The American Humanist Association developed this resource for students preparing for the 2025-2026 Big Questions Debate.

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What are the basic tenets of humanism?

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good.

Humanism is a non-theistic belief system, meaning that it provides its members with an ethical framework, but does not include belief in a higher power.

Humanism is a very inclusive life philosophy, and has taken shape more recently than traditional religious belief systems. Because of this, you’ll find that most Humanist organizations put forward a range of definitions, and individual Humanists often differ on their own interpretations of the philosophy.

The texts that define Humanism are constantly evolving to fit the present era. For example, the 1952 Amsterdam Declaration was one of the first attempts to define the principles of Humanism, but has since been revised twice in order to better reflect modern challenges. Similarly, the Humanist Manifesto was initially published by the American Humanist Association in 1933, and re-published in 1973 and in 2003.

The ethical tenets of Humanism are summarized in The Ten Commitments, and other Humanist organizations present similar values as a set of core features or moral pillars. Despite having different core documents, most Humanists agree that morality is naturally found in humans, instead of coming from a higher power. Humanists also value reason, logic, and critical thinking over long-held, dogmatic beliefs. A commitment to social good, which comes from the natural human emotion of empathy, is important to humanists.

This tradition of questioning dogmas is not at odds with maintaining a strong central belief system. Humanist values are guided by the human potential for joy and for suffering, but continuously change depending on new knowledge about the world. That means that when the conditions that lead to human joy start to change, humanism can respond! Psychology helps us learn about ourselves and others, leading to more empathic and fair behavior. Connections between global cultures and societies help us promote human rights and equality. Science allows us to protect the natural environment and improve human quality of life.

Why is humanism non-theistic?

The main belief of Humanism is that people are capable of living ethical lives without belief in a god. Humanists believe that human morality develops through common human experiences, and is not “given” by a higher power. In other words, we believe that goodness is internal rather than external. The idea of a god – especially a god that tells people how to be good – isn’t really compatible with this idea.

That being said, many humanists are open to the idea of powers beyond human comprehension, and might identify as agnostic, questioning, broadly spiritual, or culturally religious. Some humanists might even identify with a major theistic religion in addition to humanism – like Humanistic Jews!

Regardless of whether someone identifies with a theistic religion, all humans are capable of applying humanism in their daily lives. Humanism addresses behaviors, actions, and values that are shared pretty universally, and we see those traits across many different religions and cultures. If someone is acting in a way that prioritizes human dignity and joy and comes from a place of empathy, then they’re probably acting humanistically – even if they’re also a Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, etc…

In many ways, humanism is a term that describes positive human instincts that are inevitably widely present throughout society. Because of this, humanism can be an “and” to other belief systems – not just an “or”.

Humanism is distinguished from most theistic religions by its very practical focus on the current, observable world. Theistic religions usually include “life after death” in their belief system (i.e. behaving well with the reward of going to heaven), but humanists base their motivation for good behavior in the current lifetime.

These key focuses still leave a lot of room for interpretation. The differences between individual humanists is captured nicely in this 2016 dialogue from The Humanist, a publication associated with the American Humanist Association. Overall, modern humanism is less about rejecting a god, and more about embracing humanity.

What are other or related non-theistic belief systems?

The idea of living an ethical life without believing in a higher power is nothing new! Many nontheistic religions and social codes have emerged worldwide, often dating back thousands of years.

It’s helpful to consider the definition of nontheism, which is different from atheism. Atheism refers to active disbelief in god or a high power, but nontheism is a looser term that includes indifference to (or disinterest in) the idea of god. Nontheistic belief systems often incorporate spirituality, but similar to humanism, center themselves around humanity.

Taoism is one such belief system. Emerging in China around 500 B.C., Taoism emphasizes harmony with nature, oneness with the universe, and a balanced lifestyle. Unlike humanism, Taoism actually does include deities. It is sometimes considered a polytheistic belief system since it recognizes many gods, none of which are all-powerful. Most Taoist teachings center on humanity, addressing ideas like self-cultivation, personal empowerment, and pathways to a peaceful and harmonious life.

Buddhism is another example of a human-focused religion. While some forms of Buddhism are more spiritual than others, Buddhism has adapted to a diverse range of cultures during its spread through Asia. Much like Taoism, the main focus of the Buddhist faith is on everyday life. Alfred Bloom of the Buddhist Study Center explains this in a recent commentary:

“Buddhism is not, therefore, atheistic in the modern understanding which developed in the West as a reaction to theistic Christianity. Rather, Buddhism affirms many forms of spirituality and belief in gods as means to elevate and improve worldly life. In its spread through Asia, it has been able to adapt to the various native religious traditions to promote the spread of Buddhism.”

A more truly-nontheistic ethical code can be found in Confucianism, a belief system that arose in China after both Taoism and Buddhism had already become popular. As with Taoism, Humanism, and Buddhism, Confucianism is mostly concerned with the “here-and-now”. A big focus of Confucianism is adherence to a social order, regardless of whether one believes in a theistic religion. Much like modern Humanism, Confucianism focuses heavily on an ethical lifestyle, which it deems to be inherently achievable to all humans regardless of religion. Deities are simply not a huge concern, although the concept of heaven and spirituality do occasionally appear within Confucian teachings. Confucianism is extremely inclusive of people who hold additional faiths.

