Humanism

A movement that developed in Rennaissance Europe, with the rediscovery of classical Greek and Latin works that had been thought lost. Humanism sought to return to "original sources". It argued that the height of western civilization had been in the classical period, and with the fall of Rome, most knowledge had been lost, and the much of the knowledge that remained had been corrupted by false traditions. It was the responsibility of the scholar, therefore, to rediscover the original Greek and Latin texts, and separate real wisdom from false interpretation.

This movement had a profound effect on society, and, with its emphasis on classical texts and the rejection of much of the religious tradition that developed in the Middle Ages, helped lead to the Protestant Reformation, and, in fact, some of the new humanist Bibles, such as Erasmus's Greek New Testament, were important sources for both Martin Luther's translation of the Bible and the King James Version of the Bible.

Philosophy that relies entirely on reason without religion, based originally on Greek philosophy. Humanism rejects the idea that there is a supernatural being responsible for the creation of the universe. Humanists believe instead that man is responsible for his actions and that purpose in the universe is far more complicated than a faith in a God. The IHEU has a Minimum Statement on Humanism:

Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality."

A principle element of humanism is the assumption of fundamental human rights - which may include a right to life, to liberty, freedom of speech, the right to pursue happiness, a right to a family life, and similar things. Humanism does not claim these rights are given by a God, but are an inherent property of human intelligence and worthy of defending, although the exact definition of rights is not universally agreed upon by humanists.