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What does 'humanism' mean to humanists?

What does 'humanism' mean to humanists? Watch a collection of answers to the question.

Watch the video of different humanists (filmed at a range of conferences and other events) answering the question ‘What is humanism?’. This should hopefully give you an introduction to how humanism is commonly understood amongst those who use the word ‘humanist’ to describe themselves.

Before you watch the video, write down five words that you associate with humanism, five things that the word ‘humanism’ means to you. Keep an eye out for these words as you watch the video and make a note of any other words and phrases, including those that you were not expecting to hear.

Use the comments below to discuss the video with the other learners.

  • How many of the words you wrote down could you find in the film?
  • Did anything surprise you?
  • What similarities and differences were there between the humanist responses?
This article is from the free online

Introducing Humanism: Non-religious Approaches to Life, with Sandi Toksvig

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

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