In 1896 the ethical societies of Europe and America, the movement Felix Adler began in New York in 1876, federate at Zurich as the International Ethical Union. The union gives the ethical movement, religion's duties without its doctrines, a world body a half century before the humanist name takes over its work.
Tagged: Secular Humanism
The Event
- Date
- 1896 (exact)
- Era
- Ethical Beginnings; Standard periodization of secular humanist history
- Location
- Zurich; today Zurich, Switzerland
- Traditions
- Secular Humanism
- Streams
- Secular Humanism
- Key figures
- Felix Adler
- Key texts
- Constitution of the International Ethical Union
Primary Sources
- The founding documents of the International Ethical Union, Zurich, 1896.
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-1384; 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