''Secular Thought'' (1887–1911) was a Canadian

periodical A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also examples ...

, published in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, dedicated to promoting the principles of

freethought Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other methods ...

and

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on Secularity, secular, Naturalism (philosophy), naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the Separation of church and state, separation of relig ...

. Founded and edited during its first several years by English freethinker Charles Watts, the editorship was assumed by Toronto printer and publisher

James Spencer Ellis James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

in 1891 when Watts returned to England. During that period, ''Secular Thought'' was the principal organ of the freethought movement in Canada, publishing large amounts of material from England and the United States in addition to commenting on Canadian affairs.

Ramsay Cook George Ramsay Cook (28 November 1931 – 14 July 2016) was a Canadian historian and general editor of the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography''. He was professor of history at the University of Toronto, 1958–1968; York University, 1969–1 ...

, ''The Regenerators: Social Criticism in Late Victorian English Canada'' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985), pp. 46–64.

References

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External links

Internet Archive
(holds vols. 31–37, 1905–1911) Freethought Secularism in Canada Rationalism Newspapers published in Toronto Publications established in 1887 Publications disestablished in 1911 1887 establishments in Ontario 1911 disestablishments in Ontario Biweekly newspapers published in Canada