Belief should be omitted from manifesto - letters to the editor

Humanist, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Robert L. Rodgers

If scientific principles are intrinsic to the tenets of Humanism, then the word believe should be deleted from Humanist Manifesto III. While the concepts of theory, hypothesis, conjecture, formulation, and so on are integral to scientific thought, that of belief isn't. Rather, belief reflects a subjective judgment not provable or based in fact and thus belongs in the distinct realms of religion, superstition, or speculation. The word should be replaced with one that connotes general provisional agreement on the most plausible operational conclusions derived from the best available information, such as accept, adopt, or a related term.

Robert L. Rodgers

Kingston, Rhode Island