Beyond global religion, ethical codes can be found in a number of strictly-secular life philosophies. Like Confucianism, many of these philosophies are compatible with religion. Consequentialism is one such philosophy. With a very practical approach to morality, consequentialism defines the goodness of an action entirely by its consequences – so if an action creates more joy than suffering, then it is considered good. Whereas Taoism and Confucianism have a heavy focus on self-betterment, consequentialism is focused more on one’s impact on society. Humanism shares Consequentialism’s emphasis on action and social impact!

Why do we believe non-theistic belief systems are as good or better for morality than theistic belief systems?

Humanism’s nontheistic nature is tied to its emphasis on action – specifically, the idea that humans have the power to create a better world. Theistic religion usually places the power to create a better reality into the hands of a god, which means that it’s beyond human control. Humanism, on the other hand, emphasizes personal ability as well as personal responsibility. It encourages people to engage with society, and personally work towards the goal of a more joyful and equitable world.

Another difference between humanism and many theistic religions is the motivation for living an ethical lifestyle. Theistic religions usually present a reward for good behavior – like heaven or a similar eternal afterlife. In contrast, humanists are motivated by empathy, which they believe to be an innately human trait.

This belief goes hand-in-hand with the humanist idea of a person’s innate worth. Humanists don’t believe in damnation, caste, or any other inherent shortcomings of humanity. These ideas create the sense of agency and responsibility that is shared by most humanists.

A point that distinguishes humanism from most theistic religions is the encouragement of change and questioning. While all belief systems naturally evolve along with the societies that practice them, most do not encourage this evolution. In fact, many do the opposite, centering teachings that are thousands of years old. Humanism’s encouragement of both questioning and action makes it good at adapting to the needs of any society, especially during periods of change.

Beyond these beliefs, there’s plenty of evidence that morality can exist without religion. A study of 60+ global cultures found a number of moral beliefs that were consistent across all global cultures (with a range of religions), centered around the idea of cooperation. Some of these morals align with common religious beliefs, but seeing them in such a wide range of cultures suggests that they do not stem from religion. Another study compared secular and theistic individuals, and found no meaningful difference in altruistic behavior between the two groups.

There’s also a strong correlation between nontheistic belief systems and social welfare, on a national and international scale. By many different measurements of social wellbeing, secular countries such as the Netherlands and Japan are ranked far higher than very religious countries such as Colombia, Yemen, or the Philippines. This is true in America as well, with residents of secular states like Vermont enjoying a much higher quality of life than residents of devout states like Mississippi.

What positive contributions have non-theists and humanists made throughout American history?

Influential humanists often emerge in the fields of philosophy and science, since the tenets of humanism lend themselves naturally to inquiry. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein, have identified themselves as non-theists. This list also includes Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, which she was awarded for discovering polonium and radium as well as inventing new techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes. Curie coined the term “radioactive”, and was also a major contributor to medicine. She founded multiple medical research institutes, and invented mobile radiography units that were deployed during World War I. Bill Nye, who has undoubtedly shaped the face of science education for curious young scientists, is a humanist chaplain who is known to perform humanist wedding ceremonies for his close friends.

Nontheists have made meaningful contributions to art and culture, and the ever-growing list of nontheistic authors includes Ernest Hemingway, William Shakespeare, and Margaret Atwood. Kurt Vonnegut, who was awarded the Humanist of the Year award in 1992, is known for his influential anti-war stances in famous works such as Slaughterhouse Five.

Nontheism also attracts activists and politicians, many of whom have driven historic fights for social equality. Barney Frank, who served as a Member of Congress from Massachusetts, is also a Humanist. Among other political accomplishments, Frank co-sponsored the Dodd-Frank act, which improved financial stability during the aftermath of the 2008 recession. He also co-sponsored many pieces of legislation that supported gender equality, reproductive freedom, and racial equality, and was one of the strongest supporters of reparations for victims of Japanese internment during World War II. Frank was a major advocate for LGBTQ rights, and was himself the second person to come out as a member of the LGBTQ community while a sitting member of congress.

A. Philip Randolph, a known humanist, was the chairman of the 1963 March on Washington, at which Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Throughout his career he was a strong advocate for labor rights, and became president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters – a crucially important, majority-African American labor union.

An early humanist, Henry Stephens Salt, is considered the “father of animal rights”. A vegetarian, Salt advocated for pacifism, social equality, and animal welfare, and in many ways brought the idea of animal rights into mainstream thought.

Betty Friedan, a nontheistic Jewish feminist, co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW). NOW lobbied in support of equal employment opportunity for women, as well as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and is currently the USA’s largest feminist organization.

It is important to note that humanists, especially activists or politicians, have often been very quiet about their religious beliefs. Many of them also worked closely with religious leaders (for example, the partnership between Randolph and Rev. King). This legacy of collaboration is ongoing, and is something humanists pride themselves on. Prosocial behavior is encouraged by humanism, and so is practicality, especially when pursuing social good.

More resources:

For more information on humanism and nontheism, check out these sources!

• This summary from Humanist of UK does a good job of explaining the aspects of humanity most emphasized by modern humanism.
• All humanists have slightly different takes on the definition of humanism – here are a few of them. Leo Igwe’s Ted Talk provides another great perspective.
• While the focus of this article has been on a largely social belief system, there are also many scientific researchers who are interested in the biological and psychological origins of morality! This publication in Psychology Today provides a good overview of some major scientific considerations.

Still have questions? Email us at questions@americanhumanist.org.