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Definition: This is a term which has had a wide variety of applications through history, although there are two uses which are the most common.
The first is an intellectual movement which occurred in Europe during the Renaissance. This invovled the rediscovery of ancient Greek literature and philosophy, allowing people to develop ideas which were outside of traditional church doctrines, but not necessarily incompatible with Chrisitanity or theism.
In contrast to the traditional Church focus upon sin, the humanists placed their emphasis on good, beauty and art. They saw their job as using those things to help humanity grow and improve - this was an optimistic philosophy which thought that people were improvable, maybe even perfectable, and not doomed to sin and evil. Thus, instead of worrying most about the afterlife, humanists worked to create paradise in this life.
In this century, humanism has come to refer to a philosophy that rejects traditional religious dogmas and usually theism itself. Although it is possible to be both a theist and a humanist, most who consciously use that term are atheists - especially if they are secular humanists. This modern humanism is a direct outgrowth of the Renaissance Humanism.
Also Known As: none
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Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is Atheism?
The definition of atheism causes many people problems. Too often, people have the wrong idea of what atheism really is and what atheists really believe.What is Agnosticism?
Misunderstandings about agnosticism are just as frequent as misunderstandings about atheism.
