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Webster 1913 Edition


Agnosticism

Ag-nos′ti-cism

,
Noun.
That doctrine which, professing ignorance, neither asserts nor denies.
Specifically:
(Theol.)
The doctrine that the existence of a personal Deity, an unseen world, etc., can be neither proved nor disproved, because of the necessary limits of the human mind (as sometimes charged upon Hamilton and Mansel), or because of the insufficiency of the evidence furnished by physical and physical data, to warrant a positive conclusion (as taught by the school of Herbert Spencer); – opposed alike dogmatic skepticism and to dogmatic theism.

Definition 2024


agnosticism

agnosticism

English

Noun

agnosticism (uncountable)

  1. The view that absolute truth or ultimate certainty is unattainable, especially regarding knowledge not based on experience or perceivable phenomena.
  2. The view that the existence of God or of all deities is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable.
  3. Doubt, uncertainty, or scepticism regarding the existence of a god or gods.
    • 1956, January 31st: Alan Alexander Milne; quoted in:
    • 1988: James B. Simpson, Simpson’s Contemporary Quotations, № 4,393 (Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0395430852)
      The Old Testament is responsible for more atheism, agnosticism, disbelief — call it what you will — than any book ever written; it has emptied more churches than all the counterattractions of cinema, motor bicycle and golf course.
  4. (by extension) Doubt, uncertainty, or scepticism regarding any subject of dispute.
    • 2009, B. Pontin, “Climate change agnosticism - its meaning and implications”, in Environmental Law and Management, volume 21, number 2, ISSN 1067-6058, pages 55-57:

Coordinate terms

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Translations

See also

  • Appendix:Glossary of philosophical isms

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from French agnosticisme.

Noun

agnosticism n (uncountable)

  1. agnosticism

Declension


Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /aɡnɔstɪsˈɪsm/

Noun

agnosticism c

  1. agnosticism

Declension

Inflection of agnosticism 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative agnosticism agnosticismen agnosticismer agnosticismerna
Genitive agnosticisms agnosticismens agnosticismers agnosticismernas