SASS member Emma Campbell considers some aspects of freedom of expression in South Africa. Freethinking begins with the freedom to question. Humanism takes that freedom and places it within a broader commitment to human dignity, autonomy and flourishing. Both depend on an open exchange of ideas. Freedom of expression is therefore more than a political
Freedom of Expression: The Freedom to Think, Question and Speak Read More »
The World Humanist Congress, meeting in Ottawa, Canada, in 2026, declares: Humanism is not just a set of values but an active approach to life. We reaffirm the progressive and optimistic vision of our Amsterdam Declaration: that every human has the right to the greatest possible freedom compatible with the rights of others. But human
The Ottawa Declaration on Humanism as Resistance Read More »
SA Secular Society member Emma Campbell unpacks an aspect of critical thinking. Someone tells you that a particular treatment works. A friend recommends a product that supposedly has remarkable effects. You see a post online claiming that something happened, or that a particular person, organisation or government is responsible for it. How do you decide
Asking for Evidence Read More »
SA Secular Society member Emma Campbell turns her lens on social justice, from a Freethinker’s point of view. Throughout history, many social institutions and customs have been defended on the grounds that they are traditional, natural or ordained by a higher authority. Freethinking challenges us to ask a different question: Are these ideas actually justified?
Freethinking and Social Justice: Questioning the Rules We Inherit Read More »
SA Secular Society member Emma Campbell provides some insight into these two ways of thinking and living. The terms Freethinker and Humanist are often used interchangeably. While they are similar in many, overarching ways, they contain some differences. Both terms centre themselves around reason, evidence and intellectual freedom, and both have played an important
Freethinkers and Humanists: What’s the Difference? Read More »
When we hear the word freethought, it is easy to imagine a modern movement that emerged in response to organised religion. In reality, the desire to ask questions, challenge accepted wisdom and seek evidence has been part of the human story for thousands of years. Freethought is not about telling people what to believe. Rather,
The Long History of Freethought Read More »
Belonging is not a luxury. It is not a soft, sentimental idea. It is a fundamental human need. Psychologists have long recognised that the need to belong sits alongside our need for safety and security. We are social beings. We thrive when we feel seen, understood and accepted. We suffer when we feel excluded, misunderstood
The Human Need to Belong – and the Courage to Live Authentically Read More »
Human dignity, equality, critical thinking, and evidence-based progress South Africa enters 2026 carrying both promise and strain. We are a constitutional democracy founded on human dignity, equality, and freedom, yet we continue to live with deep inequality, social fragmentation, and a persistent gap between policy intention and lived reality. In this context, secular values are
What Secular Values Offer South Africa in 2026 Read More »
When the South African Secular Society (SASS) was established in 2014, a Secular Charter was adopted. This outlines the principles of the secular state that SASS strives to achieve. Comparative approaches to secular charters around the world Across the world, societies have found different ways to formalise the principle of secularism — the separation of religion
Our Secular Charter: Your Rights, Explained Read More »
