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Humanism is the belief that we can live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs. Humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values.
We seek to make the best of the one life we have by creating meaning and purpose for ourselves. We take responsibility for our actions and work with others for the common good.
Many people, even if they do not call themselves humanists, live their lives by humanist principles. A 2006 Ipsos MORI poll showed that 36 per cent of Britons – equivalent to around 17 million adults – are humanists in their basic outlook. [1]
Non-religious beliefs have a long history, though denial of religion began to be publicly acceptable only during the 19th and 20th centuries. During this period a range of organisations began to serve and represent the interests of the non-religious.
We
only have one life and we should make the best of it, creating meaning and
purpose for ourselves.
We
should try to live happy and fulfilled lives and help others to do so.
The
way to achieve this is to live responsibly, thinking rationally about
right and wrong, considering the consequences of our actions and trying to
do the right thing.
Humanism is an ethical worldview, not just an atheistic or agnostic one.
Find out more about humanism in our resources area.
At least 15 and a half percent of the population identified themselves as not having a religion in the 2001 census, making this the second largest "belief" group in the UK. The proportion is even higher across South West London. [2]
Younger people are more likely than older people not to belong to any religion, reflecting the trend towards secularisation. Among 16 to 34 year olds in Great Britain, almost a quarter (23 per cent) said that they had no religion. [3]
However the 2007 British Social Attitudes Survey found that more than two-thirds of people (69 per cent) say they do not belong to a religion or have never attended a religious ceremony suggesting the Census religion figures only reflect cultural upbringing in many cases. [4]
In 2001, nearly 20,000 Britons actively identified themselves as humanists, atheists, rationalists, freethinkers or secularists. [5] Although many non-religious people would not think to describe themselves as humanists, 17 million adults (over a third of Britons) say they live their lives by Humanist principles. [6] They:
- feel scientific & other evidence provides the best way to understand the universe (rather than feeling that religious beliefs are needed for a ‘complete understanding’)
- believe that ‘right and wrong’ can be explained by human nature alone, and does not necessarily require religious teachings, and
- base their judgements of right and wrong on ‘the effects on people and the consequences for society and the world’.
Not sure if you are a Humanist? Try this quiz
[1] Ipsos MORI 2006
[2] Census 2001
[3] Census 2001
[4] 23rd British Social Attitudes Survey published 2007
[5] Census 2001
[6] Ipsos MORI 2006
The British Humanist Association
House of Lords debate (19 April 2007) on "the rights of those who profess no religion"
