--- title: "3000 years of humanists" date: "2021-06-02T09:34:50+01:00" modified: "2026-11-01T15:25:06+00:00" url: "https://humanists.uk/humanism/humanist-history/3000-years-of-humanists/" post_id: 105652 --- # 3000 years of humanists For as long as there have been human beings thinking about the big questions of where we come from, where we’re going, and what life is all about, there have been people giving humanist answers to these questions. So humanist ideas have probably been around as long as our species has existed. The thread of humanist thinking runs throughout human history. Pre-1500 BCE Humanism in early cultures -------------------------- Humanist thought is found in so many ancient texts around the world that we can reasonably conclude that it was present in the early oral traditions of many cultures too. 1500–900 BCE Ancient Indian philosophy described atheism and materialism ----------------------------------------------------------- Writings from India’s Vedic era outlined theories that nothing exists besides physical matter and questioned the need for religion. But texts like this weren’t just limited to India. Many of the oldest philosophies of the world – from Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Africa – described humanist principles. ![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/godlauss.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)Goðlauss: ancient Scandinavian humanism ![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/carvaka2.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)Charvaka: ancient Indian humanism ![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/confucianism-2.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)Confucianism: ancient Chinese humanism ![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/ubuntu.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)Ubuntu: traditional African humanism 551–479 BCE ![Painting of Confucius, seated, in dark robes](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-tl-confucius.webp?resize=623%2C688&ssl=1)Confucius, Chinese painting, 1770. Public domain, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Konfuzius-1770.jpg)Confucius encouraged morality ----------------------------- The Chinese philosopher and politician sought to use moral values over religion as the basis for social and political order. 460–270 BCE ![Painting of Democritus laughing, in a dark cap](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-tl-democritus.webp?resize=710%2C688&ssl=1)Democritus, the ‘laughing philosopher’, by Hendrick ter Brugghen. Public domain, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hendrik_ter_Brugghen_-_Democritus.jpg)In Greece, Democritus taught that what we can sense is all there is ------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile Epicurus, another Greek philosopher, told people not to fear death. ‘There is nothing to fear from Gods, nothing awaiting us in death,’ he said. He famously coined an epitaph still popular at humanist funerals today: ‘I was not; I have been; I am not; I do not mind.’ Humanist culture was widespread throughout the Mediterranean world, and was a huge influence on people’s lives for almost a thousand years, until the coming of Christianity. 121–180 CE ![Marble bust of Marcus Aurelius, bearded and curly-haired, wearing a draped cloak](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-aurelius.webp?resize=522%2C700&ssl=1)Marcus Aurelius, Glyptothek, Munich. Photo: Bibi Saint-Pol, public domain, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marcus_Aurelius_Glyptothek_Munich.jpg)Marcus Aurelius wrote that we are all moral beings -------------------------------------------------- The Roman Emperor said that happiness, rationality, love, altruism, and strength come from within. 400s–1400s CE The thread of humanism was almost lost -------------------------------------- Europe turned in a different direction during the Middle Ages and a lot of Greek and Roman humanist thinking was lost during the period. ![An open medieval book: faint Greek writing and geometric diagrams show beneath later handwriting](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-tl-palimpsest.webp?resize=882%2C594&ssl=1)The Archimedes Palimpsest. In 1229 a copy of Archimedes’ mathematics was scraped off and written over with prayers. Public domain, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Archimedes_Palimpsest.jpg) 1400s–1600s CE ![Red chalk drawing of an old bearded man, thought to be Leonardo da Vinci](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-tl-leonardo.webp?resize=449%2C550&ssl=1)Leonardo da Vinci, probable self-portrait. Public domain, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_self.jpg)The Renaissance was built on humanism ------------------------------------- As Europe emerged from the Middle Ages, green shoots of humanist thought sprang up across the continent. There was an influx of scientific and mathematical ideas