intellectualthat

Intellectualthat is a neologism used in discussions of contemporary rhetoric to describe a particular class of claim that signals intellectual authority while offering little substantive argument. The term functions as a descriptor for statements perceived to rely on prestige, authority, or abstract reasoning rather than concrete evidence.

Etymology and development

The word blends “intellectual” with the demonstrative or qualifying sense of “that,” suggesting a claim presented as an emblem of high intellect. It emerged in online discourse and critical writing in the 2020s, where scholars and commentators analyze how claims are framed to appear credible without direct support. It has not become a standard term in mainstream philosophy or linguistics, but it is sometimes cited in discourse-analytical work and satire about online rhetorical styles.

Definition and usage

In practice, an intellectualthat refers to a statement or proposition framed as self-evidently smart or universally true, often through appeals to authority, tradition, or abstraction. Critics argue that such claims function performatively, aiming to confer epistemic legitimacy rather than to illuminate or persuade through argumentation. In analytic terms, intellectualthats are distinguished by their lack of explicit justification, reliance on universalizing language, and emphasis on perceived intellect over data.

Reception

As a niche term, intellectualthat appears mainly in discussions of digital rhetoric, epistemic virtue signaling, and critique of intellectual posturing. Some scholars caution that labeling a claim as an intellectualthat can oversimplify debates, while others view the concept as a useful shorthand for analyzing how rhetoric borrows credibility.

See also

Rhetoric, epistemic virtue signaling, performative utterance, discourse analysis.