freethinking
Rejecting inherited dogma
Freethinking is forming opinions independently rather than accepting established doctrines, especially religious ones.
A freethinker rejects authority and tradition as sources of truth, relying instead on reason and evidence.
The term arose in religious contexts but applies to any rejection of orthodoxy: Her freethinking parents raised her without religion.
As an adjective: a freethinking scientist.
Disposition toward doubt
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- empiricismKnowledge through observation
- secularismSeparation of faith, state
- agnosticismDoubt about divine existence
atheism · deism · humanism · questioning · doubt · inquiry · reason · logic
Free from external control
- unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
- unorthodoxContrary to accepted practice
- iconoclasticAttacking cherished beliefs
- dissentingExpressing disagreement formally
heretical · rebellious · contrarian · maverick · individualistic · antiestablishment · countercultural · defiant
Receptive to different ideas
- unprejudicedFree from preconceptions
- unbiasedFree from prejudice
- tolerantAccepting of differences
- receptiveOpen to input
broad-minded · liberal · progressive · impartial · flexible · undogmatic · nonjudgmental · accepting
Managing oneself without supervision
- self-reliantAble to provide independently
- autonomousSelf-directed and free
- unfetteredFree from restriction
- unshackledReleased from restraints
liberated · emancipated · sovereign · unconstrained · uninhibited · unbounded · self-governing · uninfluenced
skepticism
Disposition toward doubt
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- empiricismKnowledge through observation
- secularismSeparation of faith, state
agnosticism · atheism · deism · humanism · questioning · doubt · inquiry · reason · logic · evidence-based
independent
Free from external control
- unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
- unorthodoxContrary to accepted practice
- iconoclasticAttacking cherished beliefs
dissenting · heretical · rebellious · contrarian · maverick · individualistic · antiestablishment · countercultural · defiant · heterodox
open-minded
Receptive to different ideas
- unprejudicedFree from preconceptions
- unbiasedFree from prejudice
- tolerantAccepting of differences
receptive · broad-minded · liberal · progressive · impartial · flexible · undogmatic · nonjudgmental · accepting · curious
self-directed
Managing oneself without supervision
- self-reliantAble to provide independently
- autonomousSelf-directed and free
- unfetteredFree from restriction
unshackled · liberated · emancipated · sovereign · unconstrained · uninhibited · unbounded · self-governing · uninfluenced · uncensored
- belieffaith, belief, belief systems, creed, dogma
- enlightenmentVoltaire, Rousseau, Locke, Kant, Montesquieu
- humanismsecular humanism, Renaissance humanism, classical humanism, humanist values, human dignity
- nonconformitynonconformity, nonconformism, deviance, deviation, defiance
- Secular Philosophiesatheism, agnosticism, secular humanism, nontheism, irreligion
- Unbeliefatheism, agnosticism, irreligion, nonbelief, disbelief
freethinkingclosed-minded
Unreceptive to new ideas
narrow-minded · dogmatic · bigoted · hidebound · rigid
freethinkingorthodox
Conforming to established belief
devout · pious · faithful · believing · fundamentalist
freethinkingorthodox
Conforming to established belief
conformist · fundamentalist · conventional · conservative · traditionalist
free, thinking, freedom, thought, freed, thinker, thinks, rethink, unthinkable