What does rigorism mean?
Rigorism means strict adherence to rules, principles, or established methods, especially when that adherence is inflexible and leaves little room for exceptions or practical adjustments. In general use, the word often has a critical connotation: it can suggest that a system may be governed by excessive strictness, rigidity, or dogmatism rather than sensible judgment. In moral philosophy, however, rigorism has a more specific role. It refers to a stringent approach associated with Kantian ethics, in which moral duties are treated as binding and moral laws are expected to be universal rather than tailored to individual desires. The word is therefore broader than ordinary lawfulness and more systematic than a simple preference for strict enforcement. It is useful when distinguishing precision and principled conduct from mere obstinacy, while recognizing that firm adherence to rules can become excessive when no allowance is made for context, uncertainty, or exceptional circumstances.
nounRigourism is extreme strictness or rigid adherence to rules, principles, or accepted methods. In moral philosophy, it denotes a stringent deontological approach that emphasizes duty and universal moral rules.
- Extreme strictness or inflexible adherence to rules, principles, or established methods.
- A stringent moral-philosophical position that treats duty and universal moral laws as the overriding considerations of right and wrong.
"The committee rejected the proposal because its institutional rigorism made even minor exceptions difficult to approve."
"Historical archives are often damaged by the rigorism of catalogues that admit no uncertainty or ambiguity."
"Kantian rigorism has been defended as a demanding moral theory that makes no allowances for merely convenient exceptions."
The plural is grammatical but rare, as the word itself is uncommon.
"The study compared different moral rigorisms and the kinds of duties that each theory prioritized."
In Kantian ethics, rigorism turns moral duty into an uncompromising rule: what is right must be willed as a universal law.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rigorism come from?
Rigorism was formed in English from rigor, meaning strictness, firmness, or rigidity, together with the suffix -ism, which forms a noun denoting a doctrine, practice, or characteristic stance. English rigor comes through Latin rigor, from a root associated with stiffness, rigidity, and strictness. The philosophical sense developed from the same emphasis on exactness and strict adherence characteristic of the base word.
Related word forms
How rigorism is actually used
This is a rare, formal term. Its general sense is often critical, while its philosophical sense is more technical and may be discussed neutrally. The spelling rigorism is standard in both British and American English.
Easily confused with rigorism
Rigor means strictness, precision, or thoroughness, whereas rigorism specifically emphasizes an uncompromising stance or doctrine based on rigid adherence to rules.