1. a perspective that begins with a presumption of the inherent dignity and worth of humankind and, as a scholarly or artistic discipline, focuses attention on the study and representation of human beings and human experiences. The roots of Western humanism lie in the Renaissance period, when those who studied the classical Greek and Roman languages and writings became known as humanists.

2. any position taken in opposition to religious belief or other forms of supernaturalism. See secular humanism.

3. in psychology, any perspective that seeks to uphold human values and to resist the reduction of human beings and behaviors to merely natural objects and events. In this spirit, humanistic psychologies have resisted not only natural scientific psychology but also theories that emphasize the negative and pathological aspects of human nature. In psychology, the term humanism is often applied to theories and perspectives in the tradition of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow or to those inspired by phenomenology and existentialism. —humanist adj., n. —humanistic adj.