freethinkers
Dogma-rejecting intellectuals
Freethinkers are people who form opinions independently, rejecting authority and tradition—especially religious doctrine—in favor of reason and evidence.
The term emerged during the Enlightenment and typically describes those skeptical of organized religion: The club attracted freethinkers, atheists, and other religious skeptics.
It can apply more broadly to anyone who thinks unconventionally.
Attacker of cherished beliefs
- dissenterOpponent of orthodoxy
- hereticChallenger of official doctrine
- rebelAuthority defier
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
unorthodox · contrarian · radical · eccentric · outsider · renegade · bohemian · individualist
Disposition toward doubt
- reasonBasis or justification
- logicScience of valid reasoning
- empiricismKnowledge through observation
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
enlightenment · secularism · humanism · atheism · agnosticism · deism · inquiry · doubt
Enlightenment French thinker
- VoltaireFrench Enlightenment satirist
- PaineAnglo surname, political associations
- IngersollNineteenth century freethought advocate
- DiderotPhilosopher who assembled comprehensive knowledge
pamphleteer · coffeehouse · Enlightenment · reformation · deist · libertine · anticlerical · secularist
Student of fundamental questions
- scholarLearned, studious person
- theoristDeveloper of explanatory systems
- essayistAuthor of short prose
- polemicistAggressive debate writer
debater · orator · writer · lecturer · sage · luminary · polymath · autodidact
Assembled group of worshippers
- fellowshipMutual goodwill among companions
- meetupInformal planned gathering
- symposiumFormal expert discussion meeting
- forumGathering place for discourse
iconoclast
Attacker of cherished beliefs
maverick · unorthodox · contrarian · radical · eccentric · outsider · renegade · bohemian · individualist · antiestablishment
skepticism
Disposition toward doubt
- reasonBasis or justification
- logicScience of valid reasoning
- empiricismKnowledge through observation
rationalism · enlightenment · secularism · humanism · atheism · agnosticism · deism · inquiry · doubt · questioning
philosophe
Enlightenment French thinker
- VoltaireFrench Enlightenment satirist
- PaineAnglo surname, political associations
- IngersollNineteenth century freethought advocate
Diderot · pamphleteer · coffeehouse · Enlightenment · reformation · deist · libertine · anticlerical · secularist · universalist
philosopher
Student of fundamental questions
- scholarLearned, studious person
- theoristDeveloper of explanatory systems
- essayistAuthor of short prose
polemicist · debater · orator · writer · lecturer · sage · luminary · polymath · autodidact · commentator
congregation
Assembled group of worshippers
- fellowshipMutual goodwill among companions
- meetupInformal planned gathering
- symposiumFormal expert discussion meeting
forum · circle · publication · manifesto
- Nonconformistsnonconformist, rebels, rebel, misfits, misfit
- dissentersdissenter, dissenters, dissidents, dissident, nonconformists
- Iconoclastsheretics, dissidents, mavericks, radicals, contrarians
- nonbelieversatheist, atheists, agnostic, agnostics, nonbeliever
- reformersreformers, reformer, social reformers, social reformer, political reformer
- freethinkerssecularists, rationalist, rationalists, skeptic, skeptics
freethinkersconformists
Those obeying social norms
dogmatists · followers · doctrinaires · ideologues · true believers
freethinkersconformists
Those obeying social norms
conventionalists · traditionalists · squares · conservatives · company men