In this episode, we explore the long history of humanist campaigning in education. From the Victorian pioneers of the Moral Instruction League to the 20th century architects of ‘life-stance’ education and citizenship studies, we trace efforts by figures in the humanist movement to replace theological indoctrination with reason, ethics, and critical thinking, as well as asking what challenges we face in education today.
Dr Lois Lee, Senior Lecturer, University of Kent, and Principal Investigator on the Understanding Unbelief and Explaining Atheism projects.
Dr Susannah Wright, Associate Professor in History of Education and Childhood, Oxford Brookes University, and author of Morality and Citizenship in English Schools: Secular Approaches, 1897-1944.
Humanism, Atheism, Ethical movement, Education, Moral instruction, Moral education, Citizenship, Sociology, Non-religion, Religious education, Secularism, Father Christmas
Frederick James Gould (1855–1938) A teacher and humanist educationist who became a key figure in the Moral Instruction League. Gould was instrumental in introducing non-theological moral instruction to Leicester schools in 1902 and was a prolific writer of curriculum materials designed to nurture character through secular stories. Read more about Frederick James Gould.
Zona Vallance (1860–1904) The first honorary secretary of the Union of Ethical Societies, and of the Moral Instruction League. She campaigned for women’s suffrage and challenged the compulsory use of the Bible in London schools. Read more about Zona Vallance.
Gustav Spiller (1864–1940) A Hungarian emigre and tireless organiser, Spiller was the driving force behind the First International Moral Education Congress (1908) and the groundbreaking First Universal Races Congress (1911), which sought to apply humanist ethics to global racial equality. Read more about Gustav Spiller.
Annie Besant (1847–1933) An activist and socialist who sought to provide children with ‘heroic’ examples through her magazine Our Corner. She encouraged young readers to evaluate historical figures based on their contributions to human progress. Read more about Annie Besant.
Margaret Knight (1903–1983) A psychologist who sparked a national scandal in the 1950s with her BBC broadcasts, Morals Without Religion. Despite condemnation from the clergy, her work proved that the British public was far more sympathetic to secular ethics than the establishment realised. Read more about Margaret Knight.
L. Susan Stebbing (1885–1943) The first woman President of the Ethical Union (now Humanists UK), Stebbing was a philosopher who championed clear thinking as a vital tool for citizens in a modern democracy. Her 1939 book, Thinking to Some Purpose, remains a classic of critical thinking. Read more about L. Susan Stebbing.
James Hemming (1909–2007) An educationist and former BHA President, Hemming believed that education should focus on the whole person, particularly through relationships and sex education, rooted in a humanist understanding of human needs. Read more about James Hemming.
Harry Stopes-Roe (1924–2014) The son of Marie Stopes and a tireless humanist campaigner, Harry Stopes-Roe popularised the term ‘life-stances.’ He successfully campaigned for the inclusion of humanism in Birmingham’s religious education syllabus in the 1970s—a first for the UK. Read more about Harry Stopes-Roe.
Dora Russell (1894–1986) & Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) Together, they founded Beacon Hill School in 1927, a progressive institution focused on child-centred learning and freedom of inquiry. Dora continued to run the school for many years after their marriage ended, remaining a staunch advocate for humanist values and human rights. Read more about Dora Russell and Bertrand Russell.
Morality and Citizenship in English Schools: Secular Approaches, 1897–1944 by Susannah Wright
‘Becoming Humanist: Worldview Formation and the Emergence of Atheist Britain‘ by Anna Strhan, Lois Lee, and Rachael Shillitoe
Growing Up Godless: Non-religious Childhoods in Contemporary England by Anna Strhan and Rachael Shillitoe