agnosticism etymology

Etymology

The term "agnosticism" derives from the Greek words:

• "a-" (alpha privative): Meaning "without" or "not"
• "gnōsis" (γνῶσις): Meaning "knowledge"

Meaning

Agnosticism is a philosophical stance that holds that the existence of any deity or deities is unknowable.

Origin

The term "agnosticism" was first coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. Huxley used the term to describe his own philosophical position, which he believed was distinct from both atheism and theism.

Key Ideas of Agnosticism

• Human beings cannot definitively prove or disprove the existence of any deities.
• The question of God's existence is therefore beyond human knowledge.
• Agnostics do not claim to know whether or not God exists, but rather maintain that such knowledge is unattainable.
• Agnosticism is not a form of atheism, which asserts that God does not exist.
• Agnosticism is also distinct from theism, which asserts that God exists.

Types of Agnosticism

• Weak Agnosticism: Holds that it is impossible to know definitively whether or not God exists.
• Strong Agnosticism: Asserts that it is not only impossible to know whether or not God exists, but it is also logically incoherent to claim to know.
• Implicit Agnosticism: Unconsciously assumes that the question of God's existence is unanswerable.
• Explicit Agnosticism: Consciously accepts the position that God's existence is unknowable.

agnosticism relate terms

• agnostic

  Etymology From Ancient Greek ἀ a without γνῶσις gnōsis knowledge

• gnostic

  Etymology The word gnostic is derived from the Ancient Greek word gnōstikos which m

• skepticism

  Etymology The word skepticism comes from the ancient Greek word skeptikos which is

• atheism

  Etymology The word atheism is derived from two Greek words a α Prefix meaning

• empiricism

  Etymology The term empiricism is derived from the Greek word empeiria which means

• disbelief

  Etymology The word disbelief comes from the Old English prefix dis meaning not or

• scissors

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• cowboy

  Etymology The word cowboy is derived from the Spanish word vaquero which means cow

• flush

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• corporation

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• Anglo Saxon

  Anglo Saxon Etymology Originally known as Old English or Anglish Derived from Angl