from the Middle East and people bravely began to stand up to religious institutions. Together, this led to renewed interest in the ideas of the ancient world. Knowledge itself was regarded as a virtue, as epitomised by the great, Italian Renaissance masters Leonardo da Vinci and Leon Battista Alberti. [Read more: ‘Humanism: a history of the word’ →](https://understandinghumanism.org.uk/articles/humanism-a-history-of-the-word/) 1700s CE ![Portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft in a white dress](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-tl-wollstonecraft.webp?resize=705%2C688&ssl=1)Mary Wollstonecraft by John Opie, c. 1797. Public domain, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Wollstonecraft_by_John_Opie_(c._1797).jpg)The age of reason ----------------- The 18th century was a period of great intellectual discovery. Radical campaigner Thomas Paine influenced the French and American revolutions whilst Mary Wollstonecraft pioneered feminist ideas in her writings. 1859 ![Black and white photograph of Charles Darwin, seated](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-tl-darwin.webp?resize=654%2C688&ssl=1)Charles Darwin, photographed by Maull and Polyblank. Public domain, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Darwin_seated_crop.jpg)Charles Darwin published Origin of Species ------------------------------------------ His theory of evolution by natural selection is still generally accepted as the best explanation for how humans and other life on Earth developed. In disproving creation stories, Darwin inspired many to adopt a more humanist view. 1900s CE ![Black and white photograph of Marie Curie](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-tl-curie.webp?resize=633%2C688&ssl=1)Marie Curie, around 1920, photographed by Henri Manuel. Public domain, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marie_Curie_c1920.jpg)Humanists transformed the world ------------------------------- Scientists like Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Linus Pauling, Richard Feynman, Paul Dirac, Francis Crick, Marie Curie, Murray Gell-Mann, Erwin Schrödinger and Roger Penrose – all humanists – gave us astonishing developments that affect all of our lives to this day. Through music and activism, John Lennon and his contemporaries promoted tolerance and compassion. Meanwhile, the words of James Baldwin, whether written on the page or delivered from the lectern, were a powerful force in the American civil rights movement. 2000s CE Humanists continue to lead the way ---------------------------------- And today 25% of the UK hold humanist ideas – and for many of them it’s just obvious, and not something that even needs a label. Humanists lead political parties and nations. Figures such as Margaret Atwood, David Attenborough, Stephen Fry and Sandi Toksvig are beloved celebrities who embody and espouse humanism in their work. A core humanist idea is the ‘golden rule’: treat others as you would wish to be treated. This idea is found in almost every tradition: it cuts across time, space, culture, religion and ethnicity. There is no better example of the success of humanist thought. [Explore teaching resources on humanist ethics →](https://understandinghumanism.org.uk/area/humanist-ethics/) [![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-yt-radical.webp?resize=1283%2C667&ssl=1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yawm48TUSzA)**Humanist history: from radical ideas to common sense** A short animation, narrated by our patron Hannah Peel, tracing humanist thinking from its ancient and diverse beginnings to the present day. [Play the film (2 min 23 sec)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yawm48TUSzA) ![Humanist Heritage](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-hh-logo-white.png?resize=373%2C200&ssl=1)There’s a rich humanist history to explore on Humanist Heritage --------------------------------------------------------------- This timeline is only the start. Our online archive of the humanist movement tells the story in depth, with: - [Biographies](https://heritage.humanists.uk/types/people/) of humanists through the ages - [Articles](https://heritage.humanists.uk/articles/) on ideas, campaigns and groups - [A timeline](https://heritage.humanists.uk/timeline/) of the humanist movement - [Maps](https://heritage.humanists.uk/map/) and [walks](https://heritage.humanists.uk/walks/) of humanist places near you - [Exhibitions](https://heritage.humanists.uk/exhibitions/), objects and oral histories [Explore Humanist Heritage →](https://heritage.humanists.uk/) ![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-hh-papyrus.webp?resize=900%2C548&ssl=1)![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-hh-laptop.webp?resize=900%2C487&ssl=1) **Humanist Heritage** People, places, campaigns and objects from the humanist movement. ![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-hh-phone.webp?resize=300%2C487&ssl=1)