaluated with critical thinking and attention to evidence.

77%

Confidence

Supportive

Contrary

Neutral

What it is: Secular humanism values the use of critical reason, informed debate, and public evidence in forming beliefs and collective decisions.

How the position understands it: Authorities must be questionable, and arguments must be examined in open public space.

Basis and context: This attitude dialogues with Enlightenment, modern science, secular education, and democratic culture.

Debates and variations: Some authors warn against reducing all human life to technical rationality; the ideal continues to be critical reason combined with ethical sensitivity.

Supportive

Humanist Manifesto I (1933)

secular-humanism,manifesto,history,1933

A classic manifesto of organized modern humanism.

Reference: Humanist Manifesto I (1933).
Content: The document presents a non-supernaturalist humanist vision with emphasis on reason, social ethics, and cultural reconstruction.
Use in debate: It is an important milestone in the modern formulation of organized humanism.

Paul Kurtz, What Is Secular Humanism?

secular-humanism,paul-kurtz,definition,ethics

An influential explanation of modern secular humanism.

Reference: Paul Kurtz, essays such as What Is Secular Humanism?.
Content: Kurtz articulates ethics, reason, science, freedom, and human responsibility without appeal to an obligatory supernatural realm.
Use in debate: It is a central source for the contemporary definition of the movement.

UNESCO and education for global citizenship

secular-humanism,unesco,education,citizenship

Critical education, cooperation, and civic responsibility.

Reference: UNESCO documents on education and global citizenship.
Content: The materials emphasize critical thinking, democratic coexistence, rights, and shared responsibility.
Use in debate: They are useful for critical education and responsibility for the common world.

Neutral

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Humanism

secular-humanism,encyclopedia,philosophy,definitions

An academic synthesis of concepts and the history of humanism.

Reference: Academic entry on humanism in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Content: The text summarizes historical, philosophical, and ethical variants of humanism.
Use in debate: It is a useful neutral reference for conceptual classification.