Humanism places human agency, dignity, freedom, happiness, and progress at the center of moral and philosophical inquiry. Its roots reach back to Greek thinkers such as Protagoras, Socrates, Aristotle, and Epicurus, whose approaches emphasized reason, human nature, and well-being rather than myth alone. Renaissance humanism revived classical literature and reshaped education, while the Enlightenment strengthened confidence in science, tolerance, and human-made knowledge. Later, Darwinian science, utilitarian ethics, biblical criticism, and secular organizations helped form modern non-theistic humanism. Contemporary humanists generally rely on reason and free inquiry, support democracy, human rights, and secular government, and argue that morality does not require divine commands. Humanism remains diverse, debated, and continually redefined.