Secularism, atheism, agnosticism

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Overview

Secularism, atheism and agnosticism are related but different positions. Secularism concerns how states and public life are arranged without privileging a religion. Atheism is the absence of belief in gods, or the claim that no gods exist. Agnosticism holds that the existence of God cannot be known, or is not settled by available evidence. Together they form a major strand of modern thought, from the 18th century onward. Surveys by the Pew Research Center suggest roughly 16 percent of the world's population has no religious affiliation, which is not the same as being atheist.

Context

These positions grew in Europe after the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries and the rise of modern science. Philosophers of the Enlightenment questioned inherited authority and argued for reason and toleration. Non-theistic thought also has older roots, including the Charvaka materialists in ancient India, and the non-theistic emphasis in Buddhism and Jainism.