Humanism is one of the eight spokes on The Pirate Wheel. It says that everybody has the same set of rights, and distinguishes born traits from acquired beliefs.

Regardless of where, how, or when a person was born, everybody has the same set of human rights.

This means that conditions at birth may not be a basis of discrimination. This includes both conditions at birth (time and place) as well as non-chosen characteristics of the born individual (colors of skin, eyes, hair; gender and sexual orientation, and similar characteristica).

Further, everybody may adopt whatever beliefs they would like after birth, be it a political worldview, a religious one, or a combination thereof. This is called an acquired belief. No distinction is made between religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other unfalsifiable sets of claims. No such acquired belief may be discriminated against in favor of another one, and no distinction is made from a human rights or discrimination perspective between different acquired beliefs. Further, government or public services may not give one acquired belief advantages with the public before any other, nor give any organization whose apparent purpose is to promote one particular acquired belief advantages over any other organization.

Theories and conclusions constructed using the scientific method, and which are therefore falsifiable and properly peer reviewed, are not considered acquired beliefs, but stand on their own as contemporary facts and a decision base for policymaking, rather than a belief. (Scientific facts are always contemporary, as they can be proven wrong by definition – in which case another set of facts take their place.)

Good will towards humanity stands as a foundation for policymaking, and is always based on peer-reviewed, falsifiable, secular, and scientific analysis, and never on acquired beliefs.

Core human rights that apply to everybody unconditionally include freedom of speech and expression, freedom of opinion and thought, freedom to assemble and associate, and the right to your own body.

Updated 2012-Apr-05.