What does dogmatism mean?
Dogmatism is the disposition to hold and assert beliefs as unquestionably true, refusing to entertain evidence, doubt, or alternative viewpoints. A person guilty of dogmatism treats opinion as fact and typically reacts to disagreement with impatience rather than argument. The term derives from Greek roots relating to 'dogma', meaning an opinion or tenet laid down as authoritative, and entered English in the early seventeenth century. While its everyday use is almost always pejorative — describing closed-mindedness in politics, religion, science, or personal debate — it also has a technical sense in philosophy, where dogmatism names the position that genuine knowledge is possible and can rest on grounds other than experience, in contrast to scepticism. Its natural opposites include open-mindedness, humility, and intellectual flexibility. Because it names a recognizable failure of thinking that transcends any single ideology, dogmatism remains a valuable critical term: accusing someone of it challenges not what they believe but how they believe it.
nounThe tendency to assert one's opinions or beliefs as if they were unquestionably true, without regard for evidence or the views of others; the character or manner of a dogma-driven approach to ideas.
- An attitude or habit of asserting opinions as incontrovertibly true, with intolerance for differing views.
- (In philosophy) adherence to doctrines independent of experience, contrasted historically with scepticism.
"Her intellectual humility stood in refreshing contrast to the dogmatism of her colleagues."
"His scientific career flourished once he abandoned the dogmatism that had marked his early papers."
"The philosopher warned against replacing religious dogmatism with a secular variety equally intolerant of doubt."
Rarely pluralized; the plural appears mainly when referring to distinct bodies or instances of dogmatic doctrine across thinkers or traditions.
"The book surveys the rival dogmatisms of competing schools of thought."
The word 'dogmatism' literally means 'seeming right' in Greek — a fittingly ironic origin for a word about people who insist they are.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dogmatism
Dogmatism comes from the Greek 'dogma' (genitive 'dogmatos'), meaning 'opinion' or 'tenet', derived from 'dokein', 'to seem good or think'. It passed through Latin and French before entering English in the early seventeenth century, alongside related forms such as 'dogmatic'. Cognate English words sharing this Greek root include dogma itself, dogmatic, and dogmatize.
Related word forms
How dogmatism is actually used
Dogmatism carries a strongly negative connotation in modern usage, implying arrogance or closed-mindedness. It is common in academic, political, and philosophical writing. In philosophy of knowledge it has a more neutral technical sense, referring to claims of certainty grounded in reason rather than experience.
Easily confused with dogmatism
Doctrine refers to an actual set of taught beliefs or principles, while dogmatism describes the attitude of asserting beliefs inflexibly and without tolerance for doubt.
Dogma is a specific belief or set of principles laid down as authoritative truth, whereas dogmatism is the disposition of holding and enforcing such beliefs rigidly.