Rationalist Association
A British rationalist and freethought organization that promoted secular ideas through publishing and New Humanist magazine.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
The Rationalist Association was a British organization associated with rationalism, freethought, secularism, and non-religious intellectual culture. Its institutional roots went back to the Rationalist Press Association, established in the late nineteenth century by freethinkers who wanted to make serious scientific, philosophical, literary, and anti-dogmatic writing more widely available. The organization emerged partly in response to frustrations with the increasingly political character of parts of the British secularist movement and with the reluctance of conventional booksellers and publishers to handle explicitly secular or anti-religious material. Charles Albert Watts was an important early figure in the initiative. In 1890 he formed the Propagandist Press Committee, with George Jacob Holyoake as president. The body subsequently adopted the names Rationalist Press Committee and, in 1899, Rationalist Press Association. Its membership model combined subscription with the distribution of books, allowing members to receive publications whose value broadly corresponded to their subscriptions. This approach helped the association build a readership for rationalist literature while supporting the circulation of works that mainstream commercial channels often neglected. The association's publishing activity expanded substantially after 1902, when it issued reprints and editions of scientific and intellectual works by writers including Julian Huxley, Ernst Haeckel, and Matthew Arnold. Its best-known publishing venture was the Thinker's Library, issued by Watts & Co. from 1929 to 1951 under the direction of Charles Watts's son Fredrick. The series brought accessible editions of classic literature, science, philosophy, and freethought to a broad audience. Earlier and related publishing activity also included inexpensive reprints of influential authors such as Charles Darwin and John Stuart Mill, as well as works considered too openly irreligious for many mainstream publishers. The success of this publishing program reflected the growth of British interest in rationalist and secular literature. Membership reached more than 5,000 by 1959, the organization's reported peak. Over time, however, the wider commercial acceptance of rationalist and non-religious writing weakened the association's distinctive distribution role. Larger publishers increasingly served the readership that the association had helped develop, contributing to a long-term decline in membership and influence. In 2002, the Rationalist Press Association became a wholly owned subsidiary of the newly named Rationalist Association, a charitable organization intended to continue its work. The organization also became closely identified with New Humanist magazine, which served as its principal periodical platform for essays, criticism, secular commentary, and humanist discussion. Jonathan Miller was selected as president in 2006, bringing additional public visibility to the association and its non-religious intellectual mission. In January 2025, the Rationalist Association merged with Humanists UK. Humanists UK took ownership of the Rationalist Press and continued publication of New Humanist. The historic publishing operation was subsequently presented as the Rationalist Press, an imprint of Humanists UK. The Rationalist Association therefore no longer operates as an independent organization, although its publishing heritage and archive remain connected with British humanism, freethought, and rationalist literature.
History
The Rationalist Association developed from the Rationalist Press Association, a British freethought publishing body whose origins lay in efforts to circulate secular and rationalist literature outside conventional bookselling channels. Charles Albert Watts, a publisher associated with the National Reformer and with books by Charles Bradlaugh, helped create the initiative. In 1890, Watts established the Propagandist Press Committee, with George Jacob Holyoake as president. After later changes in name, the organization became the Rationalist Press Association in 1899. The association used a subscription-based publishing model. Members paid a fee and received books annually with a value connected to that subscription. This method provided financial support for publication while creating a committed readership for works that many mainstream publishers and booksellers considered commercially difficult or ideologically sensitive. The association's catalog included inexpensive reprints of classic literature and works by major scientific and philosophical writers, including Charles Darwin and John Stuart Mill. From 1902, the organization achieved greater success by publishing serious scientific and intellectual works. Its influence grew further through the Thinker's Library, produced by Watts & Co. from 1929 to 1951 under Fredrick Watts. The series made accessible editions of rationalist, scientific, literary, and philosophical texts available to a wide audience. The circulation of such books contributed to a broader British interest in agnostic, atheist, secular, and anti-dogmatic ideas. Membership reached a reported high of more than 5,000 in 1959. The association's success eventually undermined part of its original commercial rationale: as rationalist and secular literature became more accepted, larger publishers began serving the same readership. Membership subsequently declined, and the organization's role shifted from mass book distribution toward the preservation and promotion of rationalist and humanist ideas. In 2002, the Rationalist Press Association became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rationalist Association, a charity established to continue the older body's work. The organization became associated with New Humanist magazine, which provided a continuing forum for non-religious commentary and intellectual debate. Jonathan Miller became president in 2006. The organization ended its independent existence in January 2025 when it merged with Humanists UK. Humanists UK assumed ownership of the Rationalist Press and publication of New Humanist. The historic press now operates as the Rationalist Press imprint of Humanists UK, preserving the publishing legacy associated with the Rationalist Association and its predecessor.
- 2025
Merger with Humanists UK
[1]The Rationalist Association merged with Humanists UK, which took over the Rationalist Press and publication of New Humanist.
- 2006
Jonathan Miller becomes president
[1]Jonathan Miller was selected as president of the association.
- 2002
Organization renamed Rationalist Association
[1]The Rationalist Press Association became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rationalist Association, a charity formed to continue its work.
- 1959
Membership reaches reported peak
[1]Membership exceeded 5,000, representing the high point of the association's reported membership before later decline.
- 1951
Thinker's Library series concludes
[1]The principal run of the Thinker's Library ended after more than two decades of publication.
- 1929
Thinker's Library begins
[1]Watts & Co. began publishing the Thinker's Library, a major series of accessible editions associated with the association's rationalist publishing mission.
- 1902
Expansion into scientific and intellectual reprints
[1]The association expanded its catalog with serious scientific and intellectual works, strengthening its position as a specialist rationalist publisher.
- 1899
Rationalist Press Association name adopted
[1]After earlier names including the Rationalist Press Committee, the organization adopted the name Rationalist Press Association.
- 1890
Propagandist Press Committee established
[1]Charles Albert Watts formed the Propagandist Press Committee, with George Jacob Holyoake as president, to address barriers to distributing secular books.
- 1885
Founding roots of the Rationalist Press Association
[1]The organization's historical roots are traced to the founding of the Rationalist Press Association, created by British freethinkers to publish and distribute secular and rationalist literature.
Products and positioning
A British charitable and publishing organization promoting reason, secularism, freethought, scientific inquiry, and non-religious humanist discussion.
Magazine
New Humanist
A periodical associated with the Rationalist Association that provided essays, criticism, and commentary on secularism, humanism, religion, science, ethics, and public life. Following the 2025 merger, Humanists UK continued publishing it through the Rationalist Press imprint.
Book series · 1929
Thinker's Library
A major series of affordable editions published by Watts & Co. from 1929 to 1951. It helped circulate scientific, philosophical, literary, and freethought works to a broad readership and became one of the most recognizable publishing projects connected with the Rationalist Press tradition.
Books and reprints · 1885
Rationalist Press publications
The association and its predecessor published inexpensive reprints and specialist editions of scientific, literary, philosophical, agnostic, atheist, and anti-dogmatic works. Authors associated with the catalog included Charles Darwin, John Stuart Mill, Julian Huxley, Ernst Haeckel, and Matthew Arnold.
Brand decisions
2025
Merge with Humanists UKM&ABackground
The Rationalist Association's historic publishing and non-religious advocacy role had developed alongside the wider British humanist movement.
Action taken
The organization merged with Humanists UK, which assumed ownership of the Rationalist Press and publication of New Humanist.
Aftermath
The former publishing operation continued as the Rationalist Press imprint of Humanists UK, while the Rationalist Association ceased to operate independently.
2002
Restructure under the Rationalist AssociationStrategyBackground
The historic Rationalist Press Association had experienced a long-term decline in membership as mainstream publishers increasingly served readers interested in secular and rationalist literature.
Action taken
The Rationalist Press Association became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rationalist Association, a charity established to continue its work.
Aftermath
The organization continued its publishing and magazine-related activities under the Rationalist Association name.
Recent events
- 2025
Rationalist Association merges with Humanists UK[1]
M&A
The Rationalist Association merged with Humanists UK. Humanists UK assumed ownership of the Rationalist Press and continued publication of New Humanist under the Rationalist Press imprint.
- 2006
Jonathan Miller selected as president[1]
Leadership change
Jonathan Miller was chosen as president of the Rationalist Association, increasing the organization's public profile within British non-religious and humanist circles.
- 2002
Rationalist Press Association changes its name to Rationalist Association[1]
Other
The organization adopted the name Rationalist Association as part of a structural continuation of the earlier Rationalist Press Association's work.
Sources3 sources
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