scientism
Only laboratories matter
Scientism is the view that scientific methods are the only legitimate path to knowledge, or that science can answer all meaningful questions.
The term is almost always pejorative, used by critics who believe this stance overreaches—dismissing philosophy, ethics, religion, or the humanities as inferior ways of understanding the world.
His scientism left no room for questions science couldn't answer.
Philosophy demanding verifiable evidence
- materialismPrioritizing goods over spirit
- naturalismWorldview excluding the supernatural
- secularismSeparation of faith, state
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
atheism · objectivism · humanism · determinism · mechanism · monism · physicalism · reductionism
Knowledge through observation
- observationAttentive watching or remark
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- dataFacts for analysis
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
measurement · quantifiable · falsifiable · testable · replicable · objectivity · verification · controlled
Explaining wholes through parts
- mechanisticViewing systems as machines
- atomisticBroken into discrete units
- parsimonyExcessive frugality with resources
- physicalismAll is matter
deterministic · materialistic · simplification · dissect · decompose · elemental · quantifiable · essentialize
Unyielding adherence to doctrine
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- absolutismUnrestricted governmental authority
- rigidityState of being unbending
- inflexibilityQuality of being unbending
uncritical · unquestioning · doctrinaire · intolerance · fundamentalism · zealotry · purism · intransigence
Exceed one's capacity
- imperialismExtending dominion over others
- hubrisRuinous excessive confidence
- limitationsImposed or inherent bounds
- boundariesLines marking separation
humanities · qualitative · subjective · consciousness · ethics · meaning · values · reductionism
Expressing something numerically
- falsifiabilitySusceptibility to disproof
- replicabilityAbility to duplicate results
- evidence-basedSupported by verified data
- double-blindNeither tester nor tested knows
Love of modern machinery
- technocracyGovernance by technical experts
- automationSelf-operating system design
- transhumanismTech-augmented evolution philosophy
- futurismStudy of tomorrow's possibilities
positivism
Philosophy demanding verifiable evidence
- materialismPrioritizing goods over spirit
- naturalismWorldview excluding the supernatural
- secularismSeparation of faith, state
rationalism · atheism · objectivism · humanism · determinism · mechanism · monism · physicalism · reductionism · enlightenment
empiricism
Knowledge through observation
- observationAttentive watching or remark
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- dataFacts for analysis
evidence · measurement · quantifiable · falsifiable · testable · replicable · objectivity · verification · controlled · analytical
reductionism
Explaining wholes through parts
- mechanisticViewing systems as machines
- atomisticBroken into discrete units
- parsimonyExcessive frugality with resources
physicalism · deterministic · materialistic · simplification · dissect · decompose · elemental · quantifiable · essentialize
dogmatism
Unyielding adherence to doctrine
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- absolutismUnrestricted governmental authority
- rigidityState of being unbending
inflexibility · uncritical · unquestioning · doctrinaire · intolerance · fundamentalism · zealotry · purism · intransigence · closed-minded
overreach
Exceed one's capacity
- imperialismExtending dominion over others
- hubrisRuinous excessive confidence
- limitationsImposed or inherent bounds
boundaries · humanities · qualitative · subjective · consciousness · ethics · meaning · values · reductionism · dehumanization
quantification
Expressing something numerically
- falsifiabilitySusceptibility to disproof
- replicabilityAbility to duplicate results
- evidence-basedSupported by verified data
technophilia
Love of modern machinery
- technocracyGovernance by technical experts
- automationSelf-operating system design
- transhumanismTech-augmented evolution philosophy
- -ismsatomism, postmodernism, feminism, Marxism, Darwinism
- Faith and Sciencefaith and reason, intelligent design, creationism, evolution debate, divine creation
- ideologiescapitalism, communism, conservatism, liberalism, socialism
- naturalismnaturalism, literary realism, realism, determinism, empiricism
- Secular Philosophiesatheism, agnosticism, secular humanism, nontheism, freethought
- Secularismsecular humanism, secular state, separation of church and state, disestablishment, church and state
scientismepistemic humility
Awareness of one's ignorance
intellectual humility · open-mindedness · agnosticism · uncertainty · contextualism
scientismmysticism
Pursuit of divine union
faith · rationalism · intuitionism · traditionalism · romanticism
scientismspiritualism
Communion with the deceased
supernaturalism · holism · idealism · dualism · vitalism
- mad scientistDeranged researcher archetype
- rocket scientistExpert in spacecraft propulsion
- scientific namesFormal species designations
- scientific journalsPublications for scholarly research
- computer scientistExpert in computational theory
- chief scientistTop technical authority
scientist, scientific, scientists, scientifically, nonscientific