What does fideistic mean?
Fideistic describes positions in philosophy and theology that give faith priority over reason, holding that religious belief need not be justified by rational argument or empirical evidence. The term derives from fideism, a view most associated with thinkers such as Blaise Pascal and Søren Kierkegaard, who maintained that genuine commitment to God involves trust that reasoning alone cannot supply. To call someone's stance fideistic is to characterize it as resting on faith where others might demand proof — sometimes neutrally, sometimes critically, depending on the writer's own convictions. The word appears chiefly in academic discussions of religious epistemology, where debates between evidentialists and fideists remain lively. It is useful precisely because it names a specific intellectual position rather than mere religiosity: a person can be deeply devout without being fideistic, if they believe their faith is supported by evidence and argument.
adjectiveRelating to or characteristic of fideism, the view that religious faith does not depend on reason or evidence and may even be independent of, or opposed to, it.
- Of or relating to fideism: treating faith as independent of, or superior to, reason in matters of religion.
"His fideistic outlook held that reason could never settle questions of ultimate belief."
"Kierkegaard's leap of faith is often cited as an example of fideistic thinking."
"The philosopher rejected natural theology on fideistic grounds, insisting that belief rests on trust alone."
A fideistic thinker happily admits that faith needs no proof — which is why philosophers have argued about the move for centuries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fideistic
Fideistic derives from fideism, a term formed from Latin fides, meaning 'faith', combined with the suffix -ism; the adjective adds -ic. The root fides is the same that gives English fidelity, confide, infidel, and the phrase bona fide. Fideism as a named philosophical position emerged in nineteenth-century discussions of Roman Catholic thought, though the attitudes it labels are far older, appearing in writers such as Pascal and later Kierkegaard.
Related word forms
How fideistic is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in philosophy of religion and theology; rare in everyday conversation and typically neutral-to-scholarly in register rather than pejorative.
Easily confused with fideistic
Theistic means believing in a god or gods, while fideistic describes a reliance on faith over reason — one can be theistic without being fideistic.