The COHE glossary of humanist and related terms is offered as a public service to our site visitors. We hope that it will assist you with not only academic work, but also your pursuit of general knowledge about humanism, science, religion, psychology, ethics, politics, and more.

Because glossary terms are defined by the authors of COHE courses in our diverse Study Areas, some show multiple definitions depending on context within those modules. Note also the offering of synonyms (words with identical meanings) for some terms.

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macroevolution
Law and Politics [LAP 100]

The scientific doctrine stating that organisms have radically changed form over time, resulting in new species. Most creationists oppose macroevolution, but accept microevolution (such as the development of different breeds of dog) because such variation does not result in new species or “kinds”.

maintenance rehearsal
Psychology and Humanism [PSH 100]

The memory process of restimulating ourselves with a stimulus material over and over again to produce a singular, impoverished long term memory image which is fairly easy to store.

manifesto
Humanist Activism and Organization [HAO 100]

A public declaration of principles, policies, and intentions.

materialism
Humanist Studies [HUM 100]

In philosophy, the theory that physical matter is the only reality and that everything can be explained in terms of physical phenomena.

meiosis
Science and Humanism [SCH 100]

The fundamental mechanism of cell division and reduction in the number of chromosomes that makes it possible for species to reproduce sexually.

memory
Psychology and Humanism [PSH 100]

The brain's storehouse for previous learning experiences.

memory hook
Psychology and Humanism [PSH 100]

An external stimulus cue or internal idea that produces other memory associations (i.e., retrieves other memory engrams).

metacognition
Psychology and Humanism [PSH 100]

The uniquely human activity of using our brains to study how our brains work and improve their functioning.

metaethics
Ethics [ETH 100]

Branch of ethics that probes fundamental questions about the meaning of concepts like right, wrong, good, and bad.

metaphysical
Religion and Spirituality [RSP 100]

That which is beyond the physical and empirical.

metaphysics
Religion and Spirituality [RSP 100]

The branch of philosophy that is concerned with what is beyond physics -- and therefore beyond any empirical evidence.

methodology
Humanist Studies [HUM 100]

A system of procedures and rules used in an area of study; the branch of philosophy dealing with the principles and procedures of inquiry.

mnemonics
Psychology and Humanism [PSH 100]

Memory aids.

monism
Religion and Spirituality [RSP 100]

The concept of human life as an integrated whole, without division into body and soul.

monism
Psychology and Humanism [PSH 100]

The idea that everything in the universe is part of the natural realm and therefore subject to natural laws; i.e., that there is no supernatural realm.

moral relativism
Science and Humanism [SCH 100]

The idea or fear that one set of morals is no better than another.

Murphy's Law of Neuropsychology
Psychology and Humanism [PSH 100]

For every function, there can be an equal and opposite dysfunction, ranging from 0% to 99.999%.

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