The first manifesto, entitled simply Humanist Manifesto, was written in 1933 primarily by Raymond Bragg and was published with thirty-four signatories. Unlike the later ones, the first manifesto talked of a new "religion", and referred to humanism as a religious movement meant to transcend and replace previous, deity-based religions. The document outlines a fifteen-point belief system, which, in addition to a secular outlook, opposes "acquisitive and profit-motivated society" and outlines a worldwide egalitarian society based on voluntary mutual cooperation.
List of signers
34 individuals signed, these being:
- Anton J. Carlson
- John Dewey
- John H. Dietrich
- R. Lester Mondale
- Charles Francis Potter
- Curtis W. Reese
- Edwin H. Wilson