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[[File:T.H.Huxley.jpg|thumb|200px|thumbnail|right|[[T. H. Huxley]] coined the word "agnostic".]]
[[File:T.H.Huxley.jpg|thumb|200px|thumbnail|right|[[T. H. Huxley]] coined the word "agnostic".]]
'''Agnosticism''' is, in weaker forms, an affirmation of [[ignorance]] regarding the existence of a [[God]] or [[gods]], and in stronger forms, the assertion that the existence of a [[deity]] or deities is unknowable.
'''Agnosticism''' is, in weaker forms, an affirmation of [[ignorance]] regarding the existence of a [[God]] or [[gods]], and in stronger forms, the assertion that the existence of a [[deity]] or deities is unknowable. Agnostic is derived from the Greek word "agnostos" which means "to not know."<ref>[http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/agnostic.htm Agnosticism - AllAboutPhilosophy.com</ref>
According to the philosopher William L. Rowe, "agnosticism is the view that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist."<ref>Rowe, William L. (1998). "[https://books.google.com/?id=VQ-GhVWTH84C&pg=PA122&dq=agnosticism+routledge Agnosticism]". In Edward Craig. ''[[Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]''. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-415-07310-3. "In the popular sense, an agnostic is someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in God, whereas an atheist disbelieves in God. In the strict sense, however, agnosticism is the view that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist. In so far as one holds that our beliefs are rational only if they are sufficiently supported by human reason, the person who accepts the philosophical position of agnosticism will hold that neither the belief that God exists nor the belief that God does not exist is rational."</ref>
By contrast, the formal definition of [[atheism]] given by encycylopedias of [[philosophy]] such as the ''[[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'', the ''[[Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'' (and other philosophy reference works) is that atheism is the denial of the existence of God (see: [[Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic|Definitions of atheist and agnostic]]).<ref>Multiple references:
By contrast, the formal definition of [[atheism]] given by encycylopedias of [[philosophy]] such as the ''[[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'', the ''[[Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'' (and other philosophy reference works) is that atheism is the denial of the existence of God (see: [[Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic|Definitions of atheist and agnostic]]).<ref>Multiple references: