The Psychology of Freethought: How to Challenge Beliefs and Think Freely

October 12 is National Freethought Day, which celebrates thinking based on reason, logic, and observable and empirical evidence rather than tradition, authority, and dogma. It commemorates October 12, 1692, when Governor William Phips signed the declaration that “spectral evidence” can no longer be admissible in court within the United States. Because of this action, all of those accused of being witches in the Salem Witch Trials had their charges dismissed.

The significance of National Freethought Day and Freethought Month (October) is it advocates for the philosophical position that all people can build communities based on reason and democracy rather than religion and political autocracy. It celebrates the work of the 19th-century German Freethinkers of Texas, primarily Central Texas and Hill Country, who worked between 1845 and 1861 to make such communities. Many came to America to seek freedom after their involvement in the 1848 German Revolution. They deemed religion and religious deities irrelevant to government and human society.

Since 2001, Freethought Day has been celebrated annually at the California state capitol, where people come together to encourage

“…freedom of speech and thought, civic engagement, enthusiasm for science, social justice, and separation of church and state.”

This celebration combines a fair-like atmosphere with education and activism that hosts speakers, workshops, authors, entertainment, podcasters, scholarship winners, and more to support this mission. October 4-6 was this year’s celebration.

Don’t worry if you don’t live in California, as you can still celebrate National Freethought Day by learning about what freethought is and how to cultivate it with open-mindedness.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed mental health professional or psychologist. Any information is intended for educational purposes, and it is strongly encouraged to seek professional help if needed. If you require emergency assistance, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org/chat to reach a crisis counselor for support. Some links may be associated with affiliate links where I can earn a small commission. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

What is Freethought?

As stated, freethought is a philosophical position that beliefs should be formed based on logic, reason, and empirical evidence rather than adherence to tradition, authority, emotion, or dogma. Freethinking is the application of freethought where practitioners (freethinkers):

  • don't believe in conforming to religious texts, creeds, or godly figureheads

  • reject supernatural and paranormal claims that cannot be proven empirically

  • believe that one is not entitled to have one's opinions and thoughts respected

  • base views on evidence, logic, and reason

It is a concept that is also linked to our rights both in the United States and globally. It includes freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression.

Freedom of thought is guaranteed under the US Bill of Rights, where the First Amendment states that laws shall not interfere with religion or the prohibition of freely exercising one's faith or lack thereof. Freedom of religion includes freedom from religion, as it is one's right not to adhere to religious dogma, traditions, rituals, or beliefs.

Freedom of thought, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under Article 18, states that:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion of belief, and freedom, either alone or in a community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance."

Practitioners of freethought can include atheists, agnostics, humanists, and rationalists. It spans the political spectrum from Republicans to Democrats, from capitalists to communists, from libertarians to socialists, from liberals to conservatives.

All people can practice freethought.

Freethought is flexible, allowing for beliefs to change as evidence presents itself.

Freethought is reasonable, allowing one to think and test ideas for themselves while being free from traditional, dogmatic restraints.

Freethought or freedom of thought is a human right.

Freethought places the origins of the meaning of life in the mind, where one can freely choose to care and have a purpose since the Universe is without reason and without care.

Purpose can come from (not limited to):

  • Compassion for others

  • Social progress

  • Beauty in humanity, such as the arts

  • Personal happiness

  • Joy

  • Love

  • Advancement of knowledge

Without the practice of freethought, one can be subject to groupthink, lose autonomy in one's life and mind, and lose dignity.

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon described by social psychologist Irving Janis, where groups make decisions based on conformity, stress, and lack of disagreement to maintain group identity rather than supporting critical thinking and accepting other perspectives. He emphasized that it is done not deliberately and occurs as a group becomes more internally unified.

Symptoms of groupthink are:

  • Self-censorship with the fear of being shunned for freely speaking

  • "Us vs. Them" mentality

  • Limitations on critical thinking

  • Rushed decision making

  • Beliefs remain unquestioned

  • Stereotyping of the "other" or out-group

  • Illusions of invulnerability

  • Illusions of unanimity or agreement among members

  • Suppression of efficient problem-solving

Conformity is on the individual level, where one intentionally or unintentionally adjusts their beliefs, behaviors, appearances, and attitudes to those around them because of overt or subtle societal pressure. It offers a sense of belonging and acceptance and isn't necessarily positive or negative. It is related to groupthink, but they are distinct from each other.

How to Practice Freethought?

As mentioned, with freethought, one can change beliefs and opinions any time when presented with evidence that challenges previous beliefs. One can practice this flexibility by practicing open-mindedness.

In psychology, open-mindedness comes from the willingness to consider other perspectives and/or try new experiences. This receptiveness supports critical thinking of one's and others' beliefs and feelings of empathy towards others. Don't get me wrong. It's a challenging task.

Cognitive dissonance can occur when we are confronted with beliefs different from our own. Facing conflicting beliefs can be confusing and uncomfortable and can elicit feelings of embarrassment, shame, guilt, anxiety, and stress. One may double down on their beliefs even though they recognize the conflict. It can lead to seeking information to confirm existing beliefs rather than critically thinking about the conflict. By practicing freethought, one can develop open-mindedness that can help to minimize these effects.

Some helpful ways to practice freethought and open-mindedness are:

  • Be aware of confirmation bias and seek out opposing information or arguments.

  • Ask questions about sources, yourself, and of others.

  • Allow yourself time to process information and evaluate.

  • Learn to be comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty.

  • Remember, you don't know everything, and neither does anyone else. That's okay.

  • Be respectful when discussing a difference in perspectives, opinions, and beliefs.

The benefits of practicing freethought and cultivating open-mindedness include new experiences, personal growth, mental strength, increased optimism, acquiring more knowledge, and gaining insight into the world, ideas, and yourself.

Open-mindedness and freethought allow one to challenge one's beliefs and critically evaluate oneself and others. It's important to remember that humans have many perspectives and experiences worldwide. Many of these conflict with each other. By remaining open, humble, receptive, and empathic towards people and their experiences, we can all work towards a constructive way of resolving conflict, minimize the effects of groupthink and close-mindedness, and support the freedom of thought.

Some Resources for Further Exploration

Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Indian-American psychologist Mahzarin R. Banaji and American psychologist Anthony G. Greenwald (affilate link)

Center For Inquiry

Freedom from Religion Foundation

Freethoughtday.org

FreethoughtPedia

Pro-Truth Pledge

The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies by American science historian Michael Shermer (affiliate link)

The Freethought Society

The Skeptics Society

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Religion and Politics by American psychologist Jonathan Haidt (affiliate link)


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Find more psychology, mental health, or awareness-related holidays for October 2024 here. Each month I complie a list of holidays related to these topics to raise general awareness, give ideas for possible content creation, and create opportunities to learn something new.

References

CFD: about. (n.d.). CFD. https://freethoughtday.org/about/

Conformity. (n.d.). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/conformity

FreeThinker - FreeThoughtPedia. (n.d.). http://freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Freethinker

Groupthink. (n.d.). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/groupthink

Haydon, K. (2020, June 9). 4 Questions to Help You Avoid Groupthink (D. Frye, Ed.). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/adventures-in-divergent-thinking/202006/4-questions-help-you-avoid-groupthink

Mariner, C. (2017, December 10). The Founding Freethinkers (B. Fisher, Ed.). The Historical Marker Database. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=111292

MSEd, K. C. (2022, November 7). Cognitive dissonance and the discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-dissonance-2795012

MSEd, K. C. (2023, March 22). How to be Open-Minded and Why it matters. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/be-more-open-minded-4690673

MSEd, K. C. (2024, June 19). How groupthink impacts our behavior. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-groupthink-2795213

Seering, L. (1994, July 7). What is a Freethinker? Freedom From Religion Foundation. https://ffrf.org/fttoday/back-issues/what-is-a-freethinker/

United Nations. (n.d.). Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, May 11). Freethought Day. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freethought_Day

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