In 2002, at its fiftieth anniversary congress in Amsterdam, the International Humanist and Ethical Union adopts the Amsterdam Declaration as the world movement's official statement: humanism is ethical, rational, and democratic, affirms human dignity and freedom, and stands as the alternative to dogmatic religion and to nihilism alike. Member organizations across the world adopt the text as their own definition.
Tagged: Secular Humanism
The Event
- Date
- 2002 (exact)
- Era
- Institutions and Declarations; Standard periodization of secular humanist history
- Location
- Amsterdam; today Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Traditions
- Secular Humanism
- Streams
- Secular Humanism
- Key texts
- Amsterdam Declaration 2002
Connections
Primary Sources
- Amsterdam Declaration 2002. International Humanist and Ethical Union, 2002.
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-1397; confidence 0.95; accessed 2026-10-30.
Related on This Site
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