dogmatismi

Dogmatismi refers to the tendency to present beliefs, doctrines, or authorities as incontrovertible truths and to assert them as unquestionable. The term is used across fields, including philosophy, theology, politics, and education, to describe a stance that emphasizes certainty and obedience over inquiry and doubt.

Etymology and sense: From the Greek dogma, meaning "that which seems true," dogmatism originally referred to the firm assertion of accepted beliefs. In modern usage it denotes a closed, authoritative stance rather than a method of inquiry.

Core features include reliance on asserted authorities, resistance to revising beliefs in light of new evidence, the defense of traditions or revelations as self-evident, and the deployment of selective arguments to shield doctrine from criticism.

In religion it denotes strict adherence to official creeds and doctrinal statements, often tied to institutional authority. While it can promote doctrinal unity and social cohesion, dogmatism may also suppress dissent, alternative interpretations, and tolerance.

In philosophy and science, dogmatism is contrasted with critical thinking, skepticism, and falsifiability. Philosophical dogmatism treats self-evident premises as justified; scientific dogmatism can occur when a theory is guarded against modification despite contrary evidence, a critique associated with falsification and the idea that theories should be testable and improvable.

Historical context: the term has long been used to criticize unexamined beliefs. Ancient skeptics opposed dogmatism; in modern thought, rationalism, empiricism, and Kantian critique challenged metaphysical or epistemic dogmatism, while contemporary debates use the label to advocate openness to revision. See also dogma, epistemology, skepticism, critical thinking.