In 1907 the Oxford philosopher F. C. S. Schiller publishes Studies in Humanism, gathering the essays in which he defends humanism as the name of his pragmatist philosophy: man is the measure, truth is what proves itself in human life, and every abstraction answers to experience. Schiller's use of the word is the philosophical one the later movement inherits.
Tagged: Secular Humanism
The Event
- Date
- 1907 (exact)
- Era
- Religious Humanism; Standard periodization of secular humanist history
- Location
- Oxford; today Oxford, England
- Traditions
- Secular Humanism
- Streams
- Secular Humanism
- Key figures
- F. C. S. Schiller
- Key texts
- Studies in Humanism
Primary Sources
- Schiller, F. C. S. Studies in Humanism. London: Macmillan, 1907.
Secondary Sources
- Kurtz, Paul, ed. Humanist Manifestos I and II. Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1973.
- Lamont, Corliss. The Philosophy of Humanism. New York: Humanist Press, eighth edition, 1997.
- Walter, Nicolas. Humanism: What's in the Word. London: Rationalist Press Association, 1997.
Provenance: HIST-1385; confidence 0.95; accessed 2026-10-30.
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Art Tradition
Non-Theistic and Secular
Art without transcendence: humanist meaning-making, museums as secular temples, and protest art.
History Event
Humanist Manifesto II
1973
History Event
Julian Huxley takes the helm of UNESCO
1946
History Event
Kurtz founds the Council for Secular Humanism
1980
History Event
Lamont's The Philosophy of Humanism
1949
History Event
The British Humanist Association is founded
1967
History Event
The International Humanist and Ethical Union is founded
1952
History Event
Torcaso v. Watkins names secular humanism in law
1961