For Students and Teachers

Humanists

Humanist Key Words as Pictures

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All belief systems have key words that have special significance within that system. They are different from jargon words but they play key roles in summing up the importance of the elements of the belief. In Buddhism, ‘rebirth’ is such a key word, in Christianity ‘resurrection’, in Islam ‘submission’. There are many other key words in each system.

Writing is a visual form of recording language. It enables the transmission of ideas over time and distance and is a prerequisite of complex civilisations.

The first known writing dates from 6,000 BC. Hieroglyphics are conventionalised pictures used chiefly to represent meanings that seem arbitrary and are seldom obvious. Egyptian hieroglyphics were perfected about 3,000 BC.

In the Humanist ethical tradition some of the key words are:-

science, humanity,

freedom, happiness, virtue,

friendship,

evolution,

chance, necessity, choice,

prudence,

reason.

Ideas like justice are often personified or represented as pictures or symbols. Below are some pictures that have been chosen to represent the Humanist key words listed above. Which picture represents each key word for you? If you find a picture which you feel links to another of the key words please e-mail your comments and perhaps send a more appropriate picture to go with the key word. Ask your friends to see if they agree.

To find the key word pass your arrow over the picture.

Teachers could ask pupils to produce their own pictures to illustrate the key words, or ask them to describe a situation in which one of the ideas predominated.

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