Dogmatism: what it is, history, characteristics and types

Dogmatism is a particular belief that affirms a truth for the human mind.

What is dogmatism?

Dogmatism is a set of ideas and beliefs inherent to a position or doctrine that is conceived as absolute truth and does not admit criticism. This is a term that is frequently used to refer to systems of thought that operate according to dogmas, which are opinions based on principles that are not questioned.

They are considered dogmatic, then, those positions and opinions that believe they are in possession of an unquestionable truth and, furthermore, use that truth as the principle of their belief system.

There are different forms of dogmatism, based on different discourses and institutions. According to religious dogmatism, for example, a dogma is a truth revealed by God, which must be officially recognized. Every dogma is an obligatory object of faith for those who participate in the corresponding cult.

Other forms of dogmatism are the legal system, or even some scientific paradigms.

Etymology: The term dogmatism comes from dogma. The word dogma arises from the Greek dogma (“belief” or “decision”), whose original meaning is “philosophical opinion” or “opinion based on principles”. From there we can derive dogmatism, term that has been applied to different philosophical currents, such as Cartesian or Kantian, which are based on unquestioned principles.

Characteristics of dogmatism

The central characteristics of dogmatism are:

• It is guided by dogmas, which are ideas that are thought of as absolute and unquestionable truths.
• Each dogmatic system makes its dogmas function as principles of that same system and builds its theory from them.
• It opposes relativism, criticism and skepticism, since these positions call into question the ideas of truth and knowledge.
• It is a closed system, since it produces knowledge within its own paradigms, which are based on its dogmas.
• Dogmatisms consider that certain authorities, texts or figures are infallible and, therefore, their teachings cannot be questioned.

History of dogmatism

The Roman philosopher Sextus Empiricus (160-210) used the word dogmatic (dogmatikoí) to refer to academics and distinguish them from skeptics (skeptikoí). The latter questioned the existence of a single truth and therefore believed that the truth should be questioned, while the dogmatists (as was the case with Aristotle and the Epicureans) thought they were in possession of it.

In 1545, beginning with the Council of Trent, the Church authorities defined dogmas as truths given by divine revelation and recognized by the institution. From this point on, the current meaning of the term was developed, which defines a dogmatic person as a person who thinks and behaves on the basis of dogmas, generally articulated in a given doctrine.

During the Modern Age, some philosophical systems emerged that were considered dogmatic. The thought of Descartes (1596-1650), for example, placed all its trust in the capacity of reason to know things. Thus, he did not question this capacity, which is why he operated in a dogmatic way in his theory.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was another thinker who addressed dogmatism in his theory. In his works, he distinguished between historical disciplines, which are concerned with memory (such as history or language), and dogmatic disciplines (such as geometry or music), which depend on reasoning and experience.

The philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), on the other hand, openly rejected the dogmatic philosophy of his time, as was the case with Cartesian thought or realism, which believed that things could be known through perception. However, Kant characterized as a “dogmatic procedure” the way in which reason could determine knowledge. a priorithat is, those knowledge independent of experience, since they operated according to unquestionable principles.

Dogmatism classes

Some forms of dogmatism are:

• religious dogmatism. It is dogmatism that operates under a doctrine founded on theology and acts of faith, for which rational evidence cannot be required. For the Catholic Church, for example, the relationship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, which results in the nature of God, corresponds to a dogma. In this religious sense, a dogma is a proposition that is considered the word of God and, therefore, is accepted by the Church as unquestionable truth.
• Legal dogmatism. It is the dogmatism that functions as a doctrine that determines and describes the law without questioning its validity. Legal dogmas operate as a fixed system, from which the laws and norms in force in each society are interpreted. For example, countries that have constitutions operate under a legal dogma, since the laws contained in the constitution function as a normative principle regarding the exercise of law.
• Scientific dogmatism. It is the dogmatism that describes phenomena accepted by the scientific community. These are observable principles that are not questioned within a given paradigm. However, scientific dogmatism is always put to the test, given that different scientific paradigms usually coexist in each era. Newton’s laws are an example of scientific dogmatism.

Most religions are dogmatic in nature. Accepting a system of beliefs and a set of truths regarding the world and its creation constitutes an act of faith. For this reason, in general, we speak of “doctrines” to refer to the different thoughts that govern organized religions, such as Catholicism, Judaism or Islam.

Dogmatism, skepticism, relativism and criticism

Skepticism, relativism and criticism are three philosophical approaches that oppose dogmatism.

• SkepticismThis position disputes the possibility of attaining absolute and definitive knowledge. Skeptics doubt the certainty of beliefs and argue that we cannot be sure that our claims are completely true. Skepticism opposes dogmatism because it questions the absolute certainty of any claim or belief.
• RelativismThis position holds that truth and morality are relative to cultural, historical, or individual contexts. For relativists, there are no universal truths, and what is considered true or morally correct in one culture may not be so in another, and may even vary over time within a culture. Relativism opposes dogmatism by emphasizing the diversity of viewpoints and the absence of a single, immutable truth.
• CriticismThis position seeks to establish the limits and conditions of possibility of human knowledge. Criticism opposes dogmatism because it postulates that knowledge cannot be simply accepted without a critical analysis of the conditions under which it is acquired.

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References

• Ayala-Fuentes, M. (2008). Relativism and dogmatism. Causes and consequences. Person and Bioethics, 12(2), 118-131.
• Calvo Martínez, T. M. (1994). Pyrrhonism and the skeptical hermeneutics of pre-Pyrrho thought. In J. Marrades and N. Sánchez (Eds.), Look carefully. Philosophy and skepticism (pp. 3-19). Pre-Texts.
• Defez, A. (2000). Dogma, dogmatism and skepticism. In J. Muñoz and J. Velarde (Eds.), Compendium of Epistemology (pp. 188-191). Trotta.
• Popkin, R. H. (1969). The Skeptical Origins of the Modern Problem of Knowledge. In NS Care and RH Grimm (Eds.), Perception and Personal Identity. The Press of Case Western Reserve